Jo Hawkins Donovan

"We live in an uncertain world." How many times have you heard that? Every time I hear it I wonder about a "certain" world – whenever did that exist? This line of thinking leads me to ponder related words, such as "trust" and "security."

A confluence of phenomena are coming together that will impact your hiring decisions. I'm sure you are aware of...

A couple of recent experiences inspire me to write about that wise – and quirky – adviser we have with us at all times, the unconscious mind.

I heartily recommend that you go to a theater to see the Oscar-nominated film "The King's Speech." For experiencing excellence in acting and film direction alone, you will get more than your money's worth.

Ask yourself these simple questions: Do your leadership team members openly disclose their opinions?...

Recently I read an article proposing that the majority of so-called "leaders" today are very good at maintaining the status quo, and that very few are actually demonstrating true leadership by taking a stand, by being creative and innovative, by risking ridicule.

By the time you're reading this, my Dutchman Jan Gorissen and I will be newly married. As general counsel for a couple of large corporations – one Dutch and one American, Jan worked closely with many business organizations all over the world.

The loss of trust leaves us with a feeling of emptiness at best, and with deep grief in some cases. You don't have to look far to find people and things we've lost trust in lately – superheroes, huge corporations, political parties, on and on.

In the July 10 issue of The Economist, I read an article about the expansion of company wellness programs written by the noted Austrian Joseph Schumpeter. He described organizations with wellness programs ranging from those that only have an exercise room, then various firms somewhere in the middle (maybe a fitness center, smoking cessation classes) all the way to companies with more comprehensive programs emerging from simultaneous developments in health care and management theory.

There are a lot of indicators out there signaling that the economy is on its way back to solid ground. We know corporate profits are a bit healthier, people are again consuming with confidence, and we have opportunities now and then to celebrate a rally in the stock market.