Leadership

Tough economic times these days, in which your business can expect to take a few hits. The key is to stride on regardless. That said, try to keep a sense of perspective. Otherwise you can end up like Monty Python's dogged Black Knight, who takes the concept of ‘going down fighting' too far.

Let people down gently. The power of positive thinking argument is commendable, but can lead people to over-reach. Here Dudley Moore auditions for the role of Tarzan, despite only having one leg. Peter Cook does an admirable job of not denting his hopes. ‘After all', he says, ‘you score over a man with no legs at all.' 

And finally, another treat from Beijing, this time courtesy of the Onion. The Chinese government takes a leaf from the Alastair Campbell book of spin and, in a virtuouso display of how to turn bad press into good, celebrates its status as ‘the world's number one producer of air pollution'. ‘The labour of people has made the sky black with the smoke of progress,' says the Chinese ambassador.

In today's bulletin:
Winners and losers in supermarket price war
Merrill Lynch gets 60 year UK tax break?
An enterprising approach to education
Editor's blog: I Don't Know How I Do It  
Lessons in positive spin, from YouTube