Leadership Excellence - March 2012 - page 17

Two years ago, I set a goal of doubling
U.S. exports over five years. We’re on
track to meet that goal
ahead of schedule
.
I’ll go anywhere to open new markets
for American products. And I will not
stand by when our competitors don’t
play by the rules. Our workers are the
most productive; and if the playing
field is level, America will always win.
I hear from many leaders who can’t
find workers with the right skills
. Grow-
ing industries in science and technology
have
twice as many openings as we have
workers who can do the job
. Join me in a
commitment to train
2 million Americans
with skills that will lead to a job.
To prepare for the jobs of tomorrow,
our commitment to skills and education
has to
start earlier
. Every state needs to
raise standards
for teaching/learning.
In an economy built to last, we en-
courage the talent and ingenuity of
every person.
That means women
should earn equal pay for equal work.
It means we should support everyone
who’s willing to work, and every risk-
taker and entrepreneur who aspires to
become the next Steve Jobs.
Innovation is what America is about.
Most new jobs are created in start-ups
and small businesses. So
let’s help them
succeed
. Tear down regulations that pre-
vent aspiring entrepreneurs from get-
ting the financing to grow. Expand tax
relief to small businesses that are rais-
ing wages and creating good jobs.
Nowhere is the promise of innova-
tion greater than in American-made
energy.
In the last three years, we’ve
opened millions of new acres for oil
and gas exploration, and will open
more
than 75 percent of our potential offshore oil
and gas resources
. Right now—American
oil production is the highest that it’s
been in eight years. Last year, we relied
less on foreign oil than in any of the
past 16 years. But this country needs an
all-out, all-of-the-above strategy that
develops every available source of
American energy—a strategy that’s
cleaner, cheaper, and full of new jobs.
We’ve subsidized oil companies for
a century.
That’s long enough
. It’s time to
end taxpayer giveaways to an industry
that’s rarely been more profitable, and
Built to Last
A
T A TIME WHEN TOO
many of our insti-
tutions have let us
down, our Armed Forces exceed all
expectations. They’re not consumed
with personal ambition. They don’t
obsess over their differences. They
focus on the mission at hand. They
show courage, selflessness, and team-
work as they work together.
Imagine what we could accomplish
if we followed their example—
a coun-
try that leads the world in educating
its people; an America that attracts a
new generation of high-tech manufac-
turing and high-paying jobs; a future
where we’re in control of our energy,
and our security and prosperity aren’t
tied to unstable parts of the world; an
economy
built to last
, where
hard work
pays off
, and responsibility is rewarded.
We can create an economy that’s
built to last
—one built on American
manufacturing, energy, skills, and val-
ues. For example, on the day I took
office, our auto industry was on the
verge of collapse. With a million jobs at
stake, I refused to let that happen. In
exchange for help,
we demanded respon-
sibility.
We got workers and automak-
ers to settle their differences. We got
the industry to retool and restructure.
Today, General Motors is back on top
as the world’s number-one automaker.
Chrysler has grown faster in the U.S.
than any major car company. Ford is
investing billions in U.S. plants and
factories. Together, the industry added
160,000 jobs. We bet on American
workers and ingenuity. And tonight,
the American auto industry is back.
What’s happening in Detroit can
happen in other industries and cities.
We have a huge opportunity to bring man-
ufacturing back
. But we have to seize it.
If you are a leader, ask:
what you can do
to bring jobs back to your countr
y, and
your country will do everything we
can to help you succeed. It is time to
stop rewarding businesses that ship
jobs overseas, and start rewarding
companies that create jobs here.
We’re making it easier for American
businesses to sell products worldwide.
double-down on a clean energy indus-
try that’s never been more promising.
Millions of Americans who work
hard and play by the rules every day
deserve a government and a financial
system that do the same.
It’s time to
apply the same rules from top to bot-
tom—no bailouts, no handouts, and no
copouts. An America built to last insists
on responsibility from everybody. We’ve
all paid the price for lenders who sold
mortgages to people who couldn’t
afford them, and buyers who knew
they couldn’t afford them. We need
smart regulations to prevent irresponsi-
ble behavior—financial fraud or toxic
dumping or faulty medical devices. I
won’t back down from making sure an
oil company can contain the kind of oil
spill we saw in the Gulf two years ago. I
will not go back to the days when health
insurance companies had unchecked
power to cancel your policy, deny your
coverage, or charge women differently
than men. And I will not go back to the
days when Wall Street was allowed to
play by its own set of rules. The new
rules we passed restore what should be
any financial system’s core purpose:
Getting funding to entrepreneurs with
the best ideas, and getting loans to
responsible families who want to buy a
home, or start a business, or send their
kids to college.
So if you are a big bank or financial
institution, you’re no longer allowed to
make risky bets with your customers’
deposits. You’re required to write out a
“living will” that details exactly how
you’ll pay the bills if you fail—because
the rest of us are not bailing you out
ever again
. And if you’re a mortgage
lender or a payday lender or a credit
card company, the days of signing peo-
ple up for products they can’t afford
with confusing forms and deceptive
practices—those days are over. We’ll
expand our investigations into the abu-
sive lending and packaging of
risky
mortgages
t
hat led to the housing crisis.
This new unit will hold accountable
those who broke the law, speed assis-
tance to homeowners, and help turn the
page on an era of recklessness. A return
to the values of fair play and shared
responsibility will help protect our peo-
ple and our economy. But it should also
guide us as we look to
pay down our debt
and
invest in our future
.
When we act together, there’s nothing
the United States of America can’t
achieve.
That’s a lesson we’ve learned
from our actions abroad in recent years.
The renewal of American leadership
is felt across the globe.
Our alliances in
Europe and Asia are stronger than ever.
by Barack Obama
1 6
M a r c h 2 0 1 2
w w w . L e a d e r E x c e l . c o m
LEADERSHIP
SUSTAINABILITY
R e n e w o u r l e a d e r s h i p .
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