WEEKLY WAITE-O-GRAM (Release 47.0)

WATCH YOUR SHELF LIFE

Events in the Middle East remind us that despots, like boxers, never seem to know when to quit. They almost invariably go one fight... or one rigged election...too long...and then get the stuffing knocked out of them. For the boxers, it is often the case that their hangers-on --promoters, agents and trainers-- want another pay day. With despots, they've had all the pay days one could imagine (typically deposited away in a Swiss or Caribbean bank account.) But they, too, have their hangers-on, individuals who depend on the leader's continued presence to fill their own pockets. These are not people who are likely to tell the Emperor that he has no clothes...and that it is time to get the heck out of Dodge. So it was with Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali... and so it appears to be with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Each was surrounded by sycophants...and now one is gone...while the other seems headed for the same fate.

 MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS

As something of a news junkie...not to mention a student of executive leadership...I have been watching the unfolding events with fascination. Perhaps the most bizarre aspect of the Egyptian situation was Mubarak's midnight (Cairo time) address to the nation on Friday. Having pulled the plug on virtually all Internet traffic (a modern day sure sign of desperation), the 82 year-old dictator went on live television to make the case that-- surprise!-- HE was the change they had been waiting for!  Apparently having somehow located the make-up artist who had worked on Richard Nixon prior to the 1960 Presidential Debate, Mubarak, with his jet-black died hair and strange, L'Oreal-induced pancake patina, ended up looking like a cross between Herman Munster...and Cher. While it is difficult to know what the masses of Egyptians thought of how he looked...it soon became clear what they thought of what he said. They voted with their feet...and went back to the streets.

 OBAMA-RAMA

Only a few minutes after Mubarak finished...President Obama went on the air. The contrast could have not been more stark. As we have seen over the past four weeks, the man may have his faults, but public speaking is not one of them. Tuscon, the State of the Union...and now a crisp, clear counter-point to Mubarak... with the added touch that he had just been speaking to the Egyptian President moments before!  The US is in something of a diplomatic pickle when it comes to Egypt, Yemen (and, dare we say it out loud? Saudi Arabia), but in a few short moments he managed to walk the very narrow line between backing an ally...and living up to democratic principles. And of course he looked vibrant and vigorous...which would have been a great contrast to Mubarak...had the Egyptian population (other than those with satellite access to the Al Jazeera network).

LESSONS FOR US ALL?

Are there any lessons for corporate executives (or North American politicians) in all of this?  Aside from avoiding a bad dye job?  Actually, I think there are several.  First, be sure to surround yourself with people who will give you an honest appraisal of where you stand with key stakeholders. People who will not just tell you when the Emperor has no clothes...but also when your fly is down...or you have a run in your stockings. (I use the female example with the stockings...but on the political side, at least, have you ever noticed all the despots are male? Discuss.) Second, have a plan to leave. Sure, it might be in five, seven or ten years...but create a path that includes succession and orderly transition. This will be as popular with most executives as pre-planning a funeral...but it is not only necessary...but it actually creates benefits for both the organization and the individual. Third, communicate constantly...not just in the teeth of an emergency. By all accounts both Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Hosin Mubarak had become distant figures to their people, seldom seen or heard from. Get out there with employees, customers and suppliers in good times and bad. It is well worth the investment.

 THIS MAY NOT BE FOR EVERYONE

In my own case I made a decision, fairly early in my corporate career, to work five or six years for a company...and then move on. What I had found was that I spent the first 18 months or so ramping up to speed...has fully engaged in years two, three, four and five...and then somewhat bored by the repetition and lack of new learning by year six. Perhaps it is because I had as a very young age been a reporter...but for whatever reason, I thirsted to try out new sectors and firms.And I realised the only way to make this work (from my employer's point of view) was to revitalize the department I was running...take it to a higher level of performance...while also developing or recruiting a worthy successor. (One trick in all of this is to find a successor better than you are -- something I turned out to be remarkably good at doing. It always helps to start from a low baseline!)  I actually followed this model five times in a row.  It worked for me and, I think, for the companies. The only downside is that you don't end up with much of a pension...and you leave good friends behind.

IN OTHER NEWS...

For those who enjoy film, I would highly recommend "Incendies", directed (in French) by Canadian Denis Villeneuve. Nominated just this week for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, the story toggles between Montreal and south Lebanon (and the early 1970's and present day), examining sectarian violence in the context of a family mystery. To tell more would give away the plot, but it is an intense, surprising film experience... think of Clint Eastwood's "The Unforgiven"... crossed with Roman Polanski's "Chinatown"...shot in Jordan (the real south Lebanon being unavailable.)  I saw the film at the new TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto...but it should be getting wider release now that it has been nominated.

THIS SOURCE IS DRYING UP...

I was mildly amused when my daughter Emily, a freshman at UCLA, told me she was taking a course called "America In the '60's". I was somewhat bemused when she asked to interview me...as a "primary source". But now I am confused when she tells me that the things that went on in the 60's were "weird" and "crazy". Compared to what?  We had Janis Joplin...now there's Lady Ga-Ga. We had Fidel Castro...now there's...Fidel Castro. What's the big deal? (By the way, Fidel Castro -- famous for three-hour speeches-- is proof that you CAN communicate too much.)

AND FINALLY...

We went winter camping in California's Yosemite National Park in late December. Got several feet of snow and had to put chains on our vehicle. The tents were heated. As was the debate about where to take our next vacation.

(The opinions expressed in this newsletter are solely those of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views of Waite + Co's President, Karen Shigeishi-Waite, or its principle shareholder-- Karen Shigeishi-Waite.  Any comments, suggestions, rebuttals or syntax corrections should be directed to the author and not to the aforementioned Karen Shigeishi-Waite, who also points out that she barely recalls the 1960's, except for Little-Joe Cartwight and Yertle the Turtle, and that, unlike Hosia Mubarak, she definitely does NOT need to apply tons of make-up to maintain her status as Waite + Co. President for Life.)