Backbone vs Wishbone

“You don’t need a Wishbone, you need a Backbone.”

This thought provoking message comes courtesy of Joyce Meyer, prolific author and speaker, in a program she recorded called “Living with Excellence and Integrity”.
 
Troubles come to companies both large and small, to individuals, and to brands. The business pages have seemingly endless stories to report of quality issues, questionable ethics, and cover-ups.
 
How did they end up on in those headlines?  Frequently, it's a slow and steady progression of missteps.  It’s taking the same action over and over and expecting a different outcome. It’s investing more in public relations than in continuous process improvement. It’s pooh-poohing the industry analysts. It’s asking for employee feedback and then rejecting what they say.
 
As we Americans head to our Thanksgiving tables, how many of these corporate leaders will be eyeing the wishbone and thinking "if only it were that easy".   
 
What times like these require, though, is a backbone not a wishbone.  We can’t wish trouble away.
 
In today’s business climate, acknowledging the truth of the situation is a sign of strength. The faster a corporation steps up and takes accountability during a crisis, the more likely they are to regain the trust of their customers, their employees, and their stockholders.
 
But you know what that takes? It takes courage. It takes integrity. It takes backbone.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving season.