Everywhere you look people are talking about executive compensation – capping the amount business leaders can earn, how they are compensated, what they receive for perks and bonuses, etc. etc. I understand all of this concern. There have been enough cases of executive greed to cause such an outrage and our current fiscal crisis has most looking for people to blame.

My concern is the lack of discussion surrounding the identification and assessment of those in leadership roles. Before we start saying that someone doing X should earn Y – lets first determine who best can do the job.

The assessment of prospective leaders (both in business and politics) needs to ensure that not only does someone possess the right skills and experience but also encompass strong ethics and morals and demonstrates that they will take responsibility for their actions. All of these things can be assessed from prior actions and should be our first concern.

Capping the income of a leader is great – if the right person has been identified AND they can do the job AND will do the job correctly – for the compensation being paid.