Page 89 - The Voice of Authority

chapter 4

Is It Purposefully Unclear?

You never really hear the truth from
your subordinates until after 10 in the
evening.
—Jürgen Schrempp, former CEO
of DaimlerChrysler

can’t put off the decision any longer—I have to give the
president an answer tomorrow about taking over the
Ioperations in Germany.”
“Why would you turn it down? It’d be a great experience
for your kids. Only two years there. Then you’d come back
here and have any job you wanted for the next 20 years.”
“It’d be great if it were just my wife and me. But I’d have
to move our two youngest kids, my mother-in-law, and our
granddaughter.”
“The company wants you there, right? Did they give you
a choice?”
“I think so—I mean, I think I have a choice. I guess that’s
what I’ll try to determine in the meeting tomorrow with
the president. He did ask me if I wanted the job.”
“They don’t ask. If you don’t take this assignment, it’ll
be your last shot at the executive suite.”

Is It Purposefully Unclear? 77

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