Some Tips on Leading in a Time of Scarcity

by Carl Pritchard

With the current state of the economy, there has been a seemingly endless stream of articles about scarcity and the natural human reactions to it. Almost to a one, the articles examine the propensity of individuals to focus on what they might not have if the situation doesn't improve, prompting the reaction of thrift. People save. People hoard. People limit their consumption. In some instances, this sense of thrift is blamed as the cause of many of our economic woes. If only people would go back to their spending, everything would be fine, we are told.