There are many opinions about Gov. John Bel Edwards’ decision to extend his shelter-in-place order as other states begin to reopen, with supporting data on both sides of the debate. Southeast Louisiana has been hit hard by COVID-19 and one could argue that regions should be treated differently.
Even so, based on stats, Baton Rouge would likely be a region where an extension is pushed, writes Business Report Publisher Rolfe McCollister in his new opinion piece.
Unfortunately, all the challenges won’t magically go away May 15—or whenever the order is lifted—simply because our doors can reopen and we can go back to the office, McCollister writes.
To help owners, entrepreneurs and executives “think different” as they look at their future, Business Report found a friend who wants to help—Renee Mauborgne. In 2019, Mauborgne, along with her colleague W. Chan Kim, was named the No.1 Most Influential Business Thinker in the World by Thinkers50. She is co-author of The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal bestseller Blue Ocean Shift and the international bestseller Blue Ocean Strategy, which has sold over 4 million copies. In her book, Mauborgne used startup Southwest Airlines as an example of a “blue ocean” in the airline industry.
On May 12, Business Report will provide a free webcast via Zoom titled, “Blue Ocean Recovery, featuring Renee Mauborgne.” She will share ideas and answer questions. This may be one hour where you can pause, take a breath, look to the horizon and open your mind to think differently about our future. We are in this together. You can register for the webcast at businessreport.com/blueocean, and our thanks to the event’s sponsors: Red River Bank, Bernhard Capital Partners and Alliance Safety Council.
Also in his column, McCollister offers his congratulations to the 2020 Influential Women in Business featured in the May print edition. While we all face challenges during these tough times, these stories of success can serve as inspiration to us all.
McCollister says he received an email recently from his good friend and Louisiana native Len Sanderson, who now resides in Washington, D.C. He was reflecting on the past—as many of us have done during these times at home—and shared a story that made a good point as we face the future with many questions.
“If you want a happy ending, you have to tell your own story,” Sanderson finished his story. Read McCollister’s full column to see Sanderson’s full tale. Send comments to editor@businessreport.com
