4 ms·

A man with nothing to lose is the most dangerous.

SteveNuts 3y ago
By far the most effective leadership I’ve worked for are the ones that already have a very comfortable nest egg or are independently wealthy. They’re the ones that aren’t afraid whatsoever to rock the boat or do what they think is right, and are actually able to drive change.
- gonzo41 3y ago
  Just imagine how people would work if everyone had some basics assured!
  - rvba 3y ago
    I can imagine that some would be incredibly lazy and some efficient. Question is which group would be bigger.
    - Teever 3y ago
      No the question is which group will have a bigger influence. Lazy people tend to self sort into irrelevance.
  - docmars 3y ago
    Not that I think assuring basics is a bad thing, quite the opposite — but I think we would see a lot more rude co-workers who are willing to take risks with their working relationships. That is, specifically those with basics assured and still early in their career and/or poor relationship skills to begin with. Those issues already surface in any situation, but it's safe to assume that many hold their tongues because they're afraid of losing their income stream.
- anonymouskimmer 3y ago
  > They’re the ones that aren’t afraid whatsoever to rock the boat or do what they think is right, and are actually able to drive change. I think a great deal of their ability to drive change is because they know the right things to say to the right people. I.e. they have some diplomatic skills. Because while they might be able to afford to lose their job, they certainly won't drive any change if they actually do lose their job.
  - raxxorraxor 3y ago
    I have never seen an engineering project fail because of poor "relationship skills" - definitions pending. Diplomacy helps, but mostly it is about being open about problems and about pushing that info up the chain of responsibility. If you need diplomacy for this point, you already have a severe problem here. Otherwise the head will also fumble. I have been in expensive meetings talking a lot about parking space organization. This always happens if there is nothing interesting related to the business to talk about. Stuff gets off-topic quickly. That said, change and disruption has a positive connotation in the business of today. But it isn't always positive.
    - anonymouskimmer 3y ago
      > Diplomacy helps, but mostly it is about being open about problems and about pushing that info up the chain of responsibility. Then, in my eyes at least, you're talking about either relatively minor things, or things which already fall in the bailiwick of the leader. I'm just a line person with no one under me who could last a max two months without a job but I have no problem communicating problems up the chain. I'm probably naive, but I'd think most other people wouldn't have such problems either. If they do have problems this seems like an organizational issue that even the leaders SteveNuts mentions in the GP wouldn't be able to change.
huytersd 3y ago
What a silly designation to assign to one of the cushiest, indoor, high paying jobs in our society.
- bertil 3y ago
  Compared to the reality of the situation, I agree that it’s garish, but psychologically, people in cushy situations tend to over-dramatize their setbacks. If they _think_ they have nothing to lose, they will act foolishly just the same as if they really do. If a billionaire slams his toe on the leg of a chair, it still hurts, and being sorry for his real pain isn’t denying his otherwise staggering privilege. It’s an excellent example to use to have him empathize with others. If you want to make them act in society’s interest, you can point out that paying taxes or enforcing environmental regulations won’t prevent them from being rich beyond words. An engineer worried about being fired experiences genuine distress: you can empathize with that there and then because it’s real. Once they have a job, ask them to be more considerate when designing processes or buildings so that everyone can work comfortably in the shade or without having to fear how they are going to feed their family by the end of the week.

By far the most effective leadership I’ve worked for are the ones that already have a very comfortable nest egg or are independently wealthy. They’re the ones that aren’t afraid whatsoever to rock the boat or do what they think is right, and are actually able to drive change.

gonzo41 3y ago
Just imagine how people would work if everyone had some basics assured!
- rvba 3y ago
  I can imagine that some would be incredibly lazy and some efficient. Question is which group would be bigger.
  - Teever 3y ago
    No the question is which group will have a bigger influence. Lazy people tend to self sort into irrelevance.
- docmars 3y ago
  Not that I think assuring basics is a bad thing, quite the opposite — but I think we would see a lot more rude co-workers who are willing to take risks with their working relationships. That is, specifically those with basics assured and still early in their career and/or poor relationship skills to begin with. Those issues already surface in any situation, but it's safe to assume that many hold their tongues because they're afraid of losing their income stream.
anonymouskimmer 3y ago
> They’re the ones that aren’t afraid whatsoever to rock the boat or do what they think is right, and are actually able to drive change. I think a great deal of their ability to drive change is because they know the right things to say to the right people. I.e. they have some diplomatic skills. Because while they might be able to afford to lose their job, they certainly won't drive any change if they actually do lose their job.
- raxxorraxor 3y ago
  I have never seen an engineering project fail because of poor "relationship skills" - definitions pending. Diplomacy helps, but mostly it is about being open about problems and about pushing that info up the chain of responsibility. If you need diplomacy for this point, you already have a severe problem here. Otherwise the head will also fumble. I have been in expensive meetings talking a lot about parking space organization. This always happens if there is nothing interesting related to the business to talk about. Stuff gets off-topic quickly. That said, change and disruption has a positive connotation in the business of today. But it isn't always positive.
  - anonymouskimmer 3y ago
    > Diplomacy helps, but mostly it is about being open about problems and about pushing that info up the chain of responsibility. Then, in my eyes at least, you're talking about either relatively minor things, or things which already fall in the bailiwick of the leader. I'm just a line person with no one under me who could last a max two months without a job but I have no problem communicating problems up the chain. I'm probably naive, but I'd think most other people wouldn't have such problems either. If they do have problems this seems like an organizational issue that even the leaders SteveNuts mentions in the GP wouldn't be able to change.

huytersd 3y ago

What a silly designation to assign to one of the cushiest, indoor, high paying jobs in our society.

bertil 3y ago
Compared to the reality of the situation, I agree that it’s garish, but psychologically, people in cushy situations tend to over-dramatize their setbacks. If they _think_ they have nothing to lose, they will act foolishly just the same as if they really do. If a billionaire slams his toe on the leg of a chair, it still hurts, and being sorry for his real pain isn’t denying his otherwise staggering privilege. It’s an excellent example to use to have him empathize with others. If you want to make them act in society’s interest, you can point out that paying taxes or enforcing environmental regulations won’t prevent them from being rich beyond words. An engineer worried about being fired experiences genuine distress: you can empathize with that there and then because it’s real. Once they have a job, ask them to be more considerate when designing processes or buildings so that everyone can work comfortably in the shade or without having to fear how they are going to feed their family by the end of the week.