Day: March 29, 2008

If you must watch American Idol, please know that there will be a positive side to the spectacle.

Announcement

For the second year in a row, Save the Children, whose programs our company supports, has been selected as one of six charities to benefit from funds raised through Idol Gives Back, a television event and music celebration airing Wednesday, April 9 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. This year’s event will feature international talent and sports stars including Bono, Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Miley Cyrus, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Mariah Carey, Fergie, Chris Daughtry, Carrie Underwood, Annie Lennox, John Legend and Snoop Dogg. During the show, viewers will be able to make donations via toll-free lines and the Internet.

“My CEO walked off with $41 million and all I got was this lousy T-shirt!”

Cute, methinks. A great example of the cynicism that most have of corporate America, even those who live within it, and rely deeply upon this system for their livelihoods. I wonder when corporate leaders will finally realize that they’ve overdrawn their credibility account and that few trust them. Perhaps it’s unjust that all are lumped together, but that’s the nature of things. All within that umbrella need to work together to build trust. First, they must realize that the trust isn’t there; that the relationship is damaged. Hearing executive after executive complain about the distrust and cynicism that they face shows how they just don’t get it. Interesting, really, how many leaders demand and expect trust, but are unwilling to earn it.