Brilliant article TIMA9X. This is the quote I like the best, the general case:
Yet no matter how imaginative these ideas happen to be, management theory is utterly correct about one thing. Bad leaders won't be able to turn even the best idea into a success. And this is where the column turns from the specific to the general; from Qantas to Australia.
There are, on both sides of politics, a number of really good, imaginative and capable people. I feel far happier, for example, knowing Malcolm Turnbull's in charge of the NBN than I ever could with Stephen Conroy being in charge of anything (let alone Defence). Joe Hockey, however, is a disaster as Treasurer: give me Chris Bowen any day. I'm still out on who I want for PM (although I know the majority of readers have well and truly made up their minds they don't want the incumbent).
Yet the problem isn't that incompetents are running the show. That's always occurred. What's different now is that the rewards at the top are so great that nobody further down the line is prepared to risk inserting a little dose of reality for fear it will stymie their career. Stupidity is allowed to flourish.
Which is basically a restatment of
Celine's second Law
Accurate communication is possible only in a non-punishing situation.
Wilson rephrases this himself many times as "communication occurs only between equals." Celine calls this law "a simple statement of the obvious" and refers to the fact that everyone who labors under an authority figure tends to lie to and flatter that authority figure in order to protect themselves either from violence or from deprivation of security (such as losing one's job). In essence, it is usually more in the interests of any worker to tell his boss what he wants to hear, not what is true.
In any hierarchy, every level below the highest carries a subtle burden to see the world in the way their superiors expect it to be seen and to provide feedback to their superiors that their superiors want to hear. In the end, any hierarchical organization supports what its leaders already think is true more than it challenges them to think differently. The levels below the leaders are more interested in keeping their jobs than telling the truth.
The problem is, these masters of the universe are going to take the rest of us down with them. In the end though, they will suffer the indignity of failed reputations as they ride of into the sunset with their millions. Folks, they never have to work again. The rest of us will be simply hoping to avoid bankruptcy.
Sitting around and waiting for something to change, from the shareholders, ASIC, ACCC, government or unions is no longer an option. The leadership are going to take this down through sheer incompetence, and
everyone else is going to sit back and watch it implode knowing the outcome.
What are we going to do about it? WE ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT CAN CHANGE IT. We are basically at the point of revolution or bust.