Thanks to today's 24-hour media cycle, we can witness even the most shocking disasters as they unfold all over the nation and the globe.

When Paul Newman passed away two Fridays ago at the age of 83, media coverage focused not only on his long film career, but also his work as a philanthropist and entrepreneur.

Panic may be a natural reaction to the historic market turmoil we're witnessing. However, after we shake our heads in disappointment, take a deep breath, realize that the next few months, or longer, will be tough, and turn off CNBC, we must get back to work.

In the midst of the dot-com tailspin, I heard a former CEO of the late, once-great Arthur Andersen speak in a general way about the challenges of client consulting. Human nature being what it is, he said, it is far easier to embrace the status quo than to challenge the business model of a "good" client.

For months, the 2008 presidential election has been hyped, by media and political pundits, to be unlike any this nation has ever seen.

There is no doubt that some financial firms are in big trouble right now. However, when a financial giant falls, it doesn't necessarily take down every firm in the industry.

W Hotels recently partnered with Declare Yourself, a nonprofit, nonpartisan group that encourages people to register to vote.

New business - and winning your share of it - is the lifeblood of your operation. And at the heart of the new business process is the introduction of your account team to the client prospect.

In these perilous times, a CEO really needs a good friend. With Wall Street firms finally paying penance for their risky investments, CEOs are fretting about how the reverberations will affect their own organizations. This should surprise no one.

The crisis on Wall Street is having myriad unexpected results, not the least of which is the $700 billion bailout that is likely to pass through Congress in some capacity.