Executive Decision - March/April 2008 - (Page 10)

from the editor’s desk Y There is no twilight zone of honesty in business. A thing is right or wrong. It’s black or it’s white. —John F. Dodge ou get what you pay for. This adage Whom Do We Trust?” on page 30.) A key area that had been clouded by sideways accountability is more crystal clear than ever as both public and private companies adjust their policies to higher standards and show themselves in a new light. A related leadership issue we explore in this edition of Executive Decision is that of executive reputation management (see page 49). It is much easier to maintain a reputation than trying to build a new reputation from the ruins of a damaged one. Today, with the advent of the Internet, managing public opinion is a lot more complicated, intransigent and global. Read why this new discipline demands more of your attention. Leaders certainly have their work cut out for them, especially at tax time when the pressure is on. Spring is the time of year when executives start thinking about their next golf outing—while some may even wish to live on the green (pun not intended). Take a moment to look at our Executive Living section where you can consider combining your love of the game and your penchant for opulent living at several luxury golf destinations both in the U.S. and abroad. As always, wishing you continued success. XD often holds true, but in C-suite offices across America—where CEO pay in particular is often scrutinized and criticized by shareholders and others with a vested interest— the executive compensation system has been shaken with a new twist. In the wake of the malfeasance era, a buzzword has emerged in the corporate vocabulary—transparency. Corporate abuses that surfaced in the earlier part of the decade not only spawned new disclosure requirements (the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in 2002) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules in 2006, but now the “pay for performance” concept is taking hold. This may be construed as a double-edged sword for corporate leadership. On the one side you have to internalize and execute policy, and the other you must restore or maintain the public’s trust. Several leaders are becoming exemplars in this area, including that of American Express CEO Kenneth Chenault. In this issue’s cover story, Contributing Editor Jim Berger discovers that while the conventional wisdom believes executive compensation might be too high, in reality, it may not be (see “In Erin E. Harrison Editor-in-Chief 10 EXECUTIVE DECISION I execdecision.com http://execdecision.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Executive Decision - March/April 2008

Executive Decision - March/April 2008 Contents Index of Advertisers Contributing Editors From the Editor's Desk Publisher's Note You Be the Judge - Unionization Thought Leader - Pitney Bowes Management - Flying High for Long-Term Results Strategies - Sovereign Wealth Funds Cover Story - In Whom Do We Trust? The Movement for Greater Accountability & Disclosure Finance/Legal - The New Boycott Model Green At Work - Transforming for Sustainability Technology - Embracing Risk Leadership - Executive Reputation Management The Global Village - China Moves to Curb Prices Economic Profile - California Gold Rush Transformations - I Can See Clearly Now, The Brain Is Gone Marketing - Effectively Using Market Research The Bottom Line - Brands: A Shrinking Advantage or Shifting Advantage? Pulse - Pandemic: Not If But When SPECIAL SECTION - Living On the Green: Luxury Golf Destinations

Executive Decision - March/April 2008

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