Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Cult of the CEO

This is Joseph

This is a revealing symptom of the cult of the CEO:
If you have a CEO this dead to rights on securities fraud, why let him continue as CEO? According to the SEC, Musk was indispensable. In a statement, SEC Chair Jay Clayton said “holding individuals accountable is important and an effective means of deterrence,” but that he must take the interests of investors into account, and “the skills and support of certain individuals may be important to the future success of a company.”
One of the most pernicious myths is that of the irreplaceable man.  We know that nobody is really irreplaceable, because in the end we are all replaced by the natural force of mortality.  But it is a terrible sign of a society when it sees the importance of a person to a business enterprise as an excuse for leniency for poor conduct.  The pressure to cheat to reach the top has to be high because the stakes are so incredibly meaningful in terms of wealth and status.  That suggests more scrutiny, not less. 

Irreplaceable men often beget disasters.  Great leaders, like Napoleon, often get cocky and make grave mistakes that end up costing a great deal despite the attributes that made them successful for a long time. 

I think that this line of thinking isn't ideal. 

1 comment:

  1. > We know that nobody is really irreplaceable, because in the end we are all replaced by the natural force of mortality.

    I don't understand how this follows (nor how we're replaced by mortality).

    People certainly are irreplaceable. If Musk were to die in, say, 2003, would SpaceX or Tesla exist today?

    Who would have supplied the $180 million? Who would have led things?

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