Reading the section entitled, "The Jerk," got me to wondering if OP will be ever write the obvious follow-up post, "Why We Promote So Many Jerks".
I have done work for over 100 companies ranging from SMB to large enterprises. Independently (I'll tell you why in a moment) I just made a list of the 10 biggest assholes I ever met the other day. Eight of them were the #1 person in one of those companies. Seven of them are, not surprisingly, out of business.
(The reason I made the list was because I watched "Undercover Boss" for the fourth time the other night. The first three times were great. This episode, about the CEO of Norwegian Cruise Lines, was horrible. All I kept asking myself was, "Where the hell did they get this jerk?" He had no idea how anything happened in his company and had people and functional problems in all 4 departments he worked in undercover. One employee even remarked that he had a problem dealing with women. That's when I made my list.)
What is it about our processes in business that seems to favor assholes? I realize that my experience may not be the norm, but some of the things I've seen done by the President or CEO:
- getting drunk and firing the security guard
- throwing a phone book at his secretary
- belittling vendors until none wanted the business
- routinely yelling f words at employees
- firing other executives on a whim
- begging these executives to return to work
- committing crimes with the books to earn a bonus
- ignoring company saving advice (that would make them look bad)
- sexually harassing subordinates
- committing adultery (& other crimes) in full view of subordinates
I even witnessed a CEO of a Fortune 50 company break down and cry at a Tony Robbins event because he couldn't complete a routine task.
If I sound like I think that our leaders should be held to a higher standard, it's because they should be. Hell, I'd settle for any standard.
I'd love to hear OP's take on the other side of the story, when smart people decide to stop making sacrifices for the assholes they got stuck working for.
>committing adultery (& other crimes) in full view of subordinates
Nit: adultery is not a crime in most of the West.
(Some US states still have it on the books, but it's probably not enforceable, under the same Supreme Court ruling that overturned laws against contraception.)
What is worse is those bosses who do not know anything about what is going on in their companies, are getting bonuses off the performances of the workers doing task that they their bosses has no clue they are doing for them. Seems backwards
Sociopathy and narcissism are overrepresented amongst executives. Smart people (as meant in the post) usually like to discover (scientists) or create (engineers, writers, etc.) things. They don't have to achieve power for power's sake in order to be happy.
Thus, they aren't as well represented amongst executives in established companies because that form of achievement isn't something they valued.
Not to mention that these people have the chutzpah to get what they want. They're always successful in the short term, which means that they've already gained influence by the time anyone figures it out. And when they do, that person gets canned as an example to keep the others in line.
I have done work for over 100 companies ranging from SMB to large enterprises. Independently (I'll tell you why in a moment) I just made a list of the 10 biggest assholes I ever met the other day. Eight of them were the #1 person in one of those companies. Seven of them are, not surprisingly, out of business.
(The reason I made the list was because I watched "Undercover Boss" for the fourth time the other night. The first three times were great. This episode, about the CEO of Norwegian Cruise Lines, was horrible. All I kept asking myself was, "Where the hell did they get this jerk?" He had no idea how anything happened in his company and had people and functional problems in all 4 departments he worked in undercover. One employee even remarked that he had a problem dealing with women. That's when I made my list.)
What is it about our processes in business that seems to favor assholes? I realize that my experience may not be the norm, but some of the things I've seen done by the President or CEO:
I even witnessed a CEO of a Fortune 50 company break down and cry at a Tony Robbins event because he couldn't complete a routine task.If I sound like I think that our leaders should be held to a higher standard, it's because they should be. Hell, I'd settle for any standard.
I'd love to hear OP's take on the other side of the story, when smart people decide to stop making sacrifices for the assholes they got stuck working for.