101 Dumbest Moments in Business

Check out this terrific compilation from Fortune Magazine. It highlights some of the hilarious, pissy, alarming, audacious, bigoted, ridiculous, avaricious and infuriating idiocy committed by businesses in 2007.

You're read many of them, but others will surprise you - to think that these companies are led by some of the brightest minds that business schools have to put forward. Scary!

Can we learn from these egregious blunders? You bet.

Cultivate an environment that allows people to speak freely. One that rewards candor and discourages silent disagreement.

Every organization needs people who will stop and say:

• Wait a minute.
• How is this going to look?
• How might this decision affect our brand?
• Is this decision REALLY the right thing to do?
• Are there bigger things at play here than a few bucks?
• What does this decision suggest about our corporate character?

More important: BE that person in your organization. Hold your company accountable to YOUR values.