LONDON -- It's quite fun to listen to Obama's speech on the radio.  He's got a fantastic voice.  Listening to it, without seeing the smiley face and gangly limbs of the Democratic Presidential nominee, is a very interesting experience.  He'd be amazing for books-on-tape.  I reckon he'd do a great Harry Potter. 

But he also makes policy, ambition and... uh... America... sound exciting and exhilarating.  And that's important in politics as it is in business.

However, business does not really have a role for grand oratory.  You cannot really imagine a boss wandering the halls and jumping up on desks to say "I have a dream..."

But you can imagine leaders in business telling many small stories that are compelling and repeatable.  You want to hear what policy, strategy and business decisions really mean.  And maybe in that respect Obama and politics really fail.  There are not any compelling stories that you remember that make a lot of sense.  "I will cut taxes."  Or "In 10 years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East."

There are few stories that tell you a lot about what they will do and how it will be different.  "To the man I met in Louisiana, who lost his family..."  Those don't really cut it.

So, in spite of how interesting and sometimes exciting politics can be, give me an office and a business to turn around, start, improve or motivate any day.

/df