Rx for CEO Pay: Fire Ours, Hire Theirs

Can a zebra change it's stripes? Think of the people you know who have reached adulthood exhibiting deep attitudes of entitlement, selfishness and avoidance of personal responsibility. How many do you know that significantly changed that orientation to one of selfless contribution and taking responsibility for their actions and outcomes?

Maybe you hang out with a better crowd than I know about, but it's rare that I see people transform from selfish to selfless or from evading to taking personal responsibility.

Now consider this 2005 list of how CEO pay compares to average worker pay according to the following countries.

• Japan/11:1
• Germany/12:1
• France/15:1
• Italy/20:1
• Canada/20:1
• South Africa/21:1
• Britain/22:1
• Hong Kong/41:1
• Mexico/47:1
• Venezuela/50:1
• United States/475:1

I have relied on medical and financial professionals from Asia, India and China for a number of years and find them to be trustworthy, competent, humble and appreciative of the opportunity to practice their trade in the United States. Money, greed and entitlement are absent.

Years ago the medical profession use to think of FMG (foreign medical graduates) as less capable, less trained than their American counterparts. They took all the Internships and Residencies that American medical graduates fancied themselves as being too good for.

Not any more. I don't think I am alone in the experience of dedication, professionalism and competence without attitude by people who have come to America to find a career and opportunity and are appreciative of both.

Maybe the time has come to get rid of the entitled and the selfish and stop believing all their "puffery" as being the only ones who can effectively and successfully lead corporate America out of the current credibility morass and into the 21st century.