From the Sunday paper insert rag Parade (www.Parade.com) of all places. Yeah, *that* Parade. “The Secrets of America’s Great Presidents” by Doris Keans Goodwin. Here’s a run down of secrets but read the article, there are anecdotes with each that are very insightful.

Here are Ms. Goodwin’s 10 attributes that have distinguished great Presidents:

1 – The courage to stay strong
2 – Self-confidence
3 – An ability to learn from errors
4 – A willingness to change
5 – Emotional intelligence
6 – Self-control
7 – A popular touch
8 – A moral compass
9 – A capacity to relax
10 – A gift for inspiring others

(Btw, the list doesn’t appear to be in any particular order.)

Obviously, much like the other list today, many of these can be applied to all of us on a daily basis. More healthy food for thought for your AU state of mind.

When it comes to successful web sites there’s no doubt that search is important. However, one needs to be careful not to build a business model that puts too many eggs in basket. Especially when you don’t have control over that basket. Especially when you don’t really know what’s inside the black box in basket. Especially when that basket is called Google.

While one might sympathize with the guy (Dan Savage) in this article where is his value add? What is he doing that’s so unique? Yes, it’s simple but his game is to play the spread in difference in price. Great! Ride that wave as long as you can. But did he not expect that somewhere along the line that the rules might change?

“Stuck In Google’s Doghouse” by Joe Nocera (NY Times, Sat 13 Sept 2008). True, stories like these aren’t exactly new news. That said, people continue to pursue approaches that rely on the strength of their search placement instead of focusing on the quality and value add of their product/service. Those are parameters you can control. Those are points of differentiation that you can market. But when the success of your marketing plan is just a gimmick that is subject to the tweak of an algorithm then having a smarterer guest-centric approach is probably in order.

Strike up another vote for being proactive. No pun intended. Please invest the 2 minutes in: “Prevention Is The Best Way” by Richard Carmona.

Unfortunately, if this whole Wall Street mess is any indication, we seem destined to continue to be a society of Management By Crisis (MBC). At this rate one has to wonder if a comet is going to hit the earth before we see it coming.

Btw, Dr. Richard H. Carmona served as the 17th surgeon general of the United States (2002-2006). He is national chairman of the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (www.FightChronicDisease.org) and president of the nonprofit Canyon Ranch Institute (www.canyonranchinstitute.org).

We need to stop thinking about healthcare as if it’s some sort foreign entity. We are people and we need to take care of ourselves. We work for companies as well as exist in a society and that must also make an effort take care of us. Without us there is no commerce / society – and vice versa. It doesn’t matter what came frist – the ill citizens, or the ill society. We need to find solutions that address the whole disease and not just mask the symptoms of particular body part.