I've had the opportunity to work with hundreds, maybe thousands of brilliant people over a 30-year career in high-tech. Unfortunately, that's not really saying much, since just about any CEO, executive, or entrepreneur you're likely to come across has the smarts to do the job.When it comes to management ability and leadership qualities, however, bosses tend to follow a pretty standard bell shaped curve: consistently successful managers at one narrow end, remarkably ineffective ones at the other end, and everyone else in between.
After all the years, experiences, and observations, I've got a pretty good handle on what it takes to be a great manager and what kind of behavior will tend to land an executive at one end of the bell curve or the other.
And while one size manager does not fit all situations, I have been able to identify, with relative certainty, three types of managers who shouldn't be running anything, let alone an organization or a company. Not only will they fail, they'll take the whole organization and everyone in it down with them.
If you don't believe me, check it out. I bet you can fit just about any executive who has failed big-time into one of these three categories. Incidentally, if your boss fits one, better get on LinkedIn and update your resume. And if you fit one, what can I say, you're in deep you-know-what.
Here are three types of bosses that should be fired, and sooner rather than later:
The Smartest Guy in the Room
This is the guy who has all the answers and can never, ever be wrong. He doesn't just breathe his own fumes or drink his own Kool-Aid, he makes and mass-markets it, as well. He wants everyone to agree with his grandiose vision of how things should be and makes sure of that by surrounding...