I help companies make decisions. What may seem simple to the outsider is often complicated to those that carry the responsibility.

There are all kinds of models to copy. There are many different ways to learn. For example last week, I attended a function, hosted by the British ambassador in Israel. It was in honour of a delegation from Israel’s Technion University.

Every year, the Technion sends a high profile team on a benchmarking overseas visit to study commercial techniques. This year, the tour is to England, where they will meet with executives from the fields of banking, oil, hightech and even Manchester United. The aim is to learn what these people do right and wrong.

And boy, does Israel need to learn! Yesterday, my good friend, David Frankfurter, pointed out an article in “Ha’aretz newspaper. Ostensibly, the item refers to Israel’s position in the West Bank.

Look more closely, and you will find a catalogue of important decisions, which governments have been unable to implement; Major-General Giora Eiland is the former chief of the National Security Council, and he stated openly: –

On the level of the state, is the state capable, yes or no, of taking steps which are certainly politically controversial – the answer is certainly not. We are a neutralized country. What, that isn’t clear?

Many will blame coalition politics for this trimph of eunuchs. I think otherwise.

Eiland listed a number of crucial projects; the withdrawal from Gaza, protecting travellers on airplanes, regional development – all multi-billion dollar stuff. He summarised.

Israel is like a man walking in the dark. He has a flashlight, but it is off and doesn’t light the way in front of him. When he hits a rock and falls to the ground and his nose is in the mud, he says: ‘How do we get out of this?’ That he’s not so bad at doing. But to use the flashlight to light the way so he can see the rock, that he doesn’t know how to do

That is a lesson for leaders all over the world, be you a Prime Minister or the owner of a small company; use some basic support mechanisms, which are often right at hand.