Better to Be a “Joly” Than an “Immelt” “Choose your parents wisely.” –wisecrack “Nothing grows in the shadow of an oak.” –old saying Current General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt may be a terrific businessman in his own right. But, his now decade-plus tenure as GE chief will always be compared — negatively — to that...Read More
Revisionist History As historians know full well, Presidential reputations sometimes take decades to settle out, experiencing ups and downs in the meantime. For example, Harry Truman left office in 1953 quite unpopular. Over time, though, his stock gradually rose as society came to appreciate — after the fact — his straight-talking populism, common sense, and...Read More
Is Bush’s Leadership Like Wagner’s Music? “Wagner’s music is better than it sounds.”–AnonymousIs George W. Bush’s Presidency more successful than most Americans (80%) think right now? Will history vindicate Bush, like it did Harry Truman? I doubt it. Harry Truman didn’t leave office with a PR blitz of interviews arguing that history would redeem his...Read More