Obama's Top-Three Priorities: The Economy, The Economy, and The Economy is an op-ed piece by Dr. J. Robert Beyster, the founder of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). He discusses the new administration and the economy, and shares his recommendation to return the economy to prosperity:

Of course, the economy as we know has good times and bad times, and the dark is always followed by the dawn. Here is my recommendation for getting out of our current economic mess and returning to prosperity: create a culture of growth based on employee ownership. Now more than ever we need to make employees true partners in our businesses. Study after study shows that employee-owned companies perform better than companies that are not. Widespread employee ownership will have a huge, positive impact on our economy.

Creating a culture of growth requires leaders to remove the organizational obstacles that get in the way of moving quickly to take advantage of changes in the marketplace. In some cases, these may be procedures and practices that have served the company well in good times, but that threaten to bog the company down in bad times. Hire smart people and then put your trust in them. Give them a stake in the business that they contribute to, and unlock their energy and ideas. Create an entrepreneurial culture, where employees have wide-ranging autonomy and authority, and are rewarded for finding and capitalizing on new opportunities for growth. And don't be afraid to experiment, and try new combinations of people and organizational structures.

For more information about Dr. J. Robert Beyster and SAIC, see In The News: Employee Ownership, Satisfaction, Competence, and Experimentation Culture. Dr. Beyster also delivered the keynote address at the 2007 Las Vegas ESOP Association Conference & Trade Show.