Failing Forward

By Dr. John C. Maxwell

Vincent Van Gogh failed as an art dealer, flunked his entrance exam to theology school, and was fired by the church after an ill-fated attempt at missionary work. In fact, during his life, he seldom experienced anything other than failure as an artist. Although a single painting by Van Gogh would fetch in excess of $100 million today, in his lifetime Van Gogh sold only one painting, four months prior to his death.

Before developing his theory of relativity, Albert Einstein encountered academic failure. One headmaster expelled Einstein from school and another teacher predicted that he would never amount to anything. Einstein even failed his entrance exam into college.

Prior to dazzling the world with his athletic skill, Michael Jordan was cut from his sophomore basketball team. Even though he captured six championships, during his professional career, Jordan missed over 12,000 shots, lost nearly 400 games, and failed to make more than 25 would-be game-winning baskets.

Failure didn't stop Vincent Van Gogh from painting, Albert Einstein from theorizing, or Michael Jordan from playing basketball, but it has paralyzed countless leaders and prevented them from reaching their potential.

At some point, all great achievers are tempted to believe they are failures. But in spite of that, they persevere. In the face of adversity, shortcomings, and rejection, they hold onto self-belief and refuse to see themselves as failures. Here are seven abilities of achievers that enable them to rebound from failure and keep moving forward.

Seven Principles for Failing Forward

Reject Rejection

Achievers who persevere do not base their self-worth on their performance. On the contrary, they have a healthy self-image that's not dictated by external events. When they fall short, rather than labeling themselves a failure, they learn from mistakes in their judgment or behavior.

Don't Point Fingers

When people fail, they're often tempted to blame others for their lack of success. By pointing fingers, they sink into a victim mentality and cede their fate to outsiders. When playing the blame game, people rob themselves of learning from their failures and alienate others by refusing to take responsibility for mistakes.

See Failure as Temporary

People who personalize failure see a problem as a hole they're permanently stuck in, whereas achievers see any predicament as temporary. One mindset wallows in failure, the other looks forward to success. By putting mistakes into perspective, achievers are able to see failure as a momentary event, not a symptom of a lifelong epidemic.

Set Realistic Expectations

Unrealistic goals doom people to failure. For instance, if a person hasn't exercised for five years, then making it to a gym twice a week may be a better goal than running in next month's marathon. Also, some people insensibly expect to be perfect. Everyone fails, so expect setbacks and emotionally prepare to deal with them.

Focus on Strengths

Don't invest time shoring up non-character flaws at the exclusion of investing in your strengths. People operating from a position of strength enjoy a far lower rate of failure than those laboring in areas of weakness. You're built to give your talents to the world; be diligent about finding expressions for them in your career.

Vary Approaches to Achievement

In the Psychology of Achievement, Brian Tracy writes about four millionaires who made their fortunes by age 35. On average, these achievers were involved in 17 businesses before they finding the one that took them to the top. They kept trying and changing until they found something that worked.

Bounce Back

Rehashing missteps and blunders for too long sabotages concentration and eats away at self-confidence. When dealing with failure, achievers have short memories. They quickly forget the negative emotions of setbacks and press forward resiliently. While taking pause to learn from failures, achievers realize that the past cannot be altered.

Summary

I believe it's nearly impossible for any person to believe he or she is a failure and move forward at the same time. For those who have been downsized, let go, or bankrupted, the temptation may be to internalize failure. My hope is that anyone who has suffered setbacks recently will be able to separate life's unfortunate events from their self-worth. Failure, like death and taxes, will happen. Your response to failure holds the key to your future.

About

John C. Maxwell is an internationally recognized leadership expert, speaker, and author who has sold over 16 million books. His organizations have trained more than 2 million leaders worldwide. Dr. Maxwell is the founder of EQUIP and INJOY Stewardship Services. Every year he speaks to Fortune 500 companies, international government leaders, and audiences as diverse as the United States Military Academy at West Point, the National Football League, and ambassadors at the United Nations. A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Business Week best-selling author, Maxwell was named the World's Top Leadership Guru by Leadershipgurus.net. He was also one of only 25 authors and artists named to Amazon.com's 10th Anniversary Hall of Fame. Three of his books, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Developing the Leader Within You, and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader have each sold over a million copies.

A maioria dos líderes não conhece seus liderados

Em entrevista a AMANHÃ, o consultor Dario Amorin diz que quando não há valorização do indivíduo, não há como motivar uma equipe

O consultor Dario Amorim, autor de "51 Dicas para a Conquista da Automotivação" (Qualitymark, 110 páginas) acredita que o líder tem o dever de conhecer os anseios e objetivos pessoais de cada membro de sua equipe. Só assim, diz ele, é possível trabalhar com os fatores que realmente afetam a motivação do grupo como um todo. O problema é que, segundo Dario, a maioria das pessoas não têm um "sonho" definido...

Você costuma dizer que, para motivar uma equipe, é preciso se concentrar primeiro no indivíduo. De que forma se dá esse processo? Equipes são grupos de pessoas trabalhando em prol de um objetivo comum, certo? Mas o grupo é formado por pessoas diferentes, com anseios, vontades e sonhos diferentes. Sem valorizar o indivíduo é impossível motivar a equipe. Se eu não me concentrar no indivíduo, eu sempre terei alguns membros do grupo motivados e outros, não. Sempre terei aqueles que enxergam a equipe como um meio de atingir seus objetivos pessoais e outros que não vêem relação entre uma coisa e outra.

Sim, mas como a abordagem individual influencia o grupo como um todo? O compromisso de um líder é despertar a motivação que existe dentro de cada membro da equipe. Ele precisa assumir esse compromisso. Precisa estar comprometido como o sucesso das pessoas que estão abaixo dele. Veja: eu, enquanto líder, dependo do sucesso de quem eu lidero. Então é preciso buscar meios de despertar a motivação de cada integrante da equipe. Existem duas maneiras de se fazer isso: por meio da motivação externa - que é gerada por uma causa temporária, como uma campanha, uma meta, um prêmio que se vislumbra ali adiante; e por meio da motivação interna - que independe de prêmios e está ligada à concretização de sonhos e metas pessoais.

Qual desses dois caminhos é o mais eficiente? O foco da liderança deve ser a motivação interna. A externa pode ser gerada por meio de campanhas com início, meio e fim. É um estímulo externo e institucional. Já a interna não precisa de campanha ou prêmios. É permanente. Aqui, o que conta são os objetivos individuais de cada funcionário. Enquanto o indivíduo está no caminho de realizar seu sonho, ele está motivado. O papel do líder é o de influenciar esse processo, mostrando as relações entre o cumprimento de determinadas metas da equipe e a concretização de sonhos pessoais.

O líder tem de sonhar pelo liderado? Eu não diria sonhar pelo liderado, e sim mostrar que ele não pode parar, que ele tem de almejar coisas novas. O que faz as pessoas crescerem é o desejo, o norte, o sonho. O líder é responsável por dar um novo olhar sobre aquilo que se está fazendo. O ser humano, por natureza, tem uma tendência de olhar para o novo sempre com os olhos do passado, com base nos conceitos que adquiriu ao longo da vida. O líder precisa ter a habilidade de fazer com que as pessoas enxerguem o novo com os olhos novos. Encarar os desafios não só com base nos conceitos do passado, e sim com base em novos conceitos, novas interpretações - e novas possibilidades.

De que maneira se pode estabelecer esse tipo de diálogo entre líder e liderado? De fato, é essencial que o líder tenha capacidade de firmar relacionamentos. Ele precisa se colocar no mesmo barco. Ainda que ocupe uma posição diferente de seus liderados, ele tem de remar junto. Para isso, tem de conhecer cada membro de sua equipe.

Os líderes atuais conhecem seus liderados? Em equipes muito grandes, é quase impossível saber detalhes a respeito dos objetivos pessoais de cada funcionário, não? Nas minhas atividades, eu sempre faço um exercício para testar isso. Para cada gestor, eu pergunto coisas do tipo: "Qual é o nome completo de cada integrante da sua equipe?". A maioria deles não sabe responder. Aí eu pergunto: "Qual é a idade e a data de aniversário de cada um de seus liderados?". E eles geralmente não sabem responder. Aí vem a última pergunta: "Qual é o maior sonho de cada um de seus liderados?". São realmente poucos os líderes que conhecem a resposta. E isso ocorre em todos os tipos de equipes, tanto as grandes quanto as pequenas.

Qual é a importância dessas respostas, afinal? Se eu sei qual é o sonho de cada pessoa, fica mais fácil administrar os estímulos necessários para que todas elas se sintam motivadas. Com isso, o líder consegue mostrar para cada pessoa como ela pode ser feliz através da empresa, através do atingimento das metas da equipe. O líder passa a fazer um elo entre o sonho e a realidade profissional de cada liderado. Por outro lado, de que maneira o líder poderia trabalhar a motivação da equipe se não conhecesse objetivos pessoais de cada integrante? O que ele pode dizer de consistente para que as pessoas se sentissem impelidas a lutar pelos objetivos da empresa?

Como fazer esse elo quando as pessoas da equipe têm ambições muito diferentes? O líder só consegue ter uma equipe focada se for capaz de associar as diferentes ambições pessoais em torno das metas da empresa. Agora, é preciso ressaltar um fato curioso: na maioria das vezes, o ser humano não tem um sonho.

Não? Não. Quando você pergunta qual é o sonho de uma determinada pessoa, a resposta geralmente gira em torno de coisas muito simplórias. Em geral, as pessoas querem comprar um carro, construir uma casa, viajar, etc. São sonhos pouco desafiadores. Hoje, muitas pessoas conseguem comprar uma casa sem muito esforço. O líder precisa trabalhar isso. Tem de influenciar o liderado para que ele desenvolva novos sonhos, novos objetivos pessoais. Só assim a pessoa começará a ter motivações permanentes.

The Kanzius Machine: A Cancer Cure?

Although I'm quite late on acknowledging this story, it's very exciting and I wanted to share. I hope Mr Kansius invention becomes a real weapon against cancer! July 20, 2008 (CBS) This segment was originally broadcast on April 13, 2008. It was updated on July 16, 2008. What if we told you that a guy with no background in science or medicine - not even a college degree - has come up with what may be one of the most promising breakthroughs in cancer research in years? Well it's true, and if you think it sounds improbable, consider this: he did it with his wife's pie pans and hot dogs. His name is John Kanzius, and as correspondent Lesley Stahl first reported last April, he's a former businessman and radio technician who built a radio wave machine that has cancer researchers so enthusiastic about its potential they're pouring money and effort into testing it out. Here's the important part: if clinical trials pan out - and there's still a long way to go - the Kanzius machine will zap cancer cells all through your body without the need for drugs or surgery and without side effects. None at all. At least that's the idea. The last thing John Kanzius thought he'd ever do was try to cure cancer. A former radio and television executive from Pennsylvania, he came to Florida to enjoy his retirement. "I have no business being in the cancer business. It’s not something that a layman like me should be in, it should be left to doctors and research people," he told Stahl. "But sometimes it takes an outsider," Stahl remarked. "Sometimes it just - maybe you get lucky," Kanzius replied. It was the worst kind of luck that gave Kanzius the idea to use radio waves to kill cancer cells: six years ago, he was diagnosed with terminal leukemia and since then has undergone 36 rounds of toxic chemotherapy. But it wasn't his own condition that motivated him, it was looking into the hollow eyes of sick children on the cancer ward at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. "I saw the smiles of youth and saw their spirits were broken. And you could see that they were sort of asking, 'Why can't they do something for me?'" Kanzius told Stahl. "So they started to haunt you. The children," Stahl asked. "Their faces. I still remember them holding on their Teddy bears and so forth," he replied. "And shortly after that I started my own chemotherapy, my third round of chemotherapy." Kanzius told Stahl the chemotherapy made him very sick and that he couldn't sleep at night. "And I said, 'There’s gotta be a better way to treat cancer.'" It was during one of those sleepless nights that the light bulb went off. When he was young, Kanzius was one of those kids who built radios from scratch, so he knew the hidden power of radio waves. Sick from chemo, he got out of bed, went to the kitchen, and started to build a radio wave machine. "Started looking in the cupboard and I saw pie pans and I said, 'These are perfect. I can modify these,'" he recalled. His wife Marianne woke up that night to a lot of banging and clamoring. "I was concerned truthfully that he had lost it," she told Stahl. "She felt sorry for me," Kanzius added. "I did," Marianne Kanzius acknowledged. "And I had mentioned to him, 'Honey, the doctors can't-you know, find an answer to cancer. How can you think that you can?'" That's what 60 Minutes wanted to know, so Stahl went to his garage laboratory to find out. Here's how it works: one box sends radio waves over to the other, creating enough energy to activate gas in a fluorescent light. Kanzius put his hand in the field to demonstrate that radio waves are harmless to humans. "So right from the beginning you're trying to show that radio waves could activate gas and not harm the human-anything else," Stahl remarked. "'Cause you're looking for some kind of a treatment with no side effects, that's what's in your head." "No side effects," Kanzius replied. But how could he focus the radio waves to destroy cancer cells? "That was the next $64,000 question," Kanzius said. The answer would cost much more than that. Kanzius spent about $200,000 just to have a more advanced version of his machine built. He knew that metal heats up when it's exposed to high-powered radio waves. So what if a tumor was injected with some kind of metal, and zapped with a focused beam of radio waves? Would the metal heat up and kill the cancer cells, but leave the area around them unharmed? He did his first test with hot dogs. "I'm going to inject it with some copper sulfate," Kanzius explained, demonstrating the machine. "And I’m going to take the probe right at the injection site." Kanzius placed the hot dog in his radio wave machine, and Stahl watched to see if the temperature would rise in that one area where the metal solution was and nowhere else. "And when I saw it start to go up I said, 'Eureka, I've done it,'" Kanzius remembered. "And I said, 'God, I gotta shut this off and see whether it's still cold down below.' So I shut it off, took my probe, went down here where it wasn’t injected. And the temperature dropped back down. And I said, 'God, maybe I got something here.'" Kanzius thought he had found a way attack cancer cells without the collateral damage caused by chemotherapy and radiation. Today, his invention is in the laboratories of two major research centers - the University of Pittsburgh and M.D. Anderson, where Dr. Steven Curley, a liver cancer surgeon, is testing it. "This technology may allow us to treat just about any kind of cancer you can imagine," Dr. Curley told Stahl. "I've gotta tell you, in 20 years of research this is the most exciting thing that I’ve encountered." That's because Kanzius impressed Curley with another remarkable idea: to combine the radio waves from his device with something cutting edge - space age nanoparticles made of metal or carbon. They are so small that thousands of them can fit in a single cancer cell. Because they’re metallic, Kanzius was hoping his radio waves would heat them up and kill the cancer. "If these nanoparticles work then we truly have something huge here," Kanzius told Stahl. Enter Rick Smalley, another cancer patient at M.D. Anderson and the man who won the Nobel Prize for discovering nanoparticles made from carbon. As luck would have it, Dr. Curley was called in one day to examine Smalley. Before leaving, he asked him for some of his nanoparticles. "I proceeded to tell him what I wanted to do and that I thought they would heat. He looked at me with sort of a studied long look and didn’t say anything. And then he looked at me and said, 'It won’t work,'" Curley remembered. "And just laughed and said, 'Well, look, I'll give you some. But don't be too disappointed.'" So Dr. Curley brought a vial of those precious nanoparticles to John Kanzius. And on an August day in 2005, Curley and Kanzius put them to the test. Would the metallic nanoparticles heat up enough to kill cancer? "So we take the nanoparticles, we put 'em in the radio field. And in about 15 seconds, they’re boiling and heating and Steve Curley couldn't contain himself. He called Rick Smalley and he said, 'Rick, you’re not going to believe this. He just blew the smithereens out of your nanoparticles,'" Kanzius recalled. Smalley's response? "The only thing that I got out of him after this pause was, “Holy s…,'" Curley recalled. Not long after that day, Smalley died of lymphoma. Once a skeptic, he had become one of Kanzius' biggest supporters. "He didn’t expect it, but he embraced it to his death bed when he told Dr. Curley this will change medicine forever. Don't stop, no matter what you do," Kanzius told Stahl. And they haven't stopped. They’ve already shown that the Kanzius machine can heat nanoparticles and cook cancer to death in animals. Dr. Curley with rabbits, and in Pittsburgh, Dr. David Geller demonstrated to 60 Minutes how he used nanoparticles, made from gold, to kill liver cancer cells grown in rats. "Now what we’re going to do is inject the nanoparticles," Dr. Geller explained. "Directly into the tumor." In the study the rats, anesthetized to keep them still, were exposed to the Kanzius radio waves. Dr. Geller later examined their tumors under a microscope. "What you can see is that cells are starting to fall apart. You see white spaces in between them. The body of the cell is shrinking, the cells are starting to die," Geller pointed out. "And can you tell from this whether the area surrounding the tumor had any destruction?" Stahl asked. "Grossly inspecting the animal, we did not see not see any damage to the surrounding tissue," Geller said. So far, the Kanzius method has only been applied to solid, localized tumors in animals. The ultimate goal is to treat cancer that has metastasized or spread to other parts of the body. Those undetectable rogue cells are what most often kill people with cancer and the trick is finding them. "If we can't target the microscopic cells this is not going to be a cure," Curley said. That’s why Curley is trying to use special molecules that are programmed to target cancer cells and attach nanoparticles to them. He showed Stahl an animation of how he hopes the targeting will work in people one day, with a simple injection of gold nanoparticles into the bloodstream. "What we’re seeing here is an example of a gold nanoparticle in this case with an antibody on it, so the antibody would be the targeting molecule," Curley explained. "You can see it is tiny compared to a normal red blood cell just imagine all of these billions of these gold nanoparticles circulating through the body and then once they get into the blood vessels going to the tumor, these nanoparticles would go through and bind on the surface of the cell." "The cancer cell. It wouldn't bind on a normal cell," Stahl observed. "That's right, they would bind only to the cancer cell. Now here’s the nanoparticles in the cell, here comes John's radio frequency treatment. The cells get hot and they’re destroyed," Curley said. "Gosh, it does look like one of those science fiction movies," Stahl remarked. "Right now it is a little science fiction," Curley agreed. "We’re not quite to the real time yet, but it’s got a lot of promise." Even if all goes well in the lab, it'll be at least another four years before human trials can start. But John Kanzius says he's afraid he doesn't have that much time. So to help speed up the research, he's been raising millions of dollars and getting press coverage about his invention. "Now I can't count the number of times the journalistic community, has done stories on a cancer cure," Stahl said. "I did one in 1973. …How many times have we seen these things work in the Petri dish, work with animals. And then you get them into humans and they don’t work." "Dozens," Curley replied. But if this one does work, it most likely won't be developed in time to help the man who invented it. John Kanzius may have the option of a bone marrow transplant that could buy him more time, but after six years of chemo it would be another grueling ordeal. "Did you ever say, 'I’m not going to do this anymore. I’m not going to put myself through it,'?" Stahl asked. "Yes. I said that-only about a year and a half ago," Kanzius replied. "I changed my mind because I think with all the research that’s going on with the institutions, that maybe, I'd like to be around for the first patient to get treated and just have a smile." "Oh my God," Stahl said. "And then I don't care anymore," Kanzius replied. Produced by Tanya Simon © MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

From Slot Machine to Stock Market: Investment Strategies for Relationships

By Dr. John C. Maxwell

In the early years of my career, I did not have a correct view of life. I approached life as if it were a slot machine. I wanted to put as little as possible into it, and I always hoped to hit the jackpot. I'm embarrassed to say that I often had a similar approach in my interaction with people. I was more focused on what people could do for me than what I could do for them. As a result, I would try to make relational "withdrawals" without ever having made any deposits. Needless to say, I was not very successful.

As I matured, I begin to place a higher value on people. As I made this transition, I noticed a fascinating development: the more I gave to relationships, the more I seemed to gain from relationships. In my book, Winning With People, I named this phenomenon The Boomerang Principle. What you put into relationships has a way of coming back to you.

During my time in leadership, I've noticed that people fall into three broad categories with regards to how they view relationships.

1) Takers

Takers receive and never give. They are the people in life who have a me-first mentality. They try to extract as much as they can from the relationships in their lives, and they rarely, if ever, consider giving back.

2) Traders

Traders receive and then give. Traders will only send you a Christmas card, if you've mailed one to them. They picture relationships as an equation in need of balance. If someone helps them, they feel a debt of gratitude. If they aid another person, they expect a favor in return.

3) Investors

Investors give and then receive. These are the people who give purely for the joy of giving. They add value to others, not as part of a cold calculation, but as a habit. Although doing so may not earn them an instant return, in the long run they reap the gratitude and goodwill of those they have helped.

Investment Strategies for Relationships

Instead of viewing relationships as a slot machine, picture them like the stock market. To get rich, make regular deposits in people over an extended period of time. At first, you may feel like the value of what you're putting in isn't worth the investment. However, like the stock market, in the long run, you'll reap dividends and earn rewards.

1) Think "Others First"

Human nature tends to focus us on personal needs, but investing in relationships requires us to prioritize others. Instead of self-advancement, think others-enhancement. Like a responsible investor, resist the temptation to "time" the relational market, using someone only for short-term gain. That's a strategy doomed to fail. On the contrary, make a habit of adding value in relationships and trust that the long-term results will be in your favor.

2) Focus on the Investment, Not the Return

If you've ever purchased stocks personally, then you know the agony of watching the vicissitudes of the market. Like a roller coaster, your portfolio climbs up one day only to lurch down the next day. Instead of agonizing over returns, a shrewd investor focuses on making the investment. The same principle holds true in relationships. Don't expect specific and immediate benefit from your relational inputs. Through time, you'll be taken care of as long as you're willing to invest.

3) Make Educated Investments

Not all investments yield the same interest, and not all relationships produce the same reward. As a leader, make investing in others a general principle, but be deliberate about putting energy into low-risk, high-reward relationships. Seek out talented people with teachable dispositions, and offer your relational capital to those who will make the most of it.

4) Initiate the investment

A stockbroker won't hack into your bank account and invest money on your behalf. You have to be willing to take the first step. Don't be stingy with your relational investments, giving only to those who've first given to you. Rather, take responsibility for setting the tone of adding value in your relationships.

About

John C. Maxwell is an internationally recognized leadership expert, speaker, and author who has sold over 16 million books. His organizations have trained more than 2 million leaders worldwide. Dr. Maxwell is the founder of EQUIP and INJOY Stewardship Services. Every year he speaks to Fortune 500 companies, international government leaders, and audiences as diverse as the United States Military Academy at West Point, the National Football League, and ambassadors at the United Nations. A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Business Week best-selling author, Maxwell was named the World's Top Leadership Guru by Leadershipgurus.net. He was also one of only 25 authors and artists named to Amazon.com's 10th Anniversary Hall of Fame. Three of his books, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Developing the Leader Within You, and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader have each sold over a million copies.

The online version of this article can be found at http://www.giantimpact.com/articles/read/article_from_slot_machine_to_stock_market_investment_strategies_for_relatio/ "This article is used by permission from GiANT Impact. Find other leadership content, resources, training, and events at www.giantimpact.com."

Today is History! Is it?

The Inauguration Day Today, we witnessed history. All around the world people from different Nations, colors and creeds watched live Barack Hussein Obama take the United States of America Presidency oath for the 44th time. But this time, in addition to our long time companion, the TV, millions of people were also able to watch (with excellent image quality) the whole event live from the internet. I was one of these people connected to CNN Live which broadcasted live in partnership with Facebook. But besides the technological aspects what else differs this time from the former inauguration events? What differs this president from the 43 former Presidents? Why millions of people took their time to follow this event live? For starters we could say that Mr. Obama is the first African-American Elected President of the United States, but this one is so obvious. In addition to that, he was born in Hawaii from a white american mother and a Kenyan father. He lived in Indonesia with mother and step father and as adult he studied and lived in Los Angeles and New York City. In other words, Brack Obama is a citizen of the world. He understands and lives diversity every day in his life. For the first time in modern history US has a leader who trully understands what happens beyond their borders. From a non-american perspective the major importance of this US administration is the diversity aspects his leader carries in his mind and heart. Diversity which the whole world expects to be more present in the still most powerful Nation. God Bless America, because we are all interconnected. More and more, we become a 7 billion people village. From US to Kenya we celebrate this new chapter of human history. So definetely January, 20th 2009 will be remembered.

"My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and co-operation he has shown throughout this transition. Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents. So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans. That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet. These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Foto: Reprodução/Site Wordle.net

Montagem mostra palavras do discurso de posse de Obama; quanto maior a palavra, mais ela foi pronunciada (Foto: Reprodução/Site Wordle.net)

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met. On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics. We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness. In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labour, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom. For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and travelled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and ploughed the hard earth. For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn. Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction. This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America. For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do. Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage. What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government. Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favours only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good. As for our common defence, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more. Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint. We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the spectre of a warming planet. We will not apologise for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you. For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace. To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist. To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it. As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all. For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the fire-fighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate. Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task. This is the price and the promise of citizenship. This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny. This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath. So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have travelled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people: "Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]." America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations."

O Rei, o Mago, o Amante e o Guerreiro

terça-feira, 2 de setembro de 2008

Em novo livro, os consultores Gustavo e Magdalena Boog retomam os quatro tipos profissionais e revelam os perfis que predominam nas empresas brasileiras

Por: Grasiela Duarte

Há quatro anos, os consultores organizacionais Gustavo e Magdalena Boog lançaram um livro em que dividiam os perfis profissionais em quatro tipos básicos – seguindo uma classificação idealizada pelos americanos Robert Moore e Douglas Gillette. Segundo estes autores, é possível observar nas empresas quatro perfis: Rei (empreendedor, inovador), Guerreiro (realizador), Mago (responsável, cuida da manutenção da ordem e da estrutura) e Amante (foco em pessoas). Em 2008, os Boog voltam à carga com o livro “Con-viver em equipe: construindo relacionamentos sustentáveis”, em que retomam essa tipologia para reforçar a idéia de que o conhecimento dos diferentes perfis de uma equipe contribui para melhorar o relacionamento. “As relações nem sempre são muito fáceis, mas abrir mão das individualidades pelo bem da equipe é saber conviver”, diz Gustavo Boog em entrevista a AMANHÃ.

REI

O QUE ELE TEM DE MELHOR: Inovação Criatividade Carisma Espírito empreendedor LADO NEGATIVO: Impulsividade Autoritarismo Exibicionismo Dificuldade de concluir o que começou

Outro ponto alto do livro, para o autor, é a ampliação do termo equipe para além das fronteiras das organizações. Um casal, a família, o coral da Igreja – em todas essas situações as pessoas desenvolvem atividades conjuntas e formam equipes que demandam bom relacionamento. Para superar os desafios dessas relações, a obra expõe as bases das equipes saudáveis: conhecer a si mesmo (pontos fortes, fracos, formas de agir e estilo de ação dos outros); lidar com o menor estresse com diferentes tipos de pessoas; evitar armadilhas que destroem relacionamentos; descobrir, desenvolver e colocar em ação os potenciais.

Guerreiro

O QUE ELE TEM DE MELHOR: Iniciativa Determinação Eficiência Objetividade LADO NEGATIVO: Impaciência Ansiedade Insensibilidade Organização

O livro traz ainda a pesquisa “Perfil do Profissional Brasileiro”. Foram coletados dados de 2.149 profissionais, de junho de 2001 a janeiro de 2008, em palestras e workshops que o Sistema Boog de Consultoria realiza. A conclusão é de que a maioria se encaixa no perfil Amante. “Prevalecem as características que geralmente são associadas aos brasileiros, como cordialidade, receptividade, agir mais com o coração do que com a cabeça”, diz Boog. Os dados da pesquisa permitem algumas leituras em relação à área de atuação de cada profissional. O tipo Amante está mais presente na área de Recursos Humanos (31,6%); o Guerreiro nas áreas de Marketing/Comercial (30,2%); o Mago na Administração/Finanças (24,7%) e o Rei em Chief Executive Officer (CEO) e Recursos Humanos (23,9% e 24%). Em relação à posição hierárquica, o Rei – é claro – está mais presente na presidência (29,3%), Guerreiro na gerência (26%), Mago na supervisão (23%) e Amante nas diretorias (30,2%).

Mago

O QUE ELE TEM DE MELHOR: Organização Persistência Cautela Disciplina LADO NEGATIVO: Teimosia Burocracia Perfeccionismo Retração

Gustavo alerta para dois fatos importantíssimos: primeiro, os tipos não são imutáveis e, além disso, nem só de um tipo é feito um profissional. “Cada pessoa possui os quatro tipos dentro de si, que podem aflorar mais em determinados momentos do que em outros”, afirma. Muitas vezes, um tipo Guerreiro tem postura inadequada: se torna mandão, julga que sempre tem razão. Mas nem por isso deve ser descartado. O que ele precisa, segundo Gustavo, é ser trabalhado.

Outro ponto é a mudança no perfil com a idade. Gustavo explica que os jovens são mais guerreiros, querem carreira, casa, carro. Mas, à medida que a idade avança, adquirem patrimônio e não têm mais pressão social, ficam mais Amantes.

Amante

O QUE ELE TEM DE MELHOR: Harmonização Prestatividade Tolerância Cordialidade LADO NEGATIVO: Submissão Passividade Insegurança Lentidão

http://www.amanha.com.br/NoticiaDetalhe.aspx?NoticiaID=0ef58dc6-db62-4919-963c-a734710a290e

Entenda mais um pouco sobre todos estes perfis lendo a reportagem publicada em julho de 2004 pela Revista AMANHÃ sobre o livro “Relacionamentos”, de Gustavo e Magdalena Boog. Basta clicar no link abaixo:

http://www.amanha.com.br/NoticiaDetalhe.aspx?NoticiaID=a4561106-1b58-489f-a1f9-804c02926739

LAYOUT DOS PERSONAGENS – DIREITOS RESERVADOS EDITORA M.BOOKS.

Entendendo a atual crise finaceira

sexta-feira, 19 de setembro de 2008

Dois anos de recessão?

Executivo do Bradesco em Nova York analisa como Wall Street – e a economia real – emergirá da tempestade

Há 19 anos em Wall Street, com passagens por catedrais financeiras como Morgan Stanley e JP Morgan, Marcelo Cabral sentiu de perto, esta semana, o bafo da crise que deve redesenhar o sistema financeiro mundial, se suas expectativas se confirmarem. Embora a quinta e a sexta-feiras tenham sido de bolsas em alta, o máximo de otimismo que ele se permite é um escaldado "O pior já passou". Marcelo responde pela distribuição internacional de títulos de renda variável do Banco Bradesco de Investimentos, em Nova York, e não se lembra de algo próximo ao pânico que tomou conta dos mercados nos últimos dias. Precedente? Só na literatura relativa à crise de confiança que levou ao crash de 1929. Mas ele não acredita em uma quebra como aquela por ver nos bancos centrais da atualidade um arsenal com que não contavam no início do século passado. De todo modo, adverte, vem aí uma retração no crédito global e, com ela, um cenário de dois a três anos sem crescimento na economia mundial. Confira, a seguir, a entrevista que Marcelo concedeu a AMANHÃ nesta sexta-feira, por telefone.

O otimismo nestes dois últimos dias da semana tem bases sólidas, na sua opinião?

Não sei se há otimismo. Houve, sim, um aumento do preço das ações, e isso em parte pode ser explicado por mudanças nas regras específicas de negociação dos papéis - mas o mercado de renda fixa não demonstrou uma melhora tão evidente quanto o mercado de ações.

Qual a mudança mais significativa nestas regras?

A mudança mais importante foi a de dificultar a venda de ações quando não se tinha as ações... O governo dificultou muito este mecanismo que permite a alguém vender sem ter a ação. Isso não é permitido mais. E, com isso, houve o fechamento de posições, isto é, investidores foram obrigados a fechar posições. Eles tiveram de comprar para fechar suas posições e não porque as ações estivessem baratas. Estas medidas criaram esta obrigação de compra, de ajuste de posições, algo que tranqüiliza o mercado.

Mas não chegam a trazer otimismo...

Estas medidas, embora criem um importante ajuste de posições, não refletem, necessariamente, um otimismo... Agora, inevitavelmente estas ações do governo norte-americano deram um alívio ao mercado, na medida em que todos perceberam que as autoridades tomaram medidas muito fortes com o objetivo de manter a estabilidade global do sistema financeiro. O mercado começou a virar, favoravelmente, ontem (quinta-feira), na hora do almoço, quando ficou claro que o governo iria bancar uma nacionalização dos títulos que estão gerando estas perdas e que levaram à derrocada de três grandes bancos de investimento (Bearn Stearns, Lehman Brothers e Merryl Linch). E é isso o que vai acontecer. O governo vai comprar estes títulos podres, vai tirar estes ativos tóxicos dos balanços de bancos de investimento e corretores.

E como está o debate público sobre a postura do governo de assumir, em nome dos contribuintes, esta conta bilionária?

O debate aqui está bastante acalorado. Afinal, trata-se de bancos de investimento e corretores que tomaram posições extremamente agressivas em papéis de alto risco - títulos de renda fixa ligados ao setor imobiliário. Esses títulos eram extremamente voláteis. Operações altamente alavancadas. Houve uma especulação imobiliária muito grande aqui nos EUA: por dez anos se registrou um forte aumento dos preços dos imóveis... Em 2006, estes preços começaram a cair e desde então seguem caindo... E não se tem clareza sobre onde é que está o fundo do poço, qual o momento em que os preços dos imóveis começarão a reagir. Com a onda de inadimplência, as perdas dos bancos de investimento e corretores que apostaram com muita força nesse mercado já chegaram, reconhecidamente, a 400 bilhões de dólares. E alguns analistas projetam que estas perdas poderão atingir 1,3 trilhão de dólares. Ou seja, os prejuízos desses bancos de investimento e corretores ainda não estão totalmente dimensionados. Além disso, há o fato de que estes títulos associados a hipotecas perderam a liquidez. Ninguém compra mais.

De onde vai sair todo este dinheiro, caso as perdas se elevem à estratosfera de 1,3 trilhão de dólares?

O governo apresentou um plano para comprar estes títulos. O governo vai assumir este prejuízo, pois a conclusão foi de que se não assumir o prejuízo a confiança no sistema financeiro fica comprometida de uma forma inaceitável e ficamos ante a possibilidade de uma ruptura. Se o mercado se apercebe de que os balanços dos bancos de investimento, dos corretores e das seguradoras estão contaminados com estes ativos tóxicos, e se não há uma visão clara sobre a que magnitude podem chegar estas perdas, instaura-se uma crise de confiança no sistema financeiro que pode ser mais onerosa do que o custo de sanear os problemas. Quando os bancos não querem mais negociar um com o outro, paralisa-se a economia real.

Que paralelo você faz entre esta crise e a de 1929?

Há um paralelo com 29, sim. Naquele ano, teve corrida aos bancos. E teve quebra dos bancos comerciais (que são estes que têm muitas agências e captam depósitos do público). Hoje, a função de intermediação financeira não estão tão ligada aos bancos comerciais e sim aos bancos de investimento e às corretoras. São eles que estão desempenhando esta função. Então, a versão moderna daquela velha corrida aos bancos que houve em 1929 é, agora, é esta crise de confiança nos bancos de investimento e nas corretoras. Houve setores do mercado financeiro que ficaram praticamente paralisados. Felizmente, o governo apresentou um plano para comprar estes ativos tóxicos, que serão colocados em uma agência governamental a ser criada com o fim específico de administrar estes ativos, na expectativa de que, ao longo do tempo, os valores destes títulos se recupere. Aí, ela vende estes ativos. Mas vende de forma ordenada. Não é como agora, em que os bancos de investimento e corretoras tentam desesperadamente vender, e rápido, papéis para os quais não existe, neste momento, ninguém disposto a comprar.

Deste debate acalorado, como você definiu, que Wall Street vai emergir?

Existe aqui a convicção de que o sistema regulatório americano falhou ao não conseguir prevenir toda esta crise. É consenso de que os bancos de investimento e as corretoras não são submetidos a uma regulamentação tão rígida quanto aquela que é aplicada aos bancos comerciais. E isso deverá mudar em Wall Street. Porque com a modernização do mercado financeiro os bancos de investimento e as corretoras assumiram uma importância extremamente crítica na intermediação financeira e na administração das poupanças nacionais. E, apesar disso, eles são muito menos regulamentados que os bancos comerciais (Citibank, Bank of America, JP Morgan). Você tinha cinco grandes bancos de investimento? Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers e Morgan Stanley. Destes cinco, três foram vitimados. Restaram dois, o Goldman Sachs e o Morgan Stanley, e ambos ficaram sob ataque. Há, então, esta crítica à ineficiência das várias agências regulatórias que existem por aqui e que não cumpriram seu papel, na visão de acadêmicos, analistas, políticos e da população em geral. Os bancos de investimento e as corretoras serão, agora, mais regulamentados, sem dúvida. E sua rentabilidade vai cair.

E qual a disposição dos norte-americanos para pagar essa conta?

Debate-se se há cabimento em usar dinheiro público para salvar estas instituições, como o Bear Stearns e a AIG, maior seguradora do país, que recebeu um empréstimo federal de 80 bilhões de dólares. O próprio Tesouro relutou muito em pedir autorização do congresso para fazer a compra destes ativos tóxicos. Mas essa relutância cedeu na medida em que ficou clara a magnitude da crise. Estava se delineando uma situação de colapso, simplesmente. Inclusive chegou a haver alguns primeiros indícios de quebra de fundos de renda fixa, que são o ativo financeiro mais comum. A maior quantidade de recursos da economia está nestes fundos, cerca de 3,4 trilhões de dólares, que pertencem principalmente a investidores institucionais. Um desses fundos sofreu uma corrida de saques. Outro foi desmantelado. A crise, aí, pegou na trave. Se a crise se alastra nestes fundos, poderíamos ter conseqüências extremamente graves.

E agora, finda esta semana de baixos e altos. Há razão para otimismo ou alguma confiança?

Temos que ver. Esta crise já tem 14 meses. Desde que ela começou, o mercado já viu uma série de intervenções governamentais de diferentes graus de amplitude. E após cada uma destas intervenções o mercado respirava aliviado, reagia com otimismo e invariavelmente acabava, algum tempo depois, voltando a uma situação de nervosismo e pessimismo porque percebia que as medidas anteriores do governo não haviam resolvido a crise. A gente não sabe se esta intervenção do governo agora, que parece garantir a integridade do sistema financeiro, pois o mercado estava começando a precificar o risco de uma quebra sistêmica, é suficiente ou não para eliminar o risco. Mas há setores do mercado financeiro importantíssimos que ainda estão disfuncionais.

Por exemplo?

Um exemplo é o setor de commercial papers, pelo qual as empresas fazem financiamento de curto prazo para suas necessidades de capital de giro. E, como este, há vários outros setores vitais do mercado financeiro que não estão funcionando. A semana termina com a sensação de que o pior foi evitado. Agora, o mercado trata de avaliar quais as conseqüências de longo prazo.

Para a economia real, qual o cenário que se desenha?

Vai haver uma contração na disponibilidade de crédito para a economia no mundo todo. Alguns economistas calculam que, para o PIB mundial crescer 3% em termos reais, é preciso que haja uma expansão do crédito em 10 a 15%. É uma correlação clássica. O que acontece agora? A disponibilidade de crédito na economia mundial inevitavelmente vai diminuir. E o impacto disso é que vamos ter um comprometimento na economia mundial. O risco de recessão aumentou de forma substancial. Essa é uma das perguntas: qual é a extensão destes danos? Já vínhamos em processo de desaceleração... E o risco de recessão cresceu. A questão é quanto tempo vai levar para que a economia se recupere. Alguns economistas mais pessimistas estimam que essa recuperação pode levar de dois a três anos. Outros, ainda mais pessimistas, comparam esta crise com a crise bancária do Japão, que custou uma década inteira sem crescimento, nos anos 90. Foi a década perdida para o Japão.

Que idéias estão em alta e que idéias estão em baixa após esta tempestade?

A projeção que se faz é que a idéia segundo a qual o mercado funciona melhor quanto mais desregulamentado ele for... esta idéia está com um olho roxo. Está arranhada. A crise está dando argumento às linhas de pensamento que defendem a existência de maior regulamentação e um certo nível de intervenção do governo nos mercados. No debate ideológico, entramos num período em que a gangorra tende a virar em favor dos defensores de maior presença do Estado. E um outro ponto importante é de dúvida sobre se a posição hegemônica dos EUA como financeiro mundial sairá abalada, com a quebra de três bastiões de Wall Street (Lehman, Goldman e Merrill).

1929 pode voltar?

Ao socorrer seguradoras, bancos de investimento e corretoras, o Fed fez o que um banco central clássico jamais fez. Ele redefiniu as funções de um banco central, extrapolou suas funções clássicas, pois até então um banco central só dava liquidez para bancos comerciais, nunca para bancos de investimento, corretoras e seguradoras. Eu diria que hoje um banco central tem um poder de ação e intervenção muito maior e mais amplo do que tinha em 1929. Por isso não deveremos ter um novo 29. Há toda uma curva de aprendizado em nosso favor. O próprio Ben Bernanke (presidente do Fed), um acadêmico muito respeitado, fez sua tese de doutorado sobre a função de um banco central em um contexto de depressão... http://www.amanha.com.br/NoticiaDetalhe.aspx?NoticiaID=31b9ef62-ed96-4752-9552-e557d9e3cec2