Always Inspect Growth

So it has been a rough week - economically speaking, for the U.S markets. Interesting that we saw the government respond with the bail out yet another company; AIG. I couldn't help thinking that although many customers of AIG are probably comforted by the bail out - would I want to do business or invest with a company that allowed itself to end up in this position? In fact would I want to do business with any of the companies that have required such massive help? What does their ending up there say about them?
A CEO that I know - when facing some financial hardships said, "we will just sell our way out of it" - what a concept, imagine if AIG, Bear Sterns, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Lehman Brothers had that same philosophy, what would have been different?
Well first of all they would have been watching the sales numbers, the accuracy of forecast, inspecting what they expected and holding people accountable. If the numbers couldn't support the losses then they would have been driving, mentoring, motivating and coaching their people to counter act the problems - yes they would have "sold their way out of it".
Instead - we have what we saw this week. If in my years as a sales manager I had even for one month done as poorly as these CEO's did for months at a time I probably would have been asked to leave - or before that happened my own pride would have caused me to quit!