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Another State of the Union State of the Unionaddress is now behind us with another road trip coming for President Barack Obama to now push his policies that he said he would pursue if Congress won’t cooperate. It was vintage Obama, blending his hopeful calls for a unified approach with declarations of presidential independence through executive orders. And, although the President stated that he is willing to act on his own if necessary, from a leadership perspective, there is only one way the nation will improve and that is cooperation.

The President’s underlying theme was his call for the government to work on behalf of all Americans in 2014. Some are calling it an optimistic goal for a President with a 43% approval rating entering his sixth year in office and facing a determined opposition in the Republican-led House of Representatives with congressional elections looming in November. But, I want to stay away from the politics to address the real issue; collaboration and reciprocity.

Collaboration and Reciprocity culminates to form cooperation which brings me to what is clearly being missed by our nation’s leaders. This is an important consideration that does not require rocket science when you think about it. Ultimately, cooperation is the coming together like a meat lover’s pizza for the big game. The big game is a metaphor for our nation. The pizza on the other hand represents the entrepreneurial spirit and talent used to seek The Ecstasy of Gold; cooperation as the building blocks to achieve a vibrant economy.

You probably had no idea that the pizza you’ve ordered in the past and will enjoy during Super Bowl XLVIII has the leadership formula for healing and expanding the U.S. economy. Pizza alone is not the answer to healing and growing the economy, but that’s where the meat adds value.

The upcoming lesson is one that was shared with me by a business colleague named Bob Pica. He talked about going to pick up a pizza for the family on a Friday evening. When he arrived to the shop, there was a long line, but a small wait. When he finally spoke to the owner to place his order, he asked “how many slices does a medium pizza have?” The answer was a turning point in his ability to offer the rest of us this thought-provoking story to learn from. The owner replied, “How hungry are you?”

This reply about a pizza is the answer to our leadership challenges today. The conversation between the owner and the customer represents a climatic showdown with Ennio Morricone’s spaghetti western theme song The Ecstasy of Gold in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly playing in the background. I know; a lot of drama to describe a pizza order but follow me for a moment of fun here.

A pizza allows us to create the illusion of getting more simply by cutting smaller slices. Adding the meat to cooperate with the other ingredients, you have what some can refer to as wise collaboration and a genuine sense of reciprocity for us to bellies to enjoy. Are you seeing the point yet? Leaders don’t need more pizza; they just need a smarter and better way to slice a medium pie to feed more people using unconventional means to achieve the goal. The climax, The Ecstasy of Gold, is the stimulus to get the juices flowing to make things happen.

This is a challenge that our government officials have yet to learn in the current context of playing well together in the sand box. The misstep will be for our leaders in industry to also make the same mistake. Understanding how leadership (collaboration), a pizza (reciprocity), and  (cooperation) work to form the building blocks to reach a vibrant economy can only inspire true greatness in organizations and businesses alike.

Our Leadership State of the Union White Paper, SNAKE EYES: Learn Why it is critical for Leaders to understand the Architecture of Employee Engagement and Employee Retention While Building Healthy Relationships in the Workplace, is in direct response to the President’s State of the Union address. It is a follow-up to our Leadership New Years’ White Paper, Changing the Lens of Leadership in the 2014 Workplace that was released at the beginning of the year. Both offer four principles that leaders can use to build healthy relationships and sustain healthy organizational cultures – another way to achieve The Ecstasy of Gold.