Just recently I heard a sad and, unfortunately,common story. It is the story of a businessman whose company is facinginsolvency and that only when there was nothing else to be done he communicatedhis family. The family who was not aware of the situation is now forced to gothrough an abrupt adjustment in their lifestyle, an adjustment they were notprepared for. We can learn from this sad story a bit about management and a bitabout relationship. In regard to management, it is rare that a business entersinto a situation of insolvency without emitting clear signs. These signs involve: (i) low sales growth(meaning the reduction of acceptance by current and potential customers of thecompanys products or services); (ii) accentuated dependence on a few customersor a few businesses; (iii) low or nil cash generation (making the companycover its needs via borrowings or postponement of obligations or through acombination of both); (iv) managements incapacity of reading or recognizeindicators and of identifying and making the necessary (tough) adjustments. Themore common and wrong answer is that of investing in generating morebusiness. If the company is in a situation of low cash generation or heavily indebt this may be the worst decision, as there is no manner of increasingbusiness without working capital commitment. The solution may be the opposite, reducing sales, selling assets,reducing in size with the objective of a new beginning. Nevertheless, this onlymay work if done in time. And an outsider "look", unattached andindependent may help importantly! In regard to the aspect involving therelationship with the family, the problem may be the John Wayne syndrome. Thealpha, leader, man or woman, runs the risk of suffering of this syndrome. Itis characterized by (a) toughness; (b) insensibility; (c) communicationincapacity (what would mean expose him/herself, or, humiliation); and (d) self-sufficiency,or the capacity of solving everything by him-herself, a feeling reaffirmed by pastsuccesses. The tendency, in view of these characteristics (of the syndrome), isthat the person becomes solitary, even when in the midst of others. And thisloneliness is self-imposed and reinforced by the evil it causes to the peoplearound. It is hard to the alpha recognize this behavior; nevertheless, thisis the first step towards change. The second step is to understand that JohnWayne was a character that did not die or ended alone only because he was thelead man of a story of fiction totally controlled by an author. The thirdstep is to talk, open up. And open up is a process that demands three things:(1) effort (to break up with a pattern); (2) sincerity; and (3) a trustworthycounterpart. By doing that seek for professional help orcounseling - one will not become a smaller leader but a (much) better man (orwoman)! Two people are better off than one, for theycan help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out andhelp. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two peoplelying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? Aperson standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can standback-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided