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Executive only needs to do a few things well but the reality is VERY few people can do those things well. A good executive turns people into tools. You offload
by brd 12y ago
Executive only needs to do a few things well but the reality is VERY few people can do those things well.
A good executive turns people into tools. You offload your problems into the minds of others and then efficiently recoup the outputs. This is far more difficult to do well than one might think. The sheer volume of things that need to be orchestrated and then mentally cataloged when you operate at that level is overwhelming for most people.
- nostrademons 12y agoIt's more than that - a good executive turns people into tools while at the same time making each of them feel like they're a beautiful, unique, snowflake whose contributions are highly valued. People don't do their best work when they feel like mere tools.
- wfo 12y agoWhat? Has anyone ever met an executive? They are abusive, power-hungry, and ruthless. Our tech folk hero Jobs is a perfect example. Their power and salaries inspire at best fear and at worst resentment and contempt. They do their best when they step back and let experts do real work, taking care of the administrative and management details so people with real skills don't have to. They climb corporate power structures because corporate power is what's important to them and they've learned how to get it. I recognize this is all anecdotal but the outpouring of anecdotal executive-sympathy in this comment thread is mind-boggling; a little push back in the other direction seems not out of line.
- stolio 12y ago....you do realize that Steve Jobs built the power structure he sat on top of, that it floundered when they pushed him out in the 80's, then became successful again when they hired him back in the 90's?
- lazyjones 12y ago> Our tech folk hero Jobs is a perfect example. Their power and salaries inspire at best fear and at worst resentment and contempt Jobs' annual salary was $1 from 1997 until his death. Just saying ...
- wfo 12y agoCertainly personal wealth wasn't a motivating factor for him, but that doesn't disqualify him as the perfect poster child for my point. The point at hand is the general character of executives: they inspire fear (check), they are power-hungry (check), they are abusive (check).
- waterlesscloud 12y agoI agree that very few people can do them well. The problem is that very few of the people who have those jobs can do them well. Most executives fall quite short in most of the necessary areas. But they manage to skate by anyway.
- brd 12y agoI'd say you can apply the 80/20 rule to most occupations, executives are no exception.