Of tuxedos, soup queues and $1 salary

The guy walked up to me using his walking stick as a guide. He had a companion whom he hangs on to and who carries a stack of packets of tissue paper. He was obviously visually-impaired and he was hoping to raise funds from me with his tissue paper. I always gave... until one day I found him with a "boss" a block further away. I tailed this guy to his Lexus. The blind man's condition was being used to raise money as part of a syndicate.

I heard the American version on CNBC yesterday: People in tuxedos joining the soup line with a tin cup in hand - CEOs of GM, Ford and Chrysler. Congress gave it to them and refused bailout. When you fly to DC on private jet to ask for money to save your company, you simply don't get it. When AIG was granted bailout, the top brass had a strategic retreat on what to do with the money. It came with thousand dollar spas! Thanks to AIG, Congress gave auto CEOs the stick.

I remembered Apple was shedding jobs when Steve Jobs was recalled to the company he co-founded to turn it around. He stopped the retrenchment and asked for $1 annual salary. When Cisco had to cut cost post 911, John Chambers halved his 2002 pay as the first concrete action. These people have the moral authority to retrench staff or cut other people's expenses or ask for help. These people get it. So when they lead, people follow.