In a message dated 11/17/2003 12:35:31 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Gautam Mukunda" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Killer Bs Discussion" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Sunday, November 16, 2003 10:51 PM > Subject: Re: Fox News, we distort, you comply. > > > > --- Robert Seeberger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > In > > regards to CEOs voting republican, perhaps they > > > just know where their > > > bread is buttered. > > > > > > I doubt Jack Welch could do my job. > > > Your job maybe, but not Eriks or Dans. > > > CEOs are not superior versions of mainline humans, > > > they are simply > > > specialists performing a specific function. > > > And outside of their specialty, they are incompetent > > > in the same way any > > > other human would be. > > > > > > xponent > > > Not Impressed By Elitist Type Arguments Maru > > > rob > > > > It's not really an elitist type argument. I remember > > Michael Wilbon writing about Michael Jordan that what > > made watching him truly special was that he was better > > at what he did than anyone else in the world was at > > what they did. I don't know that was really the case > > - although given how great Jordan was, I'm not willing > > to reject it out of hand. > > > > What we're talking about here is relative skill level. > > The question is, is someone who is good enough to get > > to where they are likely to be really, really good at > > what they do? Again, look at professional baseball > > players. To play in the major leagues you have to be > > one of the ~1000 best baseball players _in the world_. > > And there are tens of millions of people who have at > > least, at some point in their lives, tried to play > > baseball. So out of all of those tens of millions of > > people, MLB players are in the top _1000_. That's > > incredibly good. Now, outside of baseball, are they > > likely to be any better at anything (non-athletic) > > than you or I? No, of course not. But to be one of > > the top, what, one-hundredth of one percent of the > > people who engage in an activity - think about how > > gifted you have to be to reach that level. On the > > whole, I have noticed, people don't appreciate that > > sort of skill level outside of their own profession. > > They look at baseball players and think that looks > > easy. Or see the mistake made by a CEO and think any > > idiot would have known not to do that. But I don't > > think so - not even close. > > I don't know that much about CEO's, but I am fairly familiar with the next > level down. In the company I worked for, people who got to very high > levels of the leadership team were very very good at playing company > politics. They were not good at making decision to benefit the company. > But, that wasn't critical, because their bonus did not depend on doing well > by the shareholders; it depended on how well they played politics. > > We had a good 'ol boy who based his hole corporate strategy on some "inside > information" that he got from a friend. The "inside information" was > basically physically impossible, but he made the decisions that helped cut > market share from 45% to 28% based on that. > > Another two fellows I know were corporate VPs of New Technology and were > pure BS artists who knew nothing of technology. > > Its not that I believe that running corporations is easy; its not. Its > that I've seen the selection process at large corporations; chatted with > folks who are up at that level, and their knowledge and ability doesn't > blow me away. It seems that the most important skill is not management, > but playing company politics. > > The obvious exception to this that I've seen are start ups that grow big. > I knew the man who invented the MWD industry and he impressed me. The > feats of someone like Bill Gates or Sam Walmat also > impressed me. But the > leadership team at my last company didn't. > > Although I am sure that many companies run in exactly the way you describe my own experience is with the medical division of GE. It is a tough place to work but success in the company is dependent on measurable success (the six sigma stuff). I don't think BS flies there _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
