Good piece in the online New York Times by Nels Olson, vice chairman and co-leader of the Board and C.E.O. Services Practice at Korn/Ferry International, the international search firm, explaining, "Why C.E.O.’s Need to Engage Washington." Excerpt:

This notion of engagement is even more relevant at a moment when the United States is struggling with high unemployment, slow economic growth and yawning budget deficits. In the coming months, Washington will be making decisions about federal spending and tax policy that will reshape the government’s fundamental role in the American economy for years to come. At the same time, both Congress and the Obama administration are under increasing pressure to find ways to create jobs and kick-start growth as the 2012 election approaches.

As a result, chief executives and business leaders from companies of all shapes and sizes will almost certainly find their local representatives and senators eager to hear a private-sector perspective from outside the Beltway.

Not surprisingly, the examples Olson cites are leaders with Business Roundtable, including our current chair, Jim McNerney, chairman, president and CEO of Boeing; Ivan Seidenberg, former CEO of Verizon and former chair of BRT;  Dave Cote, CEO of Honeywell and BRT's current vice chair; and Bill Green of Accenture, who has headed BRT's education initiative.

Another argument for business leaders being engaged with Congress and the federal government is implicit in this statement.