In a recent New York Times column, writer Tom Friedman compared the accomplishments of American bicyclist Lance Armstrong, and what it took to achieve his amazing feats, to what seems to be the current trend and thinking in American business and politics.

Friedman noted, “what I find most impressive about Armstrong, besides his sheer will power to triumph over cancer, is the strategic focus he brings to his work, from his pre-race training regimen to the meticulous way he and his cycling team plot out every leg of the race. It is a sight to behold.”

He adds that he has been thinking about Armstrong and his team because their abilities to meld strength and strategy, to thoughtfully plan ahead and sacrifice today for a big gain tomorrow all seem to be fading virtues in American life.

He said he believes such virtues are more prevalent in China today, as illustrated by Chinese athletes and Chinese business leaders. He said American business leaders frequently point out to him that many of China’s leaders are engineers, individuals concentrating on numbers, long-term problems, challenges and how best to serve their nation’s interest, “not a bunch of lawyers looking for a sound bite to get through the evening news.”

He said, “America’s most serious deficit today is a deficit of such leaders in politics and business.”

This writer would like to suggest the same deficit exists in education, both at the K-12 level and in higher education. Who are the Lance Armstrongs in education? Who in higher education, for example, is recognized as a true leader, an individual able to capture the attention, respect, interest and enthusiasm of the public, teachers, students, parents, lawmakers and taxpayers? Who has the ability to energize and challenge the public, as well as school officials, to dream a bigger and better dream for education?

Friedman said he believes many in this country are approaching their respective games or careers in a “defensive” mode. His idea is that too many Americans are satisfied with being average, average in what they earn compared to others in the same field. Too many salaries, for example, are based on what the average person is paid for similar work. He says far more attention should be given to salaries based on performance, not merely on what rivals in the same business may be receiving.

The same philosophy seems to be guiding those in education. Too much attention is given to what other schools may be doing rather than on how to excel, be the best and lead. What is the basis of the salary scale for leaders of the Kansas Board of Regents universities? Who is doing the best job or who is at what school?

There has been a lot of talk on Mount Oread about the goal of trying to get KU to a level of excellence that would place it among the 25 top state-aided universities in the United States and, eventually, among the top 25 of all American universities.

In 2000, Chancellor Robert Hemenway said his goal, and the goal of those interested in the university, should be to have KU in the top 25 by the year 2020.

This is a challenging goal, but, so far, there isn’t much evidence of KU climbing this steep ladder. Perhaps it is a case of KU doing a good job in raising its level of excellence but other schools on other campuses trying even harder. This makes KU’s task even more difficult.

Long-time public relations people, those in the promotions business, those in “show business,” know it is vitally important when selling a steak not only to have a choice piece of meat but also to sell the sizzle.

An increasing number of observers say KU fails to offer a strong, powerful message of excitement, enthusiasm, vision and academic excellence. One long-time and highly respected observer of the KU scene described the feeling at KU as one of “contentment,” “no sense of urgency,” no genuine commitment to be a leader. There are too many willing to be mere followers or, using the Lance Armstrong analogy, be a part of the peloton. This same educator said it is difficult to sense much “enthusiasm” at KU.

Another long-time and current KU faculty member said much of higher education today is caught in a dangerous trap. He said KU, like many others, has an organizational chart that looks like a Mafia family. If you are a member of the family, the inner circle, you can do a lot of things; you have some degree of freedom and financial support. If you’re not in the family, you are an outsider and live in fear. If you are not in the family, you are very careful about what you do and who you might anger. You may be disgruntled about what is going on, but you are afraid to speak up for fear of the consequences.

He also said teachers are so tied up in their own little circles of activity, so driven to publish if they want to get ahead, that they really don’t have time to get involved in the overall university scene.

Still another former KU faculty member with experience on other campuses, said, “It is my sense that the feeling at KU is, ‘We’re getting along all right; we’re getting good student enrollment, and students and families have accepted the higher tuition costs,’ but we are not looking over the mountain. We haven’t climbed the mountain to see what’s on the other side, other challenges and other opportunities to try to conquer. KU needs to rally its students, faculty and Kansas citizens to realize what can be achieved with hard work, vision, courage and commitment. They need to raise their sights.”

KU is a good school, a darned good school, and it has enjoyed tremendous alumni support over the years, but times change, competition changes, and there is no room for complacency.

Something has been lacking in recent times. There hasn’t been the excitement, enthusiasm and swagger that used to be the hallmark of KU. It used to be the 900-pound gorilla in Kansas, the flagship educational institution of Kansas and the former Big Eight Conference.

Today, many would challenge such assessments.

Classes will be starting on Mount Oread in several weeks, and it is hoped this will be a highly successful year for the school in every respect. There’s no reason KU can’t regain the enthusiasm and excitement of past years and be looked upon, as one true leader used to say, “as the brightest lighthouse on the prairie.” Another visionary leader once said, “There will be a vast forest of universities in the trans-Mississippi west, and among this forest will be a few giant redwoods. We want to be one of those redwoods.”

It takes courage, vision, commitment and leadership.