If you ever wonder why in business, in politics and in sports that some people can earn enormous huge gargantuan amounts of money and others do not, I have the answer for you.
They believe in the Messiah. Not Jesus, a Messiah that will come and solve all their ills.
Here’s what they believe:
This person will move people to do great things because of his power
This person will have knowledge of all things happening everywhere
This person will have answers that are perfect
This person knows where to find the people needed to do the job
This person can perform miracles where none seem possible
This person will be controversial but makes things happen
This person can do what needs done because others can’t
This person is worth lots of money because of his promises
This person will get gigantic results because of who he is
If that sounds like Jesus it’s because it is. And it’s the guy every company, ball team, and political party is looking for.
The problem is, the last time this person showed up they hung him on a cross.
Oh, American business is still looking for him, and when he turns out to have feet of clay (as any human ultimately will) they crucify him and look for another messiah.
I know. I was that person once for a company. They were looking for the guy who was going to solve all their problems. I solved some but they were looking for more so I was exiled.
When I see the likes of Ken Lay, Bernie Ebbers, and others who are scandal ridden, or Tom Delay and George W Bush, or Kobe Bryant, the wonder of their accomplishments whatever they might be are soon eclipsed by the need to get rid of this messiah and find a better one.
I go back to pay. The job of corporate messiah I took in 1985 for $55,000 per year was succeeded by the next corporate messiah at about double my starting salary. The one after that was more still.
This has happened in spades in the last 20 years in American business.
It’s all a con game, I’ll try to con you into thinking I’m the next corporate messiah and you pay me thusly and I’ll get enough of a golden parachute to cover my sorry behind when you kick my butt out. This con game is then played by the next would be Messiah.
Let’s stop the insanity. There is no such thing as a corporate messiah. Corporate boards hire these guys because it covers their sorry behinds. We hired the best they say, he failed not us they say, let’s get a new one to sweep clean like a broom they say, in the end it’s all a spoof.
Same in politics and sports.
The job of being CEO of fairly large corporation is best held by someone who doesn’t have all the answers, who tries hard to find them, who works with good people toward a common goal and if a person they are working with isn’t good, helps find someone who is.
It’s not rocket science. Don’t pay for rocket science.
Corporate boards: hire for right money, get a good person, pay them well but not stupid and make your company a great company. Take your position at the table.
This is getting out of hand.
That Job in 1985 I was hired for if it existed today would be a $250,000 per year job. I would not have been then and am not now worth that much money. Neither is anyone else for that size company. Stop the insanity.
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