How to Win an ‘Impossible’ Deal.

Hi,

Welcome to Leadership Lens, glad to have you here! This week, we’re diving into a powerful leadership & negotiation story designed to sharpen your negotiation skills. If you're looking to level up your ability to navigate high-stakes situations, this one's for you.

Stay ahead—let’s break it down. 👇

The story:

Imagine Congress rewriting rules so your business survives. 

That’s what Chrysler’s CEO, Lee Iacocca, had to do in 1979 when his company nearly crumbled. 

By the late ‘70s, America was in economic turmoil—soaring inflation, an energy crisis, and a recession had shattered consumer confidence. The Big Three automakers (GM, Ford, and Chrysler) were struggling but Chrysler was on life support.

Detroit’s factories shut down. Chrysler’s stock crashed. Bankers ran. 

The White House refused to act: “Not our problem.”

Almost every CEO in his position would’ve given up. 

But Iacocca didn’t see a company failing—he saw a way to turn the tables.

He had only one shot—persuade Congress to bet $1.5B on a company they’d written off.

And he made it… 

But how did he achieve what no one else could? 

His strategies weren't about wielding power, they were about inspiring others to believe in a shared goal. And you can use them to close deals on your terms.

Use Crisis Before It Uses YOU

Most people don’t act until the crisis hits. 

Iacocca convinced Congress that Chrysler’s downfall wouldn’t just ruin a company—it would wreck the country.

• 360,000 workers at risk. 

• A supply chain teetering on collapse. 

• Detroit teetered on collapse.

He showed lawmakers a nightmare they couldn’t afford to ignore. 

He proved that letting Chrysler fail would cost them more than saving it. 

Lesson: No one fights for your success—unless it fuels their success. Make their survival depend on your win, or they’ll let you fail.  

But winning them over wasn't enough—he had to make them want to pay.

Build a Coalition (Make Everyone Invested in Your Success)

He didn’t just ‘build a coalition’—he locked every player in the same survival game.

He convinced workers to trade pay cuts for job security. Unions had to support him.

He forced banks and suppliers to pick a side—back Chrysler with government support or watch it collapse. 

He built an underdog narrative too big to ignore. He transformed Chrysler’s downfall into a crisis the media had to cover. 

Finally, lawmakers had to act.

And when he walked into Congress, he wasn’t just a CEO—he was the voice of half a million workers demanding a lifeline.

Lesson: Negotiation isn’t a lone battle—it’s a power game. Control the players. Control the board. Stack the odds in your favor. 

Great deals aren't won—they're strategically crafted. 

Frame the Deal as a Win-Win

The U.S. government refused outright. 

They rejected a bailout. They saw Chrysler as a sinking ship.

Iacocca revamped the deal to shift the narrative:

• Not a bailout—a loan guarantee. Chrysler wouldn’t get free money; they’d get a government-backed chance to survive. 

• With government oversight, taxpayers saw it as a smart bet, not a bailout. 

• Chrysler’s commitment. Iacocca pledged cutbacks and a full operational turnaround.

The message? 

It wasn’t a bailout, but a smart investment in America’s economy. 

Lesson: Demands get ignored—irresistible deals don’t. Build an offer so good that saying NO feels like being deprived. 

Execution: The Promise Means Nothing Without Delivery

Chrysler secured a $1.5 billion loan guarantee—the highest of its time. 

But Iacocca didn’t just close the deal—he shattered expectations by: 

• Rolling out fuel-saving models— like minivans, which transformed the market.

• Reducing costs, streamlining operations, and forcing Chrysler back into the game. 

• Repaying the loans 7 years ahead of schedule—with interest. 

Chrysler went from the brink of extinction to a multi-billion-dollar turnaround.

Lesson: A deal means nothing if you don’t back it up. 

Talk gets you in the door—execution keeps you in. 

What’s In It For You?

This isn’t just history. They’re battle-tested negotiation moves you can deploy right now.

And, if you still think negotiation is about winning, you’ve already lost the game. 

Because the best negotiators don’t only win deals; they create offers that no one dares walk away.

Now, ask yourself: 

👉 If Iacocca could bend Congress to his will… What's your excuse?

Or

👉 If Iacocca turned a straight NO into a billion-dollar YES, why are you still stuck?

Until next time—outmaneuver, outlast, and make them think saying yes was their idea…

P.S. Barely crawled out of a bad deal? Reply now for a fix—only the first three get a (brutal) breakdown before my inbox explodes.