Posts

Showing posts from November, 2008

"The Dream Team" II

So far Barack Obama's steps to build his cabinet have been nothing short of the Barcelona Olympics US basketball Dream Team. Is he the Michael Jordan of leadership? For all of ours sake I hope he is. The only true answer to that question is that it is too early to tell but the first steps were nothing short of brilliant. Larry Summers at the White House and Geithner at the Treasury were exactly the right moves. Summers will be much better out of the limelight and pulling at more levers, while Geithner at the Treasury is just the right technocrat (and is 47, as is Obama, as is your truly, which I like to point out). To get two Clinton's, and it is the two Clinton's that he is getting, is the ultimate twofer. It says a lot about his ability and that of the people around him to smooth over ruffled feathers. However, the more important thing is that they are perfect for the job - they will be the face of America to the world and one could hardly find two Americans that the worl

The 3 reasons to do anything

There are only 3 possible reasons to do anything in life and they are: One, to make a lot of money. Two, to change the world and three, because you can't help it. The first one does not merit much discussion - you need to put food on the table, provide for the family and you do what it takes to maximize your marketable skills to make the most of it. The second is different in that you have to decide in which way are you going to try to "change the world" or at least contribute to it. Do you help starving children or do you work to help the elderly. Do you try to make a difference in Darfur or do you try to make a difference in the inner city Detroit. The easiest of them is the third one. I asked a friend who is a singer "if you were on a deserted island and there was nobody else around, would you still sing every day even if there is no fame or fortune to be gained?". People who have born talents just can't help but use them and of course she said yes. Most