At bottom, the debate over the nature and operation of an economy is really about freedom – even more than that: possession of freedom, or sovereignty. The question is: does government give us a revocable license to exercise privileges we negotiate with it, or do we issue government a revocable license to administer for us matters regarding the collective interaction of our inalienable rights? That doesn’t make a statement about whether we need extraordinary governmental measures in a crisis. It only points to the question . . .
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
One of the problems with crises is that they create great uncertainty. We are still debiting the causes, nature, and resolution of the Great Depression. It should come as no surprise, then, that we remain so unsure about the reasons for, extent of, and way out of the present one, But one thing we do know is that crises attract experts. . .
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
I was listening to a senior officer of an overseas organization tell me what is wrong with Americans. It was the usual litany . . .
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Wednesday, January 7, 2009
I recently read perhaps the most frustrating management book of all in this regard. It is the oddest mixture of awful editing, ideas that are quite good and well illustrated, desperate exaggeration of the most ordinary management functions, genuinely valuable and uncommon insight, and drooling gibberish that I have encountered. The authors’ central idea was quite strong, even important. . .
We can pretty much rely on that – for the time being, at least. The sun will come up tomorrow. But the thing is, we can’t be so sure what it will reveal when it does. And whatever that turns out to be won’t be the inevitable result of the laws of physics. It will be the consequence of our own actions, our individual decisions. . .
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
As noted last year, one of the best things about using a venue like this one to write is the opportunity it offers for communication. Many essays become interactive discussions. Managers and observers from all over leave comments of many types. Some are expressions of agreement or appreciation – those are always nice! Others expand [...]
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Monday, December 29, 2008
Here are some of the sources I found myself reading regularly over the past twelve months. I think that their authors’ creative yet cogent thinking, combined with their often concise and always engaging expression, makes them essential reading for those of us involved in the profession of management. . .
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