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I’ll confess – I’m a news junkie. But lately, I’ve found myself tuning out. Not because the news isn’t interesting; in some ways, it’s too interesting. Rather I find the news terribly unhelpful as a business leader. Most of it focuses on forces over which we have no control. The news also has become a bit of an echo chamber; once someone utters the latest doom-and-gloom headline, it is repeated so often on radio, television and the newspapers that one wonders if we aren’t creating some self-fulfilling prophecies. And finally, sometimes the news just seems, in an ironic way, out of touch with reality. Let me tell you what I mean.

I spent time recently visiting clients on the West Coast of the US and speaking at an industry conference. What I realized in my travels and conversations is that most companies, like my own, are as fundamentally sound today as they were six or nine months ago – still producing high quality products or services for customers and still staffed by highly productive and committed men and women. No one can deny that the financial markets are a mess and that credit is tight. Nor can anyone deny that almost all of us are engaged in some form of belt-tightening. And finally, no one can deny that it has become more and more challenging to lead and sell in this tough economy. But who we are and the value we provide to the marketplace remain unchanged.

There is a huge psychological element in all of this. If we focus on the grim headlines and on the factors over which we have no control, I’m afraid that we’re in for a long recession; our attitudes (for instance, our caution in making investments) and our actions (for example, huge cutbacks in spending) will only prolong the pain. But if we turn our attention to those things that we can control, to those assets of ours that do provide value, and to our customers who do depend on our products, services and insight, then we have a better than even chance of emerging from this downturn sooner and in better shape.

I haven’t cancelled any of the newspaper subscriptions yet, but I am spending more time on the human interest stories and not the front page!