Page 145 - Executive Warfare

The Team You Assemble

Unlike you, the king has the right to selective memory: “I don’t recall
participating in the decision to promote that person,” he can claim. And
having the facts on your side will not help you in the least.

DO NOT BUILD AN ARMY OF CLONES
Ever notice how some departments have people who look, sound, and act
just like the boss? They all run marathons, like the boss. They all buy their
clothes at Brooks Brothers, like the boss. They all write the same style of
memo, like the boss. It’s not a coincidence.
The truth is that when you are the boss, it’s really hard to hire people
unlike yourself, either in personality or in expertise. Why? Because they
can make you ill at ease.
Do it anyway if you think they are right for the job. Personally, I tend
to get along better with creative people
than with financial people. And I tend
to get along better with financial people
IF YOU ARE NOT
than with technologists. But you will
PICKING YOUR
reach a point where you will need all of
OWN TEAM, YOU
them, so go out of your way to judge
ARE GOING TO BE
people who are unlike you fairly. Other-
HANDED SOME
wise, your performance will suffer.
TURKEYS. WHEN
And for God’s sake, don’t be a bigot.
ONE OF THOSE
One of the most colorful characters I
TURKEYS SCREWS
knew in my childhood was a guy named
UP, YOU OWN THE
Johnny, who was a dwarf, about 4 feet,
TURKEY.
8 inches tall. He worked in the
import/export business and often sold
canned goods to my grandparents’ little
grocery store. He was a sunny, expansive personality, and he’d arrive in a
big yellow Cadillac with a cigar in his mouth, sometimes with a 6-foot
blonde on his arm.

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