That’s the name of a new book by my friend Bert Decker. Bert, a former award winning television producer, is the founder of Decker Communication, one of the most respected executive speech coaching organizations in the country. This book is a classic bestseller that has been revised and updated and just released by St. Martin Press. It is packed with ideas and tactics to make you a more believable and hence powerful communicator. I recommend it.

Congress is arguing over a bail-out. There’s much blaming going on. They’ll be time for that later; right now it is imperative to act as rapidly as prudently possible.

Congress already did a poor job of providing oversight for Wall Street and bank dealings. The only thing they could do to make things worse is to implement the wrong solution or act too slowly. They seem very capable in their partisan bickering of doing that.

I have a degree in economics. Here’s my take: a taxpayer funded bailout will be painful, but not as painful as a global economic meltdown that does infinitely greater damage to everyone’s financial situation.

Personally, I think we were so close to the edge of economic freefall that it was frightening. Furthermore, I don’t think we’re that far back from the edge now.

It is time for our national leadership to stop acting like whiney children pointing fingers and come up with a solution that will prevent further pain and suffering.

Today I spoke with a colleague who called to discuss a piece of business he seems to have lost. He was refreshingly candid in the two mistakes he had made and what he learned from them.

Therein is the success of failure: taking responsibility for what one did wrong and learning from it. It is evidence of a serious learner and a true leader.

My buddy Joe Calloway wrote a neat little book called “revival: a mid-life journey.”

In one essay he says, “I don’t want to look younger than I am. I want to look my age…it seems that everyone wants to look better. And almost everyone wants to look younger.

…If I want to look good, I’ll smile.”

It is an easy way to look good.

There was a long line waiting for the train at Denver International Airport. At the last minute a weasley guy swooped around us all and boarded first. Why did he do it? Because he could. He put his egocentric needs above decorum or courtesy. It was an act of entitlement.

The same principle applies to people who want to get more simply because they have less. To hear Obama campaign, you’d think the greatest threat to the U.S. isn’t terrorism but people who are wealthy. A basic concept that seems to escape candidate Obama who must have missed Econ 101 is that people who work harder, create value and take risks usually (but not always) end up with more money. If individuals and corporations made their money legally and ethically, they should share no greater load of the tax burden than the disproportionate amount they already pay. Robin Hood economics are antiquated concept that Obama has successfully revived. It is about entitlement.

The people whining about their mortgages have good reason if their loans were misrepresented or they are victims of unscrupulous practices. Most are whining because they signed their names on a contract they didn’t read. But they think they should be given special dispensation and not held responsible for their bad decision. It is another form of entitlement.

I signed a contract that we tried to renegotiate because of unusual circumstances. We were unsuccessful. So you know what I did? I honored it. Legally, that’s what you do when you sign a contract even if the outcome sucks. It is the opposite of entitlement; it is called responsibility.

So whether you’re a weasel who sneaks to the front of the line or someone who thinks they should get something for nothing or not be held accountable for a legally binding agreement, understand that your problem isn’t poor parenting or W or the economy. It is a disease called entitlement.

(afterthought: AIG is on the brink of failure. Nobody complained when their AIG stock made money, but now it isn’t fair that the stock has tanked! Here’s another form of entitlement: acccepting the gains of risk without being willing to pay the cost. You’ll find entitlement is quite pervasive in our culture today.)

I’ve blogged about my recent trip to Bogota to speak on the International Customer Service Forum with Tim Sanders and Joseph Michelli.

The three of us had lunch one day that was hosted by our friends at Hi-Cue. I hadn’t seen or spoken to Tim for quite some time (we sometimes communicate by email) and so much of lunch was spent catching up.

Tim is the author of Love is the Killer App and The Likability Factor. His new book, Saving the World at Work comes out September 16 of this month.

As lunch was winding down, Tim turned to me and said, “Mark, how can I be of service to you right now?”

I was touched by his thoughtfulness and reminded that what he asked is the fundamental question of leadership. Tim practices what he preaches, so to speak, so his question was sincere.

The old and unfortunately common view of leadership is that it is about what one achieves or gains, not how one contributes and serves. Robert Greenleaf alerted business to the higher calling of leadership in  his classic book Servant Leadership. The leader as one who serves is a lesson we need to continue to learn today.

Each year I try to write something to appropriately commemorate the tragedy of 9/11. This year I will share, with her permission, something my friend and fellow speaker Shari Harley wrote:

“Every year on September 11th I appreciate being alive and wonder why I’m not dead. I worked in the World Trade Center on September 11th 2001. Tower Two. I was out of town that day. I easily could have been there, but was not. And each year I ask myself the same questions.

How is the world different because I lived on September 11th when others died? What have I done in the last 12 months to make the world smaller and to build community each time I get on a plane, walk in a store, meet someone new and have a conversation. Where have I played small. Said yes when I meant no. Said no when I wanted to say yes. Or didn’t say anything at all.

The further we get from September 11th the more it impacts me. I’m struck by the people who died and didn’t finish what they started. I’m struck by human beings continued approach to solving problems with violence. And each year I debate how to mark the day.

I think about marking the day privately, in my own way. But I always feel compelled to reach out. For me September 11th is the outcome of a lack of community and thus it is a public conversation.

Each year I reach out to my friends and colleagues at OppenheimerFunds who shared the days after September 11th. I let them know I’m grateful for them and I’m happy they’re alive. I remember my mother’s panicked call needing to confirm that I was indeed out of town on September 11th, and what it must be like for a parent to fear her child is in harm’s way. And then I reflect on my year.

Perhaps September 11th is my day of atonement. It is the day every year on which I reflect on my contribution to the world and how the world is or is not different because I am in it. What difference have I made, will I make? What am I doing that I love and who am I doing it with?

I will leave you with this. What are you doing that’s important to you, today? What are you doing that’s not? How did you make the world smaller, today?”

(Click here for Shari’s blog and original post)

The families and friends of those impacted by this tragic event are in my thoughts and prayers today and most days. May God bless America again.

I recently heard Natalie Tysdal, morning news anchor on Channel 2 in Denver, talk about her commitment as a journalist.  She said that sometimes journalists look for the “juicy” angle in a story because that will increase ratings. Natalie has personal experience having once been at the center of a news story that was spun that way.

As a result, she said she is committed to telling a news story in a way that is just; in a focusing on facts and being fair to those involved while forgoing the juicy spin that we all know raises viewership.

As leaders, it is easy in our conversation to fall into the same trap; interest is always higher in the juicy aspects of whatever is happening. We need to play by a higher standard and focus on what is just if we want to communicate with integrity and be fair to all involved.

It is a fine day indeed when you can drive $1 million worth of exotic automobiles before lunch.

And that is just what I did on September 6, 2007. I was at West Baden Springs Resort in French Lick, Indiana for the inaugural World Class Driving Festival.

Chief Executive Officer Alan Rae and COO Jean Paul Libert have created a dream experience for aficionados of high performance cars. They have been running one day events in Europe and more lately the U.S., but this multi-day event provided an opportunity to drive a number of cars from a stable worth $12 million.

I had signed up for the one day event to be held in Sturgis planning to ride my Harley to the event and enjoy the best of both auto and motorcycle worlds. That event was cancelled and World Class Driving upgraded me to the weekend event in Baden Springs, a gesture that more than compensated me for the change in plans and need to fly into either Louisville or Indianapolis.

West Baden Springs Resort is a world-class hotel in the literal middle of nowhere. 2 hours from Indy and 90 minutes from Louisville, it rises in spectacular fashion from the plains of rural Indiana. The original property burned down in 1901 and was rebuilt as “the eight wonder of the world.” You might think that hyperbolic, but with the six story 200 foot dome, it really is fantastic. It was built to rival the great spas of Europe and after many years of use and abuse was renovated and returned to service as a luxury resort in May of 2007.

Motor Trend and Spyker were among the primary sponsors of this event, and the atrium area was filled with a plethora of collector automobiles that brought spectators from throughout Indiana. A Maserati MC12 was one of my favorites, along with an F40 Ferrari and Calloway Speedster.

World Class Driving had me met at the airport in Louisville and driven to the resort where I signed up for three groups of three cars. Driving periods occurred throughout the day so it was easy to schedule my drives for my convenience.

If you’re not into cars, skip this section. But if you love exotics and supercars, here’s what I drove: a Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, a Lamborghini Superleggera, a Spyker C8 Lavioletta, an Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster, a Porsche GT3, an Audi R8, a Ferrari F430 Spyder, a Mercedes Benz SL 65 AMG and, the most pedestrian of the group, a Maserati Quattroporte (a fine automobile but decidedly a high-end sedan and not a performer).

Groups of three cars left together with a Chrysler 300 pace car (and the staff that piloted the pace cars knew how to drive). The Spyker required a passenger coach of sorts given the progressive brakes, no traction control and unusual manual shifting. It is a driver’s car and a handful, but by far the most unusual car that I drove.

My first drive was a 7:00 a.m. and proved to be the best in terms of open road and limited traffic. You must follow the pace car and stay in order within your group, but if you’re wondering, that doesn’t mean driving slow.

Understand: traffic laws are to be obeyed and safety is paramount. World Class Driving prudently invites local law enforcement officers in for a complimentary ride prior to the event, so some empathy is created (and yes, a few participants did get tickets, but not yours truly).

Having said all that, the roads we drove were either spacious (for obtaining very high speeds, theoretically of course) and/or twisty (for enjoying the handling of these great cars).

The most usual complaint from locals was noise: a screaming Ferrari or Lamborghini in the early dawn is not a sound most people are familiar with (but what a sound they make).

The hotel was fabulous: rooms, service, food and amenities.

But what impressed me most was Jean Paul. I encountered him frequently and he was always asking, “How is everything?” It wasn’t a gratuitous question; he really wanted to know so that he could assure he was delivering on what participants paid for and more.

The staff were all car people (I met an open wheel race team owner, for instance, who was working as a staffer) and knowledgeable. As participants we smiled so much our faces hurt.

In short, World Class Diving offers exactly the kind of customer experience that any great company can and should aspire to.

And if you’re interested in checking out one of the many events held throughout the U.S. visit World Class Driving. Tell them I sent you.

Sarah Palin’s teenage daughter is pregnant and some are seemingly outraged. I find this ironic given that the vocal majority winked and didn’t think it was a big deal that a married president of the U.S. receives oral sex from an intern in the oval office.

A double standard.

What is refreshingly amazing about candidate Palin’s daughter is that she is keeping the baby and marrying the father rather than treating the fetus like a mistake and getting rid of it.

Sarah Palin gives a great speech at the RNC and commentators ask, “But was it really her or the consultants and speech writers?” Bill Bennett answered well, “The speech writers look at everybody’s speeches.” I don’t recall anybody asking that question about Michele Obama’s speech at the DNC.

A double standard.

How can a mother of five have time to be V.P. of the U.S.?  This question raised by people who on the one hand complain that women aren’t given the opportunities they deserve and then question the ability of a capable woman who is given such an opportunity. As so many have pointed out, we don’t ask that question about male candidates.

A double standard.

Look, it is the nature of Democrats and Republicans to take aim and issue with each other’s views and platforms but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t call either party on using double standards to advance their cause.