LincolnElectric

With the effective unemployment rate possibly above 16%, the "job-creators" have little incentive to offer robust benefits packages to workers. But a look at U.S. economic history suggests that it's time to revisit the idea that a corporation can remain highly profitable over the long term by providing a floor of economic security for its employees.

Winning isn't just about outscoring your opponent or exceeding the next quarter's goals; it's about doing what's in the long-term best interests of all your fellow stakeholders. With some notable exceptions, business leaders are focused only on short-term gains. We need to demand better.

Too often, driven by the imperative to maximize short-term profits -- and to drive up stock prices, on which their compensations depend -- CEOs make heartless or even foolish decisions, heedless of consequences. But there are some good eggs left in corporate America, like these four enlightened execs.