Between the Lines

The crisis of the U.S. debt ceiling has taken over all our media channels. It is an issue which cannot be avoided or ignored. The inability of our country’s leaders to come to an agreement on how to move forward threatens the stability of our economy, our security, our credit rating, and potentially even the strategic financial future of the world.

As a business person, I can’t help but wonder why basic business principles can’t be applied to this situation. Those of us in business (and those managing our own households) must embrace reality regularly. We have to make brutally tough decisions every day. Funds are not unlimited; trade-offs must be made and faced. There is no magic button to push…no giant bank in the sky from which to borrow.

A few basic business thoughts for our government leaders to consider:

It seems like every time I turn around there is someone speaking or writing on how to develop, maintain, and foster a ‘personal brand’ in your career and life. In fact, I give talks on this myself – which have been enthusiastically received over the past few years. Yet, as with so many things, these discussions can become complicated, complex, and just “one more thing” to remember when we are already inundated 24/7 with voice mails, emails, deadlines, and other pressures at work and at home. So, how can we keep this concept simple and still relevant? A few tips as we start this new week:

Note to readers: To read the entire article requires either a subscription to HBR or you can opt to just purchase this particular article. Robert Simons, Professor of Business at Harvard Business School, has written a compelling article in Harvard Business Review this past month. I love it for its simplistic nature and the richness by [...]