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• Author: WIESNER, PAT
• Position: Brief Article

THE LEADERS OF AMERICAN BUSINESS MUST HELP BUILD THE LEADERS ELSEWHERE

The real future of the underdeveloped countries of the world lies in our ability to get good old-fashioned American business principles -- honesty, integrity and profit -- into their business systems.

In a few weeks, Janusz is coming to visit. Janusz Bromboszcz is a trade magazine publisher in Poland. The name of his princpal magazine is "Medyczna Rehabilitation." In English, Medical Rehabilitation. In the last five years or so he has become quite successful with his publishing business. Now he is visiting the U.S. to meet with other trade publishers and to find partners for expansion plans in Europe.

Six years ago, Janusz was a Polish physician working in a hospital in Krakow. His specialty was physical therapy, and he was eking out a living for his family (a wife, two kids and some in-laws), earning about $800 per month. The family lived with even more extended family members in a grand old house that had been theirs for generations, situated on the Vistula River that runs through Krakow.

Janusz had learned to read and speak English in school, then spent some time in England, where he greatly improved his language skills. When he was still practicing medicine, he would read American medical journals, and thought it would be wonderful if similar journals were available in Polish so that more doctors could learn from them. He envisioned starting such a magazine, but a number of roadblocks stood in his way.

Everybody in Poland was not ready for free enterprise. Decades of communist rule still affected people's thinking. Democracy was an idea to be debated, but not many were actually making something happen. At the time, however, there were a few Polish nationals -- already successful businessmen in other countries -- returning to the homeland of their fathers or grandfathers, carrying precious principles and experience. They began starting businesses, found success, and provided a great example -- and even greater hope -- to the Poles, including Janusz Bromboszcz. But he needed more details, more knowledge of the ins and outs of the magazine business.

I met Janusz as part of a contingent sponsored by the Peace Corps, which had an office...