The recession storm passes
Like every major hurricane that slowly and methodically unleashes its devastation on everything in its path, the recession of 2008 and 2009 is beginning to blow itself out. We went through the fear of impending doom as the media frenzy sapped consumer confidence. We survived the eye of the storm as banking institutions were saved by government bailouts. And we realized the American economy would not collapse when mismanaged auto giants Chrysler and General Motors filed for bankruptcy protection.Today, the recession skies are beginning to clear and the process of assessing the damage begins. Consumer confidence is rapidly making its comeback. Economists now project that the recession will be over by year's end. Even though they warn that unemployment will remain near or at 10%, the rebuilding of our economy has begun - just like the rebuilding of New Orleans after Katrina.
In an odd way, it's like people got tired of the recession and talking about it and decided it was time to move on. Even the news media is moving on to stir things up like the controversy of Obama's pick of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court and North Korea's moronic atomic tests, missile firings and threats of war. Storms pass and rebuilding begins. Forests burn and new life grows from the ashes. This recession is rapidly becoming part of history. We survived.
For all business leaders and politicians the question is, what was learned from this recession? What compromises occurred to assure that the recession would hit the economy hard? Was it profit over values, integrity and accountability? Was it laziness or avoiding the tough decisions that allow a business to run lean and mean even in good times? Was it resistance to change, or evolve and innovate? Was it allowing business cultures to remain contaminated with entitlement thinking and behavior?
Yes, this recession taught leaders what leadership is all about. Those no-compromise leaders that were playing the game of business hard and fast by the rules going into the recession will emerge relatively unscathed. Those that ignored some of the rules most likely took some hits and will take time to recover. For those that pranced into the recession undisciplined and avoiding accountability are either already out of business or their survival is doubtful - which in essence is what their compromising behaviors asked for.
Now we get to look to the future and dream again. We get to build on lessons learned. We get to grow stronger and more dynamic businesses because we must be prepared for that next storm that will surely come. No compromise.
Pass this email on to your business colleagues, managers and friends.
Neil Ducoff, Strategies founder & CEOLike every major hurricane that slowly and methodically unleashes its devastation on everything in its path, the recession of 2008 and 2009 is beginning to blow itself out. We went through the fear of impending doom as the media frenzy sapped consumer confidence. We survived the eye of the storm as banking institutions were saved by government bailouts. And we realized the American economy would not collapse when mismanaged auto giants Chrysler and General Motors filed for bankruptcy protection.
Today, the recession skies are beginning to clear and the process of assessing the damage begins. Consumer confidence is rapidly making its comeback. Economists now project that the recession will be over by year's end. Even though they warn that unemployment will remain near or at 10%, the rebuilding of our economy has begun - just like the rebuilding of New Orleans after Katrina.
In an odd way, it's like people got tired of the recession and talking about it and decided it was time to move on. Even the news media is moving on to stir things up like the controversy of Obama's pick of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court and North Korea's moronic atomic tests, missile firings and threats of war. Storms pass and rebuilding begins. Forests burn and new life grows from the ashes. This recession is rapidly becoming part of history. We survived.
For all business leaders and politicians the question is, what was learned from this recession? What compromises occurred to assure that the recession would hit the economy hard? Was it profit over values, integrity and accountability? Was it laziness or avoiding the tough decisions that allow a business to run lean and mean even in good times? Was it resistance to change, or evolve and innovate? Was it allowing business cultures to remain contaminated with entitlement thinking and behavior?
Yes, this recession taught leaders what leadership is all about. Those no-compromise leaders that were playing the game of business hard and fast by the rules going into the recession will emerge relatively unscathed. Those that ignored some of the rules most likely took some hits and will take time to recover. For those that pranced into the recession undisciplined and avoiding accountability are either already out of business or their survival is doubtful - which in essence is what their compromising behaviors asked for.
Now we get to look to the future and dream again. We get to build on lessons learned. We get to grow stronger and more dynamic businesses because we must be prepared for that next storm that will surely come. No compromise.
Pass this email on to your business colleagues, managers and friends.
Neil Ducoff, Strategies founder & CEOLike every major hurricane that slowly and methodically unleashes its devastation on everything in its path, the recession of 2008 and 2009 is beginning to blow itself out. We went through the fear of impending doom as the media frenzy sapped consumer confidence. We survived the eye of the storm as banking institutions were saved by government bailouts. And we realized the American economy would not collapse when mismanaged auto giants Chrysler and General Motors filed for bankruptcy protection.
Today, the recession skies are beginning to clear and the process of assessing the damage begins. Consumer confidence is rapidly making its comeback. Economists now project that the recession will be over by year's end. Even though they warn that unemployment will remain near or at 10%, the rebuilding of our economy has begun - just like the rebuilding of New Orleans after Katrina.
In an odd way, it's like people got tired of the recession and talking about it and decided it was time to move on. Even the news media is moving on to stir things up like the controversy of Obama's pick of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court and North Korea's moronic atomic tests, missile firings and threats of war. Storms pass and rebuilding begins. Forests burn and new life grows from the ashes. This recession is rapidly becoming part of history. We survived.
For all business leaders and politicians the question is, what was learned from this recession? What compromises occurred to assure that the recession would hit the economy hard? Was it profit over values, integrity and accountability? Was it laziness or avoiding the tough decisions that allow a business to run lean and mean even in good times? Was it resistance to change, or evolve and innovate? Was it allowing business cultures to remain contaminated with entitlement thinking and behavior?
Yes, this recession taught leaders what leadership is all about. Those no-compromise leaders that were playing the game of business hard and fast by the rules going into the recession will emerge relatively unscathed. Those that ignored some of the rules most likely took some hits and will take time to recover. For those that pranced into the recession undisciplined and avoiding accountability are either already out of business or their survival is doubtful - which in essence is what their compromising behaviors asked for.
Now we get to look to the future and dream again. We get to build on lessons learned. We get to grow stronger and more dynamic businesses because we must be prepared for that next storm that will surely come. No compromise.
Pass this email on to your business colleagues, managers and friends.
Neil Ducoff, Strategies founder & CEOLike every major hurricane that slowly and methodically unleashes its devastation on everything in its path, the recession of 2008 and 2009 is beginning to blow itself out. We went through the fear of impending doom as the media frenzy sapped consumer confidence. We survived the eye of the storm as banking institutions were saved by government bailouts. And we realized the American economy would not collapse when mismanaged auto giants Chrysler and General Motors filed for bankruptcy protection.
Today, the recession skies are beginning to clear and the process of assessing the damage begins. Consumer confidence is rapidly making its comeback. Economists now project that the recession will be over by year's end. Even though they warn that unemployment will remain near or at 10%, the rebuilding of our economy has begun - just like the rebuilding of New Orleans after Katrina.
In an odd way, it's like people got tired of the recession and talking about it and decided it was time to move on. Even the news media is moving on to stir things up like the controversy of Obama's pick of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court and North Korea's moronic atomic tests, missile firings and threats of war. Storms pass and rebuilding begins. Forests burn and new life grows from the ashes. This recession is rapidly becoming part of history. We survived.
For all business leaders and politicians the question is, what was learned from this recession? What compromises occurred to assure that the recession would hit the economy hard? Was it profit over values, integrity and accountability? Was it laziness or avoiding the tough decisions that allow a business to run lean and mean even in good times? Was it resistance to change, or evolve and innovate? Was it allowing business cultures to remain contaminated with entitlement thinking and behavior?
Yes, this recession taught leaders what leadership is all about. Those no-compromise leaders that were playing the game of business hard and fast by the rules going into the recession will emerge relatively unscathed. Those that ignored some of the rules most likely took some hits and will take time to recover. For those that pranced into the recession undisciplined and avoiding accountability are either already out of business or their survival is doubtful - which in essence is what their compromising behaviors asked for.
Now we get to look to the future and dream again. We get to build on lessons learned. We get to grow stronger and more dynamic businesses because we must be prepared for that next storm that will surely come. No compromise.
Pass this email on to your business colleagues, managers and friends.
Neil Ducoff, Strategies founder & CEO
Today, the recession skies are beginning to clear and the process of assessing the damage begins. Consumer confidence is rapidly making its comeback. Economists now project that the recession will be over by year's end. Even though they warn that unemployment will remain near or at 10%, the rebuilding of our economy has begun - just like the rebuilding of New Orleans after Katrina.
In an odd way, it's like people got tired of the recession and talking about it and decided it was time to move on. Even the news media is moving on to stir things up like the controversy of Obama's pick of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court and North Korea's moronic atomic tests, missile firings and threats of war. Storms pass and rebuilding begins. Forests burn and new life grows from the ashes. This recession is rapidly becoming part of history. We survived.
For all business leaders and politicians the question is, what was learned from this recession? What compromises occurred to assure that the recession would hit the economy hard? Was it profit over values, integrity and accountability? Was it laziness or avoiding the tough decisions that allow a business to run lean and mean even in good times? Was it resistance to change, or evolve and innovate? Was it allowing business cultures to remain contaminated with entitlement thinking and behavior?
Yes, this recession taught leaders what leadership is all about. Those no-compromise leaders that were playing the game of business hard and fast by the rules going into the recession will emerge relatively unscathed. Those that ignored some of the rules most likely took some hits and will take time to recover. For those that pranced into the recession undisciplined and avoiding accountability are either already out of business or their survival is doubtful - which in essence is what their compromising behaviors asked for.
Now we get to look to the future and dream again. We get to build on lessons learned. We get to grow stronger and more dynamic businesses because we must be prepared for that next storm that will surely come. No compromise.
Pass this email on to your business colleagues, managers and friends.
Neil Ducoff, Strategies founder & CEO
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