Business is bearing the brunt of accusations these days. Suddenly everything wrong with our country is the fault of business. I guess we’re easy prey, what with the demise of Lehman Brothers and the government takeover of AIG. Using the excuse of "corporate greed," suddenly certain politicians point to our country’s businesses and corporations as the reason capitalism has failed.
I think that’s balderdash. American business and capitalism is alive and well and definitely not the reason our country is in the grips of one of the most ferocious bear markets in 70 years. Let’s see, anyone care to point out the conflicts of interest, the greed, and the lying going on? So, what’s a CEO or manager to do when everyone thinks "spreading the wealth" is the new status quo?
Walk the walk. You’ve got nothing to be ashamed of if you’re one of the many business that kept its hands clean in the subprime mortgage mess. It can still be business as usual, but make sure your policies let you be real. If you promise great customer service, prove it. If you promise you’ll take good care of your employees, then do it and do it now.
Innovate. As we covered previously, innovation is the name of the game into 2009 and onward. Because nothing has happened like we thought it would (we’ve seen that recently in our politics too) and as shaky as our predictions are in these dire times, innovation is the key. Think outside the box and don’t be afraid to try new things.
Execute. Once you have a workable idea, do it with all the energy you can muster. This is no time to sit and dither about whether or not moving into a new demographic is a good idea. Find the stats and facts and figure out if it is. If you’re ready to roll out a new product, get it moving forward. If you’re thinking of expanding, make it happen. That said, don’t be foolish. Don’t overextend yourself on credit and don’t take huge risks that you just don’t feel good about. But if you’re feeling okay with a step forward, take it. There’s no reason not to.
Business is the backbone of this country. From the earliest settlers who created small farms in the colonies of England, the art of production, marketing, and sales is as American as you can get. Don’t let the ridiculous accusations get you down. Build your business, be that fantastic CEO, and help keep our country moving forward.
