A recent study suggests that sky-high CEO payouts are mostly well-deserved. Do you agree?

The financial pages are regularly riddled with news of big CEO payouts, but research from Watson Wyatt seeks to dispel some of the negativity. In their 2007/2008 report, Debunking Executive Compensation Myths, the financial services consulting company draws a correlation between the compensation of high-performing companies and their lower performing brethren, with CEOs of better performing organizations earning up to 75 percent more ($10.5 million compared to $6.0 million).

Is your networking strategy proactive or reactive? 

Unfortunately, not a couple weeks go by when I don’t get an email from a friend or acquaintance that they are heading toward transition and need some help with networking. The professional in me is always accommodating, offering guidance and connections, but there is often a moment where I want to shake them by the shoulders and remind them that building a network is not an instantaneous activity.

Senior business executives in India are rapidly transforming their country – and many companies based there – from an outsource economy to a major global competitor.

“The appeal of the Indian executive has moved to a higher level and it’s no longer just about cost advantage,” says Chris Clarke, president and CEO of Boyden World Corporation, which has been in the business of global executive search for more than 60 years.

“Their education, business acumen and the rise in the quality of Indian management are impressive,” Clarke adds. “Today multinationals seeking to recruit Indian executives face a new challenge in that it’s not a foregone conclusion that they will leap at an offer outside India.”

Clarke’s comments highlight some of the findings of the global search firm’s recent analysis of the growing talent issues in emerging markets such as India.