Greetings! The tragic events of 9/11 changed us as a nation. For some of us, the events touched us in deeply personal ways. I had a friend killed in The North Tower. Mike Asher ran eSpeed, a technology spinoff for Cantor Fitzgerald o  | |
Michael Asher
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n the 101stfloor. A number of my neighbors worked for the NYPD and NYFD and were firstresponders to site - some working for months risking their lives, and as we have come to understand, their health and well-being in the recovery efforts. I know two people who miraculously survived - and walked from the rubble. Neither ever returned to work and both are still traumatized. Dozens of firefighters from towns around my hometown were among those lost that day. 
But clearly, as Americans, we didn't need to smell the acrid smoke or experience the loss so close to home to feel the awful pain, to share the horror and find the determination to forever remember the events of that day (as if any of us could ever forget) and to defeat the goal of the terrorist plot through our collective resolve to return to living our lives in a free society. While the flags we saw flying on car antennas and homes throughout the nation have faded to memories of a nation in shock - there is still a sense that we were all wounded in the same war - all lost something dear, and all share a solemn commitment to not only remain strong and vigilant as a nation - but to be better than any of those who would waste innocent lives in an effort to destroy our spirit and advance their agenda of hatred. Thankfully we are bigger human beings and a mightier nation than our enemies calculated and posses an indomitable spirit that is not only not crushed by the weight of our sadness but grows when tested through adversity. In as much as I remember the horror, I also think about the good. I am still humbled at the leaders that emerged that day. Not just the public figures whose job it was to rise to the occasion (and thankfully many did) - but the ordinary people who led others to safety, those who ripped apart their clothing to enable others to cover their mouths so they could breathe through the choking cloud of dust that filled the air of lower Manhattan; and those who ran towards the carnage to offer their help - even as those who sought safety were struggling to get away. Those leaders were all heroes that day. I am reminded that we are all leaders; every one of us. Some of us lead companies, others departments or teams. Many of us lead our children and some help lead or communities. In fact, we all lead our lives - with the beliefs that shape who we are, the values that guide our judgment and the decisions that shape our relationship with the world in which we live. As CEOs and business leaders, it is sometimes easy to lose sight of our role and responsibilities as a leader - and focus most or all of our effort on being an effective manager. It's easy and common to feel the pressure of performance bearing down on us - and feel that managing that performance is the best way to lead our company forward. In truth, though, it is leadership that moves companies ahead. It's partly the adage that "we lead people and manage things." (See the 6/27/11 issue of Monday Morning CEO in the archives for an article on Grace Murray Hopper - the author of this quote.) Managing for high performance is important - but in order for that to happen we must provide guidance, vision and a clear sense of mission in order for our people to perform at their best. While researching for this article, I came across a remarkable fact about Cantor Fitzgerald, a company that lost 658 of the 960 employees who worked at the World Trade Center: every employee that was on site working that that day. By the grace of a fortuitous fluke, CEO Howard Lutnick had planned to be late to work and brought his son to his first day of kindergarten that morning - otherwise he too would have perished as had his brother and his best friend among his New York employees. Having been consumed in the tornado of smoke and ash that had billowed from the collapsing south tower, Lutnick had vowed to have the company survive as well. Facing a controversial decision, he elected not to issue paychecks to the employees lost that day - and instead promised to the families 25% of the firm's profits for five years and health insurance benefits for ten. By 2006 the firm had distributed $180 million to the families. Today the company has more than doubled in size to more than 4500 employees and has experienced meteoric growth in profits. Lutnick credits much of that success to the resolve of his employees to make good to the victim's families. Clearly it was Lutkin's leadership as well. Sewing Hope in the Darkness... My hope is that you take at least one thing from this story: leadership matters. Your leadership is borne in the quality of your decisions and the qualities that make you who you are. - Be authentic in your caring and people will notice and they will care.
- Be passionate about your beliefs and people will listen to what you have to say.
- Be genuinely interested and listen actively and people will tell you what they need from you.
- Be generous in your praise and your concerns and people will trust your intentions.
- Be courageous in your actions and people will follow your lead.
In this issue are two views of 9/11 worth reading, one by Peggy Noonan from the Wall Street Journal and the other by George Will. As always, wishing you a great and successful week ahead. 
Philip R. Liebman Managing Director, Strat4 Group Chair, Vistage International PS - NOTE to CEOs - I have room for a few guests at two powerful workshop events this month. These are both excellent opportunities to attend a Vistage meeting, as my guest, and discover why over 14,000 CEO members worldwide gain a measurable advantage when they join. On September 14th - Bruce Brier will present "The Organized CEO - and will demonstrate how to be much more effective at managing your time, paper, projects, email, information, technology and dealings with people. This is a must attend for anyone wanting to take back control of their lives and better manage their organizations. On September 27th - Robert Devine presents "Build High Performance Organzizations." As the former CEO of Hartz Mountain - Bob addresses why and how you should bring "lean" into all your operations, "mistake proof" your organization and employ self-directed teams to realize change and drive performance. This is a must-attend for anyone looking to improve the performance of their organization. | 
Peggy Noonan's WSJ Weekend column vividly describes how September 11 affected those who lived in New York City that day ten years ago . Her article, We Will Never Get Over It comes as close perhaps possible in describing what can best be understood as the heart of a battleground that day for those of us who were not there.
George Will poses a historically significant question and really questions our collective sensibilities in this editorial that appeared in yesterday's Washington Post. His column -titled "Sept. 11's self-inflicted wounds takes a look at how we view ourselves as a nation today compared to how we did back in 1951 - ten years following the bombing of Pearl Harbor - and poses an interesting perspective as to why we are what we are today.
This is a concise, well written and authoritative book that outlines the legal and business implications of saving, selling or buying distressed companies. It contains a short course on understanding the current legal landscape, an insight into the workings of bankruptcy today and the realities of funding purchases of financially distressed companies. More than a "how-to-guide" this book provides a comprehensive guide into the strategic options you need to consider and the pitfalls to avoid.
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