There are many types of business degrees that people earn at respectable colleges or universities. that certainly helps but without "on the job" involvement it is very difficult to learn how stuff really works. The best "background" is actual operating experience to learn first hand how to recognize alternatives that are available for solving a specific situation, and then having to evaluate those alternatives for the desirable outcome. Read my prior post... You don't want open heart surgery from the doctor that has never done it before.
When a business grows the person in charge needs be more of a manager and less of an operator or employee. Many business fail at this point in their growth curve because the person that started the business can't make this transformation from "entrepreneur" to "business manager". For most, being the "business manager" is very difficult if they have not had the experience of the employees they intend to manage. A person that makes an investment, opens a business and hires people to run it for him is much more likely to fail than the person that was involved in the business at the working level.
If you open a hardware store and your employee continues to purchase the incorrect glue that is needed for the PVC pipe that you sell, you will fail in making PVC pipe sales. Not having been there you don't understand what the problem is and your business doesn't do too well. No... I didn't just say that our president has to have experience and knowledge in selecting the correct glue for PVC pipe. But I'm certain that the person that has been faced with figuring out why he isn't selling PVC pipe in his hardware store has better business experience than a community organizer. You don't like the hardware store? Then pick anything else... A McDonald's, an auto repair business, a corporation with endless challenges, anything that where experience is gained on how it all works.
Jack Welch is a good example of working in the business giving him valuable experience of what it takes for things to come together correctly. Like him or hate him... Many view him as the demon over the lower class but, in the end he hired over 300,000 employees, made many of them millionaires and kept countless subcontractor businesses going strong. Without GE the employment rate would be higher. Welch was successful because he knew what was going on at every level of the corporation. EVERYONE had documented goals and requirements that were measured daily. His staff was measured on an individual basis and the only way that was possible was for them to measure each of their subordinates with precision. All the way down the line to the last person at the shipping door loading product going out. Everything is measured, all levels and all aspects of production. Every employee is measured for his/her error due to customer complaints or product defect and then held accountable for improving the results.
Obama and his advisers don't know how to do this because they don't have any business experience... They are failing miserably.
So what is the proper background? Relevant experience... And if you are depending on people to advise you than they also better have the correct experience.
So...what do you consider to be the proper background in business?
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