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Archive: Yash Gupta
Sealing grand alliances
A White House state dinner conveys enormous symbolism and skilled presidents like FDR have used them to seal important alliances.
By Yash Gupta | November 24, 2009; 11:26 AM ET | Comments (5)
Dividends of giving
Stock price mostly indicates past performance; it might not indicate where a company is going. Philanthropy, on the other hand, is very much about the future.
By Yash Gupta | November 17, 2009; 10:20 AM ET | Comments (0)
A poor salesman
President Obama has not taken a strong leadership role on health care; he didn't use his bully pulpit to spell out clearly why the nation needs this reform.
By Yash Gupta | November 11, 2009; 11:06 AM ET | Comments (49)
Pundits and politicians
We know that the Wall Street barons and the polarizing politicians and the shouting cable pundits do not represent the best of this nation.
By Yash Gupta | November 3, 2009; 10:12 AM ET | Comments (1)
Bad call
Having been stripped of some of authority as head coach, Jim Zorn will lose the ability to inspire success -- a quality the Redskins sorely need this season.
By Yash Gupta | October 27, 2009; 11:50 AM ET | Comments (11)
Made in the U.S.A.
Capt. Sullenberger didn't just elevate the public's opinion of the airline industry; he also restored pride in the skill of American workers.
By Yash Gupta | October 20, 2009; 11:04 AM ET | Comments (0)
A Confluence of Traits
If you were giving out a prize for leadership, the likely recipient would be someone who possesses not just one outstanding quality but a confluence of strong traits.
By Yash Gupta | October 12, 2009; 09:53 PM ET | Comments (0)
A Bad Rap
I know of leaders who rely too heavily on e-mail and phone calls, and they do so at the risk of becoming aloof and disconnected from their employees.
By Yash Gupta | October 6, 2009; 03:32 PM ET | Comments (2)
The Hollow Language of Sanctions
We've had sanctions against the Castro regime for 50 years, and Castro remains in power, in part because the U.S. is alone in imposing sanctions.
By Yash Gupta | September 30, 2009; 09:49 AM ET | Comments (4)
Society Before Shareprice
Wall Street has a lesson to learn from its neglect of the big picture. Now it's up to the government to ensure that there is transparency on Wall Street.
By Yash Gupta | September 16, 2009; 06:39 AM ET | Comments (0)
Nation First
The president will suffer a hit over this episode, but the greater concern is that the national agenda is sidetracked
By Yash Gupta | September 9, 2009; 04:09 PM ET | Comments (0)
Cynical, Angry, and Argumentative
Senator Kennedy showed that civility is possible even in our highly contentious era. We have to hope more politicians follow his example.
By Yash Gupta | September 1, 2009; 11:44 AM ET | Comments (1)
An Example Sorely Lacking
Kennedy's ability, even his willingness, to collaborate with members of the opposing party set an example that is sorely lacking in Washington today.
By Yash Gupta | August 28, 2009; 11:41 AM ET | Comments (1)
Time for Plain Talk
We can't have a repeat of the mistakes made in Vietnam and Iraq, when our leaders were unable or unwilling to fully explain why we got in and how we would get out.
By Yash Gupta | August 25, 2009; 11:06 AM ET | Comments (0)
Wistful for W.'s Resolve
Whether or not you liked George W. Bush, you have to concede that he often showed resolve. You don't see a lot of resolve in President Obama when he speaks about policies.
By Yash Gupta | August 18, 2009; 01:05 PM ET | Comments (53)
Effectiveness, Not Exhaustion
Leaders need to free themselves periodically from work and associated stresses, and no one is too important to take a vacation.
By Yash Gupta | August 11, 2009; 12:31 PM ET | Comments (2)
Opportunity Still Ahead
President Obama has set the stage. We must determine that we will no longer accept that only 10 percent of African American and Hispanic students who enter 9th grade graduate from college and the many other racial disparities in our society today.
By Yash Gupta | August 4, 2009; 11:37 AM ET | Comments (0)
Explain the Economics
Obama has allowed his opponents to frame the debate with stories about long waits for care and terms such as "socialized medicine." To gain the upper hand, the president must spell out a positive, big-picture vision that shows how reform would benefit society as a whole.
By Yash Gupta | July 28, 2009; 10:51 AM ET | Comments (2)
Money from Taxpayers' Pockets
The response of these companies' leaders has to begin with transparency. They should promptly volunteer information about how they're making their profits and how they plan to use them.
By Yash Gupta | July 20, 2009; 02:28 PM ET | Comments (1)
Be Our Moral Compass
The president must take this opportunity to assure the people that nobody is above the law in this country - no individual, no agency, no one.
By Yash Gupta | July 14, 2009; 07:21 AM ET | Comments (12)
Palin's Land of Opportunity
While Palin's chances for a political future might be damaged, they aren't ruined.
By Yash Gupta | July 8, 2009; 04:57 PM ET | Comments (1)
Forgiveness Is Beside the Point
Forgiveness is beside the point here. Once a leader has done something to shatter the trust of the people he leads, he can't get it back.
By Yash Gupta | June 30, 2009; 11:22 AM ET | Comments (9)
Jobs Acted Properly
In the case of Steve Jobs and his medical problems, greater transparency could have had an extremely negative impact. Why make a somber medical announcement and risk upsetting the apple cart?
By Yash Gupta | June 23, 2009; 01:46 PM ET | Comments (0)
The Spirituality of Team Work
Jackson has always been committed to the idea that people who work together can accomplish much more than individuals seeking their own personal glory, something he may have learned from his parents, who were pastors.
By Yash Gupta | June 15, 2009; 02:09 PM ET | Comments (0)
Built on Experience
Background, beliefs, and aspirations help form the character of a leader. By sharing personal history, leaders such as President Obama and Judge Sotomayor reveal their humanity.
By Yash Gupta | June 9, 2009; 06:20 AM ET | Comments (0)
Avoiding the Technical
The government should express its broad desires to see new models that are more fuel-efficient, more environmentally friendly and more in line with the kind of vehicle that fits our future.
By Yash Gupta | June 2, 2009; 10:50 AM ET | Comments (0)
Changing Times, Changing Leaders
Board members must always bear in mind why they hired a particular CEO. If the objectives have changed, if the reasons for hiring the CEO no longer apply, then it's probably time for a new chief executive.
By Yash Gupta | May 26, 2009; 04:06 PM ET | Comments (0)
Legal Leadership
The best jurists are able to consider different points of view as opposed to working from an agenda.
By Yash Gupta | May 19, 2009; 10:20 AM ET | Comments (0)
Attacks, Not Advice
To criticize your successor in public is to deny him the opportunity to do his job as he sees fit. It also comes across as sour grapes.
By Yash Gupta | May 12, 2009; 10:25 AM ET | Comments (13)
Heavy-Handed Management
You simply can't beat up on people in contract negotiations and then expect them to feel good about working for you after the dust has settled.
By Yash Gupta | May 6, 2009; 10:26 AM ET | Comments (0)
Test of Leadership
Communicating during a potential pandemic is the ultimate exercise in crisis management and a great test of leadership. A leader has to strike the perfect balance in tone - cautious but not alarmist.
By Yash Gupta | April 28, 2009; 09:26 AM ET | Comments (0)
Last in Line for Reward
Personal sacrifice is the currency of leadership, as George Washington, Lincoln, Gandhi, King -- and now Capt. Phillips -- have shown us. Who doesn't get that message? CEOs who took bonuses while their employees suffered.
By Yash Gupta | April 14, 2009; 09:32 AM ET | Comments (0)
The Power of Goodwill
Our security, economy, and influence in the world depend on good relations with allies. This is Obama's chance to re-establish the notion that the U.S. president is still the leader of the free world.
By Yash Gupta | April 6, 2009; 02:50 PM ET | Comments (0)
Why was Wagoner Fired?
The president has yet to articulate how things are going to be better with Rick Wagoner out and a new executive in.
By Yash Gupta | March 30, 2009; 05:54 PM ET | Comments (12)
Cool the Anger, Negotiate with Congress
Leaders often must be educators, and President Obama needs to educate the public. Better decisions are made when they aren't based on the kind of overheated emotion we're seeing.
By Yash Gupta | March 23, 2009; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (1)
Pay Cuts: More Than Just a Gesture
A pay cut has the symbolic value of showing that a leader cares about the hardships of those hurting from the economic recession.
By Yash Gupta | March 16, 2009; 10:18 AM ET | Comments (0)
More Holistic Thinking?
It's not unreasonable to make the case that women managers might have handled the Wall Street meltdown in a different, more effective way, but the focus should be on having the best minds, and that means women AND men.
By Yash Gupta | March 9, 2009; 12:04 PM ET | Comments (1)
Man on the Moon
Just as JFK could convince a janitor to work toward putting a man on the moon, so Obama must define health care reform as an important challenge.
By Yash Gupta | March 2, 2009; 04:16 PM ET | Comments (0)
An Urgent Goal
When the stakes are high -- as during the Civil War, today's recession or the situation in Israel and Palestine -- the need to unite far outweighs the need for any person to put forth his or her individual policy.
By Yash Gupta | February 23, 2009; 10:08 AM ET | Comments (0)
The Many Faces of "Gandhi"
Richard Attenborough's 1982 film "Gandhi" shows there is no one single characteristic of leadership. Rather, a great leader is made from a confluence of great traits.
By Yash Gupta | February 17, 2009; 02:17 PM ET | Comments (1)
The Danger in Layoffs
The desperation to reduce payroll can replace rational thinking, but arbitrary layoffs can mean losing good workers who are essential to the survival of the company.
By Yash Gupta | February 10, 2009; 10:29 AM ET | Comments (1)
Something For Nothing
Any rational person can see that these bonuses for senior managers have nothing to do with either rewarding stellar performance or trying to avoid the loss of exceptional talent.
By Yash Gupta | February 3, 2009; 02:57 PM ET | Comments (1)
Defining Life Experiences
Don't be fooled by a person's short resume: He or she still might have made many career and life choices that show commitment, understanding and a capacity to learn, grow and lead.
By Yash Gupta | January 26, 2009; 02:16 PM ET | Comments (0)
