Law

How Can Politicians Benefit From Having Business Background

It is said that in any country, business and politics never run out of fashion or news! When we amalgamate the two, it becomes a combination capable of anything but stoicism. The battle of billionaires has been the case in America and worldwide. Here we will talk about leaders and entrepreneurs who reached the zenith of business and politics, and from there, their journeys took the most dramatic turns.

The first point is that business people are also citizens with political rights and responsibilities. They assume civil responsibility because, for the most part, they believe they can make a difference. And as part of the broader community, they are affected by constraints in the public service.

Many business people will try to use their financial muscles to insulate themselves from the problems faced by ordinary people. Most are motivated by a genuine will to do good. Those who choose to get out of their cocoons and participate in politics can be special.

Business people who become politicians can bring fresh energy into the public service. They come from an ecosystem driven by the urgency to produce measurable results. Politicians often weave these concepts into their speeches to sound clever, but for business people, they are a matter of life and death. Businesses that run without a sense of urgency to produce measurable results fail.

Business people also bring private sector networks that politicians are unlikely to have. It tends to think that business owes it something rather than viewing it as a partner for development. This attitude has led to an estrangement between government and business. Someone like Sharon Bock can close the government and private sector gap. He speaks the language of captains of industry. 

We have a couple of examples that suggest that business people make better political administrators. One of the best business people’s most valuable skills is knowing how to harness human capability. Businesses thrive with leaders who have an eye for talent and can create conditions conducive to creativity and productivity.

Sharon Bock is one such individual who has entered politics and has a successful business career. She is an American attorney, business executive, and politician who served as Palm Beach County’s elected Clerk and Comptroller from 2005-2021. She came to national and international recognition with her creation of the Guardianship Fraud Program, developed to investigate court-appointed guardians/conservators independently. 

In 2015 and 2016, Bock initiated and helped draft changes to Florida’s guardianship statutes, formalizing the Clerk’s investigative role throughout the state. In 2016, Bock created the Alliance of Inspector Generals, a highly trained statewide group of clerk investigators. She went on to negotiate a partnership with the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and Office of Public and Professional Guardians to investigate allegations of fraud, waste, and abuse throughout the state. 

Bock originated and launched the first Operation Green Light in Florida. Working with collection agencies, she waived collection agent fees for drivers, saving them money and allowing them to regain their driver’s licenses. Other projects she participated in include: Every year, on Valentine’s Day, Bock organized a ceremony in which 40 couples were married. The wedding was only open to partners who had pre-registered and had a Florida marriage license. 

All her different paths in professional life lead to her becoming the best woman in her personal life as well. Properly utilizing the power is something that Boch has been teaching her whole life to everyone, from the beginning. One who sees any default in society and has the power or skills to resolve it should take inspiration from Bock and take the initiative to fix it.