These are challenging times indeed.  The U.S. economy is facing very real challenges to its pre-eminence in the wake of failed economic and foreign policy.  Our housing market is in shambles, and inflation is threatening to eat away at the gains of the last 30 years.

Is this the end as we know it, or will we rise to the challenges of our U.S. economy? I prefer to be an optimist and suggest that we will indeed rise to the occasion.

How did we get into this economic mess?  Frankly what is transpiring today should be of little surprise as the laissez-faire approach of those in power did little to inspire change or leadership to move us forward. When I say "those in power," I refer directly to Washington and all houses of government.  No one is beyond reproach as there is plenty of blame to throw around.

Not far behind in the blame game is our own Federal Reserve.  Not wanting to face the consequences of a recession, the central bank’s attempt to smooth out the business cycle has contributed to the current mess.

Unfortunately blaming anyone for what ails us does little to help solve the current problems.  Instead we need to look to the future, learn from the past and move on.  We need leadership.

The U.S. Economy: CEOs Need to Lead the Charge

Where will we find that leadership? A good place to start our search is in the executive chambers of many of our most dominant corporate entities.  Specifically, Chief Executive Officers have the skill sets and platforms to lead us out of the morass.

I know, CEOs have been out of favor due to wage controversies and other shenanigans, but for the most part this group of leaders is more good than bad.

There is a very real reason why they get paid what they do, and it is more about talent than it is about manipulation and abuse.

Think about it for a moment.  If I were at the helm of a Fortune 500 company looking at the landscape of today...