Hard work and ongoing learning aren't just foreign concepts to some top leaders, but also deer-in-the-headlights, dreaded notions. Dogbert wisely shifts course for the Boss and CEO. As a management consultant I do not judge leadership appointments or promotions. There are all sorts of savory and unsavory reasons for these. Instead, when engaged, I encourage them to work hard and learn as much as they can about the business, people and culture. So while they may be under-competent now, they can take every opportunity to grow
ably into the role.
I remember the former CEO of a company I used to work for, being constantly under stress, it seemed. In the elevator one time, for example, he looked rather distressed and his eyes downcast, and there was no hello for me. There were no hellos for quite a few people apparently. Arrogance and discrimination may have been part of his demeanor, just as with the CEO vis-a-vis Asok. But I acknowledge the high pressures of top leadership as an underpinning of my former CEO's dismissive habit.
Dilbert creator Scott Adams is masterful at capturing the hilarious ironies but unfortunate truths of the workplace. Do you ever wonder why some companies have difficulty at innovation? Brainstorming there may actually be a forum for criticizing, dismissing or constraining ideas. So characters like Dilbert end up tripping over their own shoelaces, in their efforts to do, or not do, what they're told.
Dilbert is plugged-in with the Boss. Like the Fool in Shakespeare, who is given not just formal license to amuse the King, but also informal license to speak truthfully to him. In either case, Dilbert knows how to play along:
Exactly is an outward validation that his peers are wrong about the Boss, plus a more subtle, inward validation that the Boss is indeed incompetent and annoying. Because the Boss is exactly that, Dilbert knows that he isn't going to pick up the latter.
Thank you for reading, and let me know what you think!
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