Page 95 - Executive Warfare

Peers

best for the organization. As a result, they often become consiglieri, or the
real advisors behind the throne. This is particularly true for intelligent
people in staff positions in human resources, public relations, investor
relations, or the law department.
You can identify the consiglieri by their unfettered access to the boss.
These are the people able to walk into the office of the executive director
or president or CEO on a moment’s notice and just glide past the assis-
tant, with or without an appointment.
You need to be aware of who gets to see the big boss alone for an hour
a week and, unless you are particularly self-destructive, try not to alien-
ate them. People talk, and it is certain
that at some point the big boss will ask
the consiglieri what they think of you. THE PEOPLE WHO
The damage they can do in three min- ARE NOT IN LINE
utes is considerable: They can do you FOR BIG
in before coffee is served. PROMOTIONS ARE
Sometimes, you won’t be able to help SEEN BY THE
making an enemy of a consigliere.But BOSSES AS
do go out of your way not to tick off the DISINTERESTED
head of human resources or the general AND THEREFORE
counsel. Nothing is more terrifying to SANER JUDGES OF
the top management of any organiza- WHAT’S BEST FOR
tion than the prospect of scandal. So THE ORGANIZATION.
nothing scares them off a person more
than a negative opinion on the part of
the head lawyer or the human resources chief.
All the general counsel has to say is,“I’m not sure about that woman’s
ethics. I think she might get you in trouble,” and your career can sustain
terrible damage.
Once, in New York, I had a poor relationship with the head of per-
sonnel for the division I was working in, a woman we’ll call Carol. And
it cost me dearly with my boss at the time. When I had to fire somebody,

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