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Presents an index of business confidence in the United States as of February 1999. Response from ten chief financial officers; Question of whether they are confident or worried about sustaining US economic growth over the next two years; Question of whether their firms are aggressive or cautious with capital budgets, advertising, etc.; Question of the current state of their business.

The author offers opinions on leadership, focusing on its role for sales and marketing executives. The ability to say "yes," that is, to stress problem solving and positive attitudes towards challenging situations and decisions, is said to be the most important element of leadership. An apocryphal anecdote about former U.S. President Thomas Jefferson is employed to make the author's point that leadership and a positive attitude are interconnected qualities.

The article discusses a study which was completed regarding the leadership abilities and confidence of corporate executives. The percentage of executives who feel they are good leaders is mentioned. Steps which were recommended by the study for executives to develop their leadership skills are mentioned.