If you’re Boeing, the federal government is a major financier, the top customer, an intrusive obstacle, and more. Boeing CEO Jim McNerney recently had interesting thoughts to share on the relationship between business and government. Some highlights:
“In the ’70s and ’80s, businesses practically ignored government. But not anymore. You simply can’t succeed today without dealing with government. …
“Whether it’s expanding regulatory costs, trade and tax policies, commercial diplomacy, or any number of other intersections, government decisions can have a major impact on your business. So you can choose: be at the table … or on the menu. It’s important enough that I’m telling our emerging leaders that they should be looking for a Washington or global-capital market experience before they hit mid-career.”
Sally Blount, dean of Northwestern’s Kellog School of Management, which hosted McNerney, wrote:
“And this growing recognition isn’t just happening at Boeing. Others have mentioned it in recent talks at Kellogg. When Jeff Immelt of GE visits a foreign market, he meets with the government first. Muhtar Kent, CEO of Coca-Cola, talks about leading within the golden triangle—combining business, government, and civil society.”
Timothy P. Carney, The Washington Examiner’s senior political columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]. His column appears Tuesday and Thursday nights on washingtonexaminer.com.
