Rumsfeld's Rules - Leadership Lessons in Business, Politics, War, and Life

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

THE CASE FOR CAPITALISM

We often see leaders of corporate America standing beside presidents and members of Congress, smiling in photos. Despite such access, business leaders are sometimes reluctant to take advantage of their opportunities to tell their elected representatives what they need to hear—instead of telling them what they want to hear.

We seldom read about prominent business leaders directly critiquing the actions of the federal government or stepping up to defend the advantages of free markets and the opportunities they create for the American people. I suppose if more business leaders defended capitalism, there might not be quite as many smiling photos with politicians.

Having been in the position of a chief executive ...