33 The Manager Whose Style and Authority Are Based on Absolute Power It is no joke that despots still exist in management circles today. They are formal, officious little dictators. They know best and the employee's role is to do as told without questioning why. One cannot help but think this jackass is indeed playing a role on stage because it is such a contrast to modern practices, but they are still around. They tend to intimidate everyone around them and love to have people speak in hushed tones in their presence, as well as step aside as they move straight ahead. To them the organization is like a supreme "state," and it is their sacred duty to rule with an iron hand. A strategy they share in common with one another is to call employees to their office to make them sit outside, agonizing over why they were called. In the early twentieth century, such despotism characterized the