With the business world and the economy being such a vital part of our society, I think there always needs to be a seat at the table for business leaders when it comes to how our local and national government function. That being said, the skills of business leaders are going to vary, and some would be able to transition more effectively into that role than others.
If a CEO leaves his or her business one day and tries to run for a mayoral post or something in exactly the same way, that sounds like a recipe for disaster. Of course, the purpose of a business is to make a profit, while the purpose of government is to provide the most value possible. There’s a key difference, and no elected official in any position has the same sort of power that a business owner does within his or her organization, regardless of if it’s public or private. The rules for how things are done differ greatly, and no matter how successful someone has been in business, it would be an error to assume that government rules for officials can be left unlearned.
On the other side of it, a real hands-on understanding of how the economy functions is something many elected officials seem to lack and could use more insight into. Having a businessperson involved could provide a perspective that makes a crucial difference, granting that he or she remembers the role of government in serving the public good.
