The U. S. built its brand by attracting the world best. It must not lose that advantage

Experienced CEOs know that brand equity can be a company’s most valuable asset, one that often doesn’t appear on the balance sheet. Companies build trust, credibility, and goodwill over decades through consistent performance. But as any chief executive knows, the strongest brands are rarely destroyed by their competitors. More often, brands are weakened by a company’s own choices that erode the very qualities that made them successful in the first place. This principle applies to nations as well. As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its independence, Americans need to ask not only whether their country…