CSR programs are increasingly valued by consumers, and therefore may help drive companies’ profits.

The MF Global collapse will have grand impacts on both public policy and investor perceptions.

In this era of forced transparency, it behooves companies to control the narrative. Here’s how.

Both companies and the U.S. economy would benefit from a decreased tax liability on repatriating cash from overseas.

Boards from all industries can learn from Toyota’s online response to its recent widespread recalls the value of being prepared for the posibility of a crisis.

Shareholders are increasingly using social media to gain support for their causes.

Companies must choose their battles carefully to avoid a potentially serious crisis.

Consensus and influence are more powerful than authority.

Companies who ignore or fight new government regulations are less likely to fare successfully after their inevitable implementation.

Companies must be mindful in their interactions with politicians and regulators of their need to satisfy voters.

Companies must encourage candor and open information exchanges to succeed, especially in times of crisis.

Banks that promote initiatives to assist their customers in achieving financial success will, in turn, be more successful.

Executives must overcome the fear of failure in order to succeed, much like Navy pilot Charles W. “Willy” Moore did on his missions.

Southwest Airlines’ blog “Nuts about Southwest” provides executives, employees and consumers an outlet for communication as well as a barometer of the company’s customer satisfaction.

Executives must be mindful of the effects their language choices can have on fostering their staff’s ideas.

The actions of accounting firm Arthur Andersen in the early hours of the Enron scandal highlight the need for advance crisis-response planning.

Trusting employees to be responsible, rather than imposing multiple stringent rules, creates a more loyal and creative workforce.

Strategic concessions made at the beginning of a crisis, before they are publicly demanded, can give executives the upper hand.

Successful leaders should not only delegate tasks to their staff, but also gain an understanding of their employees as individuals to better utilize their strengths.

To successfully defend against a WikiLeaks-style scandal, companies must keep offensive and defensive strategies in mind.