New GM CEO is Refreshingly Honest

Oftentimes CEOs are afraid to speak their minds, fearing retribution from shareholders, employees, or the government. GM's new Chief Executive, however, isn't so shy.

Dan Akerson, while speaking to GM employees on Wednesday, mentioned "I vote Republican" and that GM must go into "attack mentality." From the automotive blog Jalopnik:

The comments came during a town hall meeting at GM headquarters in Detroit today, where Akerson and departing CEO Ed Whitacre had a symbolic hand-off. During the discussion, our source says Akerson talked about his education at the London School of Economics, and took a swipe at the Obama administration, saying Washington types could stand some of the training in economics and philosophy that he enjoyed.

Akerson is no closet Republican; the former head of the Carlyle Group's private equity arm gave $2,300 to Sen. John McCain in 2008, along with $28,500 to the Republican National Committee, which has criticized Obama for spending $50 billion to rescue GM.

He also said GM needed to be in "an attack mentality" that's "more fun than playing defense," which would comport with his other schooling at the U.S. Naval Academy.

This is good for GM. Hopefully the new CEO will be more aggressive than past GM CEOs in pursuing new products and integrating new technologies into cars. Upcoming models like the Chevy Volt, Cadillac ATS, and Buick Regal indicate that GM is moving in the right direction. It is refreshing to hear this kind of candor from a CEO, but he should be careful what he says. The government still owns 60.8% of GM common stock, so antagonizing the Obama adminstration may not be the smartest PR tactic.