The Changing Impact of Western Culture | DOING BUSINESS IN CHINA

Doing Business In China with Dan Paulson

In order to be successful, Western approaches to management in China will need to change.

I recently read an article published by McKinsey Quarterly that discussed the impact of expatriate managers in China (Beyond expats: Better managers for emerging markets). Multi-national companies face specific cultural challenges when bringing in an expat. Not to mention that local talent will look elsewhere for opportunities to take a greater leadership role. In other words, as you seek to grow your business in China, it is more important than ever that you find ways to tap into the local talent pool.

As a business that helps companies expand into China, I believe there is a collaborative approach that needs to be taken. We need to show our willingness to give local leadership a chance to grow within our organization and we also need to transfer a little of our own cultural values as part of the process. For that reason the duties of an expat leader may change.

It's been no secret that keeping talent in China can be tricky. A recent study claimed that as many as 50% of the expatriates that come to china leave within the first year. That's one out of every two people who are not fulfilling their commitments! Think of the costs associated with hiring, relocating, establishing, and training someone to fill what is often a minimum two year commitment. Not to mention that many times these people come back early knowing they are unemployed. It is common practice to build a dis-incentive that if you return early, you give up any employment with the organization you work for.

So what might be a better approach. Here is where we need to find balance, understanding and good communication. The balance comes from having just the right amount of Western interaction with the foreign leadership and the Chinese leadership. We see similar things going on in our own country. Many foreign companies understand the value of hiring local talent instead of importing management from abroad. When tapping into the local pool, you don't necessarily have to worry about culture shock for a new candidate coming in. Here it may be easier to bring in talent for extended stays, but not for a two or three year window where you risk losing good talent.

For me, it is always important to graft in a piece of your corporate culture. In China, it's a matter of adapting. The Chinese have a very powerful cultural presence. You aren't going to change it. However, to some degree you need to be able to carry over your Vision and corporate values. This is why I believe it is important to create a strong interrelationship with local and Western management. Any staff that travels abroad needs a thorough education of the culture and how business is handled. In addition, each expat should have a solid understanding of customs and behaviors so they are able to find ways to adapt while they are on site.

Finally, communication is essential. Without good communication, it's hard to build trust. It is also difficult to deliver the quality and service you are known for. This is closely tied to understanding the culture. Remember, what you believe is important may not be the same in a foreign market. You really need to share what you place value on.

Any organization seeking to do business in China could have a great opportunity. That opportunity will be weighed against their willingness to adapt to a new market they may not fully understand. Educate yourself and understand how you can collaborate for success. The potential to grow your business can be great!

www.invisionbusinessdevelopment.com

For more information, please visit Dan's TNNWC Bio.

---

Powered By TNNWC Group™

For complete tactical and strategic business planning, marketing, media, lead-generation, technological and capital resources, scalable solutions and tools to support every entrepreneurial start-up, young enterprise, small- to medium-sized business and emerging high-growth company, talk to The National Networker Companies™/ TNNWC Group, LLC.

We are a collaborative entrepreneurial, creative organization offering you hands-on, personalized assistance in every aspect of achieving your monetization, profitability and financial sustainability objectives, domestically and globally.

We don’t just coach you or offer you pre-packaged, push-button solutions – we listen to you, analyze your exact needs, and work within your budget to: 1) create your tool kit and 2) work as your partner to implement your plan by supporting you in the most efficient and productive use of every tool.

Visit our website, which is located at http://www.TNNWC.com .

To receive our newsletters, publications, information bulletins and alerts, simply join us as a Member. Membership is free and the benefits are unequalled anywhere.

Just go to our home page, and click on the “JOIN US” button.

---

Capital, Traffic Building, International Customers and unique SERVICES.
The National Networker Publications™ produced by TNNWC Group, LLC

Forward/Share This Article With Colleagues And Social Media:

The Changing Impact of Western Culture | DOING BUSINESS IN CHINA

UPDATE! BULLETIN - TNNWC DEVELOPMENTS - 08.08.2010

Free Membership and Subscription? Click HERE.

Free RSS Newsfeed? Click HERE.
Free Daily Email Supplement? Click HERE.

UPDATE! BULLETIN - TNNWC Group - 08.08.2010 - Join Us -- Explore Careers, Partnerships, Cooperative Community and REAL Business Resources.
---------------

This is a Public Announcement about TNNWC's Cooperative Business Community (CBC) and its enormous potential for uniting smaller businesses into a more collaborative and powerful force to support each other's success and profitability. See http://www.thenationalnetworker.com/cbcommittee.shtml .

---------------

Contact: TNNWC NEWS SERVICE
Contact Person: Adam J. Kovitz
Company Name: TNNWC Group, LLC / The National Networker Companies™
Telephone Number: 888.317.6495 (Extension 2)
Fax Number: 914.517.5944
Email Address: adam@TheNationalNetworker.com
Web site address: http://www.thenationalnetworker.com/


TNNWC Publicly Opens its Cooperative Business Community and Committee to All Entrepreneurial Companies


Philadelphia, PA – August 2, 2010 — In a news conference earlier today, Bonnie Ross-Parker and Adam J. Kovitz of TNNWC announced that the fast-growing business services, publishing and social media conglomerate was opening its Cooperative Business Community membership ("CBC") to all entrepreneurial companies and emerging enterprises internationally.

Ms. Ross-Parker, the Chairperson of the CBC, stated, “The economic environment has become increasingly difficult for smaller, and growing enterprises. If we form a cooperative, collaborative alliance, we can use the power of our combined talents, resources and sheer numbers to aid each other’s growth. As a united group, we have the lobbying and negotiating power needed to help each and every member exponentialize its growth possibilities. Working together, we are a force to be reckoned with.”

Ms. Ross-Parker is well-known as the Founder and CEO of The Joy Of Connecting, LLC (http://www.TheJoyOfConnecting.com/) and The Latina Joy Of Connecting (http://www.TheLatinaJoyOfConnecting.com) , notably one of the most effective means through which women in business can rapidly build powerful, profitable relationships through in-touch, in-person meetings. Ms. Ross-Parker's Licensees rave about the success that they are having utilizing the specialized JOC methodology and systems. The return on investment associated with the Program is enormous…a minimal investment for unsurpassed results.

The CBC, less than two months old, already boasts more than ten active company Members whose combined client, reader and opt-in email lists number in the hundreds of thousands. One of the group’s stated objectives is to represent a combined list of in excess of one million subscribers by September 1st. At its current rate of growth, this will likely happen.

CBC solves many of the problems commonly faced by leaders of emerging enterprises or growing businesses with products or services to sell, or which are publishers, producers or owners of e-zines, newsletters, newsgroups, forums or special membership organizations. These problems have included:

• Marketing memberships, services and products to a larger audience;

• Building a subscriber list or client base rapidly;

• Attracting media buyers’ and advertisers’ attention and dollars – admittedly a wonderful source of ancillary income – to a subscribership list which may otherwise be too small;

• Finding other like-minded organizations which will cross-sell products or services to their clients and increase your distribution and revenues;

• Finding other like-minded organizations which have exceptional products or services of their own which a newer company can market to its clients to generate additional diversified sources of revenue;

• Getting the company brand, site location and value proposition properly buzzed through the social media channels – the ever-increasing noise-to-signal ratio makes it hard for small companies on limited budgets to stand out;

• Saving money by getting the best terms from service providers, vendors, and contractors by acting as part of a large, powerful, organized group… think of the example set by collective bargaining organizations, purchasing cooperatives, political action committees or by organizations such as AARP – they are negotiating powerhouses because they are LARGE.

Said TNNWC’s Chairman, Adam J. Kovitz, “Going it alone is not the answer. Competition is fierce, and resources are scarce for smaller businesses. You need help. We offer it through providing you with the opportunity to become a Member of our CB Community™. It may sound trite, but it is unquestionably true: ‘In Unity There Is Strength.’ Our Members don’t compete – we profit and grow together using the cooperative and coordinated leverage of large numbers and a unified focus.

"We are a growing powerhouse of product and service providers, member-based organizations, publications, special opt-in email networks and other concerns who have agreed to combine, cooperate, collaborate and join forces in order to accomplish amazing things. Just watch us.”

For more information about the Cooperative Business Community, simply click on
http://www.thenationalnetworker.com/cbcommittee.shtml
####

Members Of Our Cooperative Business Committee:

1.) Bonnie Ross-Parker (Chairperson), The Joy of Connecting, http://www.thejoyofconnecting.com
2.) Rosanne D’Ausilio, Human Technologies Inc.
http://www.human-technologies.com/
3.) Rick Itzkowich, QuoteActions/Productive Learning & Leisure rick@productivelearning.com
https://quoteactions.infusionsoft.com/go/QAbanner/White/
4.) Sandra Levitin, Kalon Women
http://www.kalon-women.com
5.) Rhonda L. Sher, The Two-Minute Networker http://www.twominutenetworker.com/tmn/catalog/Rhonda-L-Sher-The-Sloganator-sp-27.html
6.) Tana Torrano, OSBO Franchising, LLC,
http://www.osbofranchising.com


Key terms, tags and labels: angel investors, Bonnie Ross-Parker, business networking groups, business plans, CBC, investors, small business loans, TNNWC Group LLC, womens business, cooperatives, collaboratives, business growth, business strategies, BNI sponsors, seed capital, CEO Space, The National Networker Weekly Newsletter, The BLUE TUESDAY Report, employment opportunities, business development communities, Sandra Levitin, Kalon Women, Rhonda Sher,The Sloganator, Rick Itzkowich, QuoteActions, OSBO Franchising, Tana Torrano, Rosanne D'Ausilio, Human Technologies Inc., Omnigadget, trending, popular searches, Douglas Castle

With All of Our Best to Our Growing Membership,

Adam J. Kovitz and Douglas Castle

p.s. Thank you for your ever-increasing participation, support and enthusiasm.

---

Capital, Traffic Building, International Customers and unique SERVICES.
The National Networker Publications™ produced by TNNWC Group, LLC
“Empowering Emerging Enterprises”

Forward/Share This Article With Colleagues And Social Media:

UPDATE! BULLETIN - TNNWC DEVELOPMENTS - 08.08.2010

KALÖN WOMEN: IQ + EQ = LEADERSHIP - The New Decade’s Must Have Skill

Guest Columnist - Dickie Sykes


During my years in the corporate world, I was surrounded by extremely smart people. I worked in an industry where many of my colleagues had advanced degrees in construction management, or structural or electrical engineering. They were left-brain builders of buildings -- the kings and queens of New York. Their rise to the top was due to hard work, strong technical skills, their alma maters’ reputations and social networking.

I’m not talking about the kind done on the Internet. They used face-to-face Jack Daniels and martini sipping in bars and restaurants in addition to butt-slapping and joke-telling on golf courses. Their leadership skills were determined and rewarded by concrete, measurable and immediate results: adhering to schedules and saving clients time and money. Every now and then, discussions of talent development, emotional intelligence, social responsibility, philanthropy and sustainability where brought up in mere grumblings or whispers. To enter the ranks of executive management today, leaders must not only talk about those issues, they must fundamentally understand that tomorrow’s leaders must tap into characteristics long underutilized.

In Daniel Pink’s book, A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will Rule the Future, he wrote: “We’re moving from a mindset that values logic, analysis and cold, hard facts to a way of thinking that prizes 'softer' characteristics like creativity, inventiveness and empathy. These skills have become first among equals in a whole range of business fields. The good news is anyone and everyone can tap into the abundance that exists in the right side of our brains.”

Hmmm… I distinctly remember the subliminal messages of corporate America: “Soft” skills never lead to line positions because they do not generate revenue and what doesn’t generate revenue is not valued or respected. In a 2009 More magazine article titled “The Visible Woman,” the mother of a Harvard graduate told her daughter not to go into anything that isn’t a line position. Now, they’re telling me people who exhibit right-brain characteristics will rule the future.

Thankfully, throughout my career, I never internalized those subliminal messages and fully utilized and exhibited the characteristics of both sides of my brain. In hindsight, I was, and continue to be, right-brain dominate. I don’t believe left-brainers will no longer be a highly valued commodity; however, in order to become a future leader, exhibiting both brain hemisphere characteristics is imperative.


The Future of Leadership

(1) IQ + EQ will be the gold standard

Future leaders will no longer be judged solely on IQ but on a combination of IQ and EQ. Emotional Quotient describes the combination of self-awareness, authenticity, resilience and understanding the emotions of others.

These qualities make great leaders. Success will require more than a high IQ, which tends to be the traditional measure of intelligence. In a Business Week column by Jack & Suzy Welch, they stated, “A misstep we’ve both taken is hiring a candidate who’s smart and capable but just too lacking in emotional intelligence, EQ. This particular young man had a lot of the right stuff, but when he started telling us he had never made a mistake in his life and didn’t expect to, we knew we’d heard enough.”


(2) Top performers must have broad experience

Top leaders will need to take on assignments that are completely outside their comfort zones. Those identified early as leaders will move through a succession of jobs as they work toward the top. Like never before, they must be prepared to manage, train and lead a multicultural, multi-lingual and multi-generational workforce with customers and division leaders located all over the world.

The best international companies are investing millions of dollars in not only technology but in human capital. In an information-based economy, companies send top performers on global assignments to learn operational procedures and cultural norms. They ask company leaders to serve on non-profit boards. They’re thinking about social responsibility and all right-brain stuff, or dare I say, after the fall of Wall Street, The Right Stuff. Modeled after the Peace Corps, IBM’s Corporate Service Corps develops employee leadership skills and sparks socioeconomic growth in the developing world. IBM and other companies want top performers to have global perspectives because future growth and expansion will occur outside the United States.


(3) Top performers must foster greatness in others

Tomorrow’s leaders are global ambassadors who understand man’s common humanity. They’re inquisitive visionaries who create team buy-in, keep up with technology, foster greatness in others, and assembly top-notch teams to move their philosophies forward. Top performers will be judged on how well they produce future leaders. They know they must expand their visions of leadership and give their diverse teams training, flexibility, responsibility and perform due diligence with succession planning. They give responsibility but know the buck stops with them.

Tomorrow’s leaders will have developed and utilize the characteristics of both IQ and EQ. They’ll be academically smart, resilient, compassionate, worldly, authentic and self-aware -- the cumulative characteristics that make a great leader.


(4) Modern-day examples of leadership

Still not sure what IQ+EQ looks like? Look up or Google Timothy Russert, Tony Dungy or Anne Mulcahy, and read their biographies. Better yet, talk to people who worked for them. Tim Russert, managing editor and moderator of “Meet the Press” and NBC News’ Washington bureau chief died on June 13, 2008 at age 58. When Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan interviewed Russert, Russert said, “You have all these Ivy League smart people around you, you don’t need me.” Moynihan replied, “What they know, you can learn, but they can’t learn what you know.”


(5) Leadership lessons

Leaders will admit to having made mistakes and exhibit courage and fortitude to correct them. They’ll ask for partnership and drive change. Great leaders know they cannot do everything and must work with and get along well with others. They must be team players who know how to manage, lead and prepare others for great responsibility.

Remember: the evidence of a great leader will be determined by those who rise along with him. Big Tim, as he was affectionately called, Anne Mulcahy and Tony Dungy, former head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, brought many up the ranks with them. They were liked and respected by even their fiercest competitors. There are seven African American coaches in the NFL currently and Tony Dungy brought in three of them. Anne Mulcahy, former CEO and current chairman of Xerox Corporation worked side-by-side with subordinates and was known for her ability to create "followership." Enough said.

Bio:

Dickie Sykes is a former construction executive and CEO of DGS Consulting LLC. She reinvented her career and relocated her business from New York City to Atlanta, Georgia. For more information on DGS Consulting, contact Dickie@dgsconsultingllc.com

To learn more about the company or to purchase its how-to products on job interviewing, call 404 567-5790 or log onto www.dgsconsultinglllc.com. Korean Americans, log onto http://korean.dgsconsultingllc.com.

One dollar from every CD purchase will be donated to the American Red Cross/Haiti until June 12, 2010.

ABOUT KALÖN WOMEN: The mission of Kalön Women is to provide answers and raise awareness of issues and causes that affect women 40+, so that they will be stronger from knowledge gained, and the generation of women who follow in their path will hopefully find it less rocky. The articles, stories, poetry and other written expressions in Kalön Women are created by real women 40+. Written to inspire, help and perhaps provide a few laughs to all “women of a certain age”.

---

The National Networker Companies™

“Empowering Emerging Enterprises”

Membership in TNNWC’s Global Interactive Cooperative Business Community is free of charge and entitles you to receive both The National Networker Newsletter and The BLUE TUESDAY Report, as well as access to our unparalleled Suite of Business Services.

Join Us! Simply click on http://bit.ly/JoinTNNWC

Visit our website at http://www.TheNationalNetworker.com
Forward/Share This Article With Colleagues And Social Media:

KALÖN WOMEN: IQ + EQ = LEADERSHIP - The New Decade’s Must Have Skill

DOING BUSINESS IN CHINA: Competing Globally: Our Need to Change Our Thinking

Doing Business in China with Dan Paulson

As a boy, my family lived and farmed in a rural community. Being part of the ag community in the seventies and eighties was quite different than today. The family farm was king. Small farms produced much of our nation’s food supply. The work was hard and the days were long. As a family member, you are also an employee of the farm so early on you learn what a work ethic truly is. I would put what I had to do to earn an allowance up against any kid today.

In the nineteen-eighties, the times began to change significantly. Interest rates were at an all-time high and revenue from milk production was low. Larger corporate farms became a stronger influence making it difficult for the family farm to survive. Because of this many small farms went out of business throughout that decade.

So did this mean an end for the small farm? Not entirely. Some farmers adapted by specializing their products. Over the years organic products have grown in popularity and many small farms embraced this consumer need bringing profits back and filling a niche. However even today the market continues to change. Now more and more organic products come from other countries ever changing the landscape of agriculture.

Although simplified, the family farm is just one example of our constantly changing world of business. I also remember that as a family farmer living in a rural community, most of the business was done locally. Food was purchased at a family grocery store. Parts were bought at the local implement or hardware store and other supplies at the cooperative. To travel to the “big city” almost an hour away was a rare and special event.

Fast forward to today. I still live in the same area I grew up. While I do shop locally, many of my needs are now handled in the “big city” that is only thirty-five minutes away via four-lane highway. Beyond that, I am now able to purchase virtually everything via the internet from almost anywhere in the world. This is why we all have to think globally. Our world is constantly getting smaller and no matter what size your business is, someone somewhere else will affect on this planet it.

Our greatest opportunity as business leaders is to understand how the global market will impact our business. Trade has become a big part of our culture. The boundaries between countries are fading and our dependence on foreign markets is increasing. For example, in 2009, the US was China’s largest trade partner with over $298 billion* in volume. The US was also China’s number one export destination at $220 billion*. By comparison, the US ranks fourth in import suppliers delivering just over $77 billion* in goods and services that same year.

Unfortunately many businesses choose to think locally even as they are being affected by commerce outside our city, state or country. In order for our nation to grow, it is very important that we all understand the impact of trade and how we can benefit from it. This will require us to stop pointing fingers and blaming others when it comes to our own shortcomings in trade. The United States has been a nation of innovators. We are capable when we are determined and those who are determined will find ways to grow and prosper.

The marketplace continues to shift. Our responsibility is to at least move with it and at best move ahead of it. Just as agriculture has changed, our buying habits have as well. Instead of looking back, we must look forward. Today many small businesses in the community I live in have found ways to compete. Some actually have no local ties. Instead they compete on a world scale. The tools are before us, we just have to use them.


*Source: PRC General Administration of Customs, China's Customs Statistics


For more information, please visit Dan's TNNW Bio.

---

The National Networker Companies™

“Empowering Emerging Enterprises”

Membership in TNNWC’s Global Interactive Cooperative Business Community is free of charge and entitles you to receive both The National Networker Newsletter and The BLUE TUESDAY Report, as well as access to our unparalleled Suite of Business Services.

Join Us! Simply click on http://bit.ly/JoinTNNWC

Visit our website at http://www.TheNationalNetworker.com

Forward/Share This Article With Colleagues And Social Media:

DOING BUSINESS IN CHINA: Competing Globally: Our Need to Change Our Thinking

GO WEST! Organizational Empowerment

Go West! with Christine West

“There's a basic philosophy here that by empowering... workers you'll make their jobs far more interesting, and they'll be able to work at a higher level than they would have without all that information just a few clicks away.”
-- Bill Gates


All people need some means to pay their bills and maintain the lifestyle they have created. For those of us who weren’t born into wealth, who haven’t won the lottery, or found a wealthy spouse for financial support, we must earn a wage and work. The question is: What motivates us to do what we do?

It is interesting to note that money is not always the prime motivator, nor is fear.

Turn over is expensive for companies, as is change in management teams and company restructuring. Everyone deals with change and transition differently. Change in life is inevitable, but how do companies manage that change? How do leaders and managers manage the cost of their decisions? Too often repeated patterns occur in the organizational life that cost the organization more because of treating symptoms and refusal to find the root cause. Proper problem solving requires establishing an identity or role in the problem. For example, if an organization has pattern of stability and 20% turnover in a month, what is the human motivation behind a group of people to join and to later leave an organization all in the same month?

The easy route is blaming the people who moved on and never taking responsibility. These actions are costly and are signs of an immature organization. These are important factors to analyze to maintain stability monetary growth and workforce development.

Psychology plays a tremendous role in the business world. Human behavior is more complex than just seeking rewards or avoiding punishments. Human motivation has a deeper cause and a more profound purpose than many in the business world think.

Most people want to discover their purpose and have their talents optimized through that purpose. When a person desires to engage her talents and realize her true potential in life, this is called self-actualization. Once a person is self-actualized, she is in a position to follow her calling. A leader needs to lead, a manager needs to manage, an engineer needs to engineer, salesperson needs to sell, a healer need to treat illness, a speaker needs to speak and narrate, a dancer needs to dance, a singer needs to sing, and a writer needs to write. If these needs are not met, the person feels on edge and lacking something.

One of the challenges in the current business world (regardless of the industry) stems from the fact that management teams are often managing employees as though the management teams are seeking rewards or avoiding punishments instead of accurately understanding the motivation are of each individual. Clearly, each person is an individual and is motivated by different incentives. However, most organizations do not create a structure to help a person to reach their peak potential.

Another challenge in many organizations is that management teams use the word “empowerment” too loosely. If an employee is empowered to do his or her job responsibilities, then that employee needs to be allowed to be creative and think out of the box and be allowed to make decisions. Many management teams do not take the time to evaluate individual behaviors, and instead, enforce an autocratic leadership style to micromanage the employee. This creates a parent-child relationship in the workplace. Most employees would be more productive if management teams managed employees as an adult to adult. Adults communicate with other adults; parents control children. When employees are treated as adults, this boosts moral and creates true empowerment.

We spend a lot of our time at work and it should be a positive experience. Some people have been living in a world that always told them what to do. This makes life easy for them. They never let themselves discover their weakness or failures, not to mention their strengths. One can learn from self-actualizing people what the ideal attitude toward work might be under the most favorable circumstances. These highly evolved individuals assimilate their work into their identity of self, where work actually becomes part of the self and part of the individual’s definition of self.

It is then easier for each of us to be who we are instead of working toward being something we are not. This is true empowerment.

Genuinely,

Christine

About the Author: Christine M. West, TheBusinessMD, 2240 E. Tudor Rd. #976, Anchorage, Alaska, USA 99507. Phone 1-907-223-8403. Email: info@thebusinessmd.net, http://www.businessmd.net/ http://thebusinessmd.blogspot.com/

Christine West is an industrial organizational psychology practitioner and is in private practice as TheBusinessMD which helps organizations and individuals overcome fear and explore the power of change. Ms. West is also a Featured Columnist for the National Networker http://www.thenationalnetworker.com/



For more information, please visit Christine's TNNW Bio.

---

The National Networker Companies

Forward/Share This Article With Colleagues And Social Media:

GO WEST! Organizational Empowerment

BALANCING HEALTHCARE, PUBLIC POLICY AND POLITICS: MIA (Missing in Action) - Leadership in Washington

Balancing Healthcare, Public Policy and Politics with Linda De Seife

Here are some headlines that I read over the last few weeks that have inspired this month’s column:

• “Snow Adds to the Political Drift”
• “Why Washington Is Frozen”
• “America’s Candor Gap”
• “A Year Later, Where did the Hopes for Obama Go?”
• “No Deficit of Cynicism”
• “Stimulus Created Jobs, But No Real Optimism”
• “Debt Ills, Rate Plan Knock U.S. Stocks”
• “Fudging Jobless Statistics”
• “Reid Puts His Bill Before Bipartisanship”
• “White House May Abandon Civilian 9/11 Trial”
• “Economic Data Stirs Fears”
• “America’s Greek Tragedy – Greece’s Crisis Holds Warning for Us”

Now this is quite a list, and I could go on, but you probably get the idea. Is it any wonder that Americans are angry? Is it any wonder that, although technically the economy is in recovery, Americans don’t feel it, and so are not spending on houses, cars, or anything else other than the necessities? Is it any wonder that fear and uncertainty are paralyzing our country and holding back the recovery?

One day the headlines say things are getting better; the next day they’re not. One day we’re trying terrorists in civilian trials in New York City, and the next we’re not sure. One day we need a new agency to study global warming; the next day Florida is freezing, and Washington is literally buried in snow. (Although figuratively it’s been feeding us a snow job for years; that’s the problem!)

America is not working, in more ways than one.

Then we have a State of the Union address that is nothing more than a laundry list of legislative initiatives and a scolding of the Congress, Republicans, the previous Administration, and even of the American people by a President who is above it all, blames everyone else, and takes no responsibility for his actions, or inactions, over the last year.

Where is the clear direction, strategy and transparency that was promised? All we’ve gotten for the past year is drift -- from one issue to the next and back again. Tactics, tactics, tactics! Talk, talk, talk!

Now the Democrats are trying to say, and the media has picked up on it, that America is ungovernable. This is nonsense. What America lacks is leadership -- people who know what it takes to make the system work. We have an inexperienced President who, to use a business analogy, instead of being the CEO, is behaving like a functional vice president or department head.

The concept of leadership is very complex. There are many definitions, but there are some common traits of leadership. Some of these are: defining a vision and translating it into reality; trustworthiness; taking responsibility for your actions; inspiring confidence. The management guru, Peter Drucker, has said that “effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results not attributes.”

One of President Obama’s problems is that during the campaign he sounded like a leader, but, now after the campaign is over, he has not delivered. He seemed to have the attributes, but there have been no results.

The famous psychologist Carl Jung declared, “The true leader is always led.” Bill Clinton realized this after the 1994 elections and worked with the new Republican majority to reform the welfare system and end the era of big government. Obama, to the contrary, refuses to get the message. So it is likely, that he will get more messages in November. We’ll see if he gets it this time.

And the Congress is no better. The long time Speaker of the House, Sam Rayburn, who was legendary for arm-twisting and jaw-boning believed, “You cannot be a leader and ask other people to follow you, unless you know how to follow too.” Today’s so-called Congressional leaders find it easier to buy votes than to truly negotiate the issues by listening to their members and their constituents.

We all know that another key to leadership is trust, but as I look at Washington, where is the trust? Democrats don’t trust Republicans, and Republicans don’t trust Democrats. The people don’t trust the government, and the government doesn’t trust the people.

The President’s words say one thing, and he does another. Then he called a health care summit, but even before the event, he began posturing to paint the Republicans as obstructionists if they don’t just go along. During the event, he again became the lecturing professor. So, Republicans are right to be suspicious of his motives. Have we forgotten the concept of the loyal opposition? Their role is not to just go along; their role is to oppose that which they do not believe in.

Where are the adults in our country today? It’s not the President, much as he tries to play that role by chastising others. It’s certainly not the Congress. The adults, who are trying to lead their leaders and who understand the challenges we face, are the American people. But we can’t do it alone, especially when paralyzed by the indecision and lack of strategy and vision in Washington. We need to feel confident that our country has direction that we can support. Those who voted for Obama thought that’s what they would get, but they were mistaken.

What we have is paralysis, driven by a lack of strategic direction, confidence and optimism, which could tip us back into recession, or, at the very least, is delaying a strong and sustained recovery.

We need leaders, like Ronald Reagan, who had a vision for America and confidence in the people to make that vision a reality. We need leaders with courage, who fulfill their vision based on their passion, not their position. We need leaders who raise people’s aspirations and energize them to achieve great things.

America is not ungovernable, and government is not broken. America lacks leaders who know how to govern, who respect their constituents, and who can build consensus and work through issues for the good of the whole, the way the Founders intended.

What are your thoughts on the subject?


Quote of the Month

“All the ills of mankind, all the tragic misfortunes that fill history books, all the political blunders, all the failures of the great leaders have arisen merely from a lack of skill at dancing.”
-- Moliere

For more information, please visit Linda's TNNW Bio

---

THIS ARTICLE--THIS AUTHOR--YOUR FEEDBACK

(1) If you would like to post a comment on this article for this author and for other readers to see, or if you would like to read the comments which have been posted by others, simply scroll down to the very bottom of this article (where it says "Posted by...") and click on the small text hyperlink that says "comments": a pop-up window will open which shows all of the comments posted by others. At the end of the other posts, there is a textbox for you to post your own comment.
(2) If you would prefer to contact the author in confidence, or to write at greater length regarding reciprocal links, special projects or professional issues, simply click on the button in this box labeled "CONTACT AUTHOR," and a pop-up form will magically appear for your use. It even allows you to include web and blog urls, downloads and attachments of all sorts.
(3) If you have not yet become a Member of THE NATIONAL NETWORKER COMPANIES (there is no charge), you should do that using the buttons below. Click on FREE NEWSLETTER button to start the process; then choose either the RSS Feed or the Daily Email delivery option.

---

*Follow TNNW on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TNNW_BUZZWORKS
*Published by TNNWC. All rights reserved.*Join our GICBC and receive Your TNNW Newsletter and THE BLUE TUESDAY REPORT! - Click HERE
The National Networker Companies

Forward/Share This Article With Colleagues And Social Media:

BALANCING HEALTHCARE, PUBLIC POLICY AND POLITICS: MIA (Missing in Action) - Leadership in Washington