To be successful, you have to have your heart in your business, and your business in your heart.
-Thomas Watson, Sr.
Business has always been exciting and has always required leaders to adapt to the economy. Today’s economy takes the need to adapt to a new level. Change is constant, swift, and has global consequences. Fortune 500 companies can be knocked off their perch by startups in a matter of months, social media can ruin a good reputation overnight, and technology is creating business models previously unimagined. Are businesses better than ever before? Are business leaders better than ever before?
Some would argue that business has always been disruptive and “only the paranoid survive.” Others would argue that the pace of change is faster and more severe than ever before. Every era has its share of transformational leaders, but perhaps today’s leaders are the ones under the most pressure, 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
This week, reach out to a founder, entrepreneur or business leader. Someone who meets payroll. Someone who makes the hard decisions to invest when others say it can’t be done. Someone who creates new ways to add value to our economy through very personal efforts. Thank them for their contributions to your community and all that they do to change lives by providing jobs and investment in a changing world.
–Kenny McDonald
One Columbus Update
- Last week, JPMorgan Chase and the Columbus Foundation released reports detailing their findings on workforce issues in the Columbus Region. The report from JPMorgan Chase, the Columbus Region’s largest private sector employer, is part of their $250 million, five year New Skills at Work Initiative. It looks at how the skills gap is poised to affect the regional job market overall, while the Columbus Foundation’s report presents a deep dive into the opportunities for youth who are currently disconnected from education or the workforce.
- Next week, our team will participate in two important discussions for international business: Sourcing Capital and Trade from Asia, and the Columbus Chinese Chamber of Commerce Forum. The first will provide insight into export opportunities, sourcing business and private capital, and using EB-5 financing. The second is a discussion on the possible formation of a Columbus Chinese Chamber of Commerce.