A Business Champion

Do you think you can spot integrity when you meet people, or shortly thereafter?
No. You mostly don't see it until there's an issue. You can check somebody's background and find out they've got, maybe, an alcohol problem … But I don't think you know who's going to be pointing fingers at somebody else until there's a crisis. There's value in a crisis, because you see who stands up.

Have you seen ethical behavior improving, declining or staying the same?
In business I think it's pretty much the same. After Enron and all the rest, there's been a trend at the board of directors' level to try to emphasize integrity ... But I don't think it's gotten better or worse, except in government. Our current two parties spend all their time throwing mud at each other and not really forging solutions.

Can the upcoming Olympics in London and, potentially, Chicago match Beijing?
Every Games has its own distinction. I said to the [executives organizing] the Vancouver Games in 16 months, "China had more people on the field [during the opening ceremonies] than you have in your whole province, so you aren't going to do what they did. But you're going to bring the mountains, the beauty, the cultural diversity, all the stuff you have in Vancouver—and they're going to be great Games." London's going to have the same thing—they're going to be loud, and they'll put on a great Games that have great flavor and will make their country proud. Chicago, it's a different game. In my view we've got to do our very best to bring the Games to the heartland of America, where they've never been.

You have strong opinions about the roles of cell phones and e-mail in executive life.
When I go into offices, I see brilliant people looking at a bloody screen for hours. I say, "When are you communicating? When are you learning and being creative?" It drives me nuts ... A salesperson says they sent out 22 e-mails to people. [I say,] "No, pick up the phone and talk to the customer. Go see the customer" ... I carry a cell phone to call my wife, but I don't get any calls—I don't even remember the number. I don't have a BlackBerry. If somebody wants to get in touch with me, it's real easy. You call, boom, I'm back to you.

© 2008