Page 146 - Executive Warfare

EXECUTIVE W ARF ARE

Because the import/export business barely paid him enough to take
care of his medical bills—let alone the Cadillac and the blondes—Johnny
also worked as the doorman and look-
out at a double-decker house where
WHEN YOU ARE upstairs there was a “house of ill-
THE BOSS, IT’S repute” and downstairs a bookmaking
REALLY HARD TO joint. My father never went upstairs, but
HIRE PEOPLE I spent a lot of time in the foyer of that
UNLIKE YOURSELF, house, waiting for him to come out of
EITHER IN the bookmaker’s.
PERSONALITY OR And Johnny was just terrific to me,
IN EXPERTISE. DO one of the first adults ever to take an
IT ANYWAY. interest in me. He’d even treat me to the

zoo now and then, and I noticed that
people would just say the cruelest, most hurtful things to him because he
was a dwarf. I couldn’t understand it because he was such a nice guy. This
gave me an early dislike of discrimination in any form—and the sense that
underdogs are often worth a second look.
Legal issues aside, we all know that
there is a connection between bias and
FOR GOD’S SAKE, insecurity. If you insist on building an
DON’T BE A BIGOT. army of clones—and reject any candi-
date who doesn’t fit the type—just
understand that you are broadcasting your own weaknesses. Don’t expect
anybody to take you seriously.

ON THE OTHER HAND,
IF THE CLONES ARE FUNNY . . .
That said, I’ve always looked for a few specific personal qualities in what-
ever wrapping they may be in. I’ve always looked for people who are seri-
ous, with a sense of humor. Humor is a sign of intelligence, and besides,

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