We do have a saying in America: if you're in a hole, stop digging ..... erm, I'm not sure I should have said that.

Find ways to decentralize. Move decision making authority down and out. Encourage a more entrepreneurial approach.

I tend over the years to have developed a certain hesitancy about believing that headlines tell the whole story.

Watch the growth of middle level management. Don't automatically fill vacant jobs. Leave some positions unfilled for 6-8 months to see what happens. You will find you won't need to fill some of them.

I cannot give any assurances. I'm not in that business. I haven't been, and I don't intend to get into it. People who try to make predictions about things or assurances often find they're wrong.

Well, so be it. Nothing's perfect in life, so you have an election that's not quite perfect. Is it better than not having an election? You bet.

Have a deputy and develop a successor. Don't be consumed by the job or you'll risk losing your balance. Keep your mooring lines to the outside world - family, friends, neighbors, people out of government, and people who may not agree with you.