Page 86 - Executive Warfare

EXECUTIVE W ARF ARE

Of course, both Dimon and Bibliowicz went on to be extremely suc-
cessful: Dimon become CEO of JPMorgan Chase, and Bibliowicz, CEO of
National Financial Partners.
Don’t be surprised if you, too, have to leave the nest to really soar.

SEIZE THE CHAIR
The most dangerous place you can be in organizational life is the same as
the most dangerous place in marital life—at one point of a triangle. In
this case, the other two points include somebody at the top of your organ-
ization who likes you—and a boss who possibly feels betrayed by you.
If your boss fears you are moving up on him, he may well decide to
diminish your role or do you in. In
such a case, you must act quickly.
IF YOU WANT
Chances are, since he has greater
UNCONDITIONAL
access to the board and the CEO, he
LOVE, TURN TO
can do more damage to you over a
YOUR FAMILY,
long period of time than you can do to
BECAUSE YOU
him. And if you let him go on under-
WON’T GET IT
mining you too long, at most places
FROM A BOSS—
the best that can happen is that he
OR A PROTÉGÉ.
does both of you in.
That is why it is important to get a
really, really strong sense of where your boss stands with the top decision
makers in your organization. Gossip is worthless in such a situation. I
never listened to someone who told me,“Oh, the CEO’s unhappy with so
and so,” because I couldn’t be sure what stage the rumor was in, whether
it was first-hand information or fourth-hand.
Instead, pay sharp attention in the meetings you attend. Watch the
body language particularly carefully. What do the board and the other
senior people do when your boss presents? If the CEO is rolling her eyes
or looking the other way or doodling while your boss is talking, you’ll get

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