In the Company of Knuckleheads

To put this boldly, we have far too many knuckleheads in business today. Some have the calm and confidence of well-paid fools; many are loud and wrong. None are easily realigned to serve society. And although it is easier to spot knuckleheads among sports fans than it is in business (as my 12-year-old daughter adeptly proved), I can assure you after 30 years as a management consultant that they thrive in modern businesses as well.

So who are these knuckleheads?

They are the guys and gals who stage highly visible raids during well-attended corporate meetings in support of some highly inconsequential item. They are the opponents of the frugality of effort. They fight for a fleeting kind of attention at headquarters to serve small ends. They simply cannot enjoy a game of serious strategy from afar; after a certain point, they must thrust themselves into a smaller kind of game.