Little Trust in Leadership: Companies Will Be Held Responsible!

Americans are expressing serous dissatisfaction with all levels of leadership within the country. They have blamed public officials like George Bush for decimating the economy through war and poor policy as well as superstar CEOs' for laying them off. People are at their "wits end" thinking about the global economy, outsourcing, and tax incentives for the wealthy. In response they have hired a Democrat that reflects the metropolitan nature of the Country.

Therefore, a tidal wave of changes is likely to happen. Some of these changes are positive and some of these changes are negative but all of it stems from the perceived selfishness and lack of patriotic loyalty shown by leaders within the country. People are calling for a new standard, replacement of bad leaders, and a whole new way of doing business.

What does this change mean for businesses? It means that business leadership will not be based upon position and entitlement along. Leaders must be able to connect with their workers in way that many have failed to do thus far. The followers need to feel trust toward their leaders and commitment to the leaders believes and goals.

Therefore, leaders will need to take into consideration the popular mass of workers and the country's needs before making decisions that improve their corporate bottom lines. American is beginning to lean toward their more socialistic brethren in Europe and more government oversight is likely. The government and the media will become the new spokespersons for the public will and actions taken against the people will likely come with more punitive measures.

Such measures might include public humiliation, removal from position, lawsuits, reduction of "preferred" status, and less overall government influence. The actions of the leaders will likely reflect more closely on the corporations they run. Kenneth Lay and the Enron scandal will be associated together in people's minds for many generations to come.

Under such circumstances the public will impact the public relations of the organization. Those that have dealt with the business world for some time know that a strong public image and positive brand recognition are important. When this is damaged by the actions of the executive team the corporation hired it is possible that the corporation will take more of the responsibility in terms of lost sales, litigation, and lawsuits.

It is expected that the public will be less forgiving of malicious and self-seeking behavior in the future. Such behavior will result in serous profit loss and negative publicity of companies that hire such executives. Therefore, organizations should take into serious consideration the ethical stance executives take, their ability to win the support of workers, and their overall compensation packages.