Thank You for ‘Navigating’ the PandemicThe English language is filled with nautical metaphors. In business, captains of industry take the helm of sinking companies and try to keep them afloat, sometimes in the face of strong headwinds. When Covid-19 cast everyone into uncharted waters in early 2020, one nautical metaphor kept popping up in earnings calls, regulatory filings, news releases and other corporate documents: Suddenly everyone was talking about how chief executives would “navigate” the pandemic. They’re still navigating things — these days mostly high inflation and fears of a recession.

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