Be your “authentic” self…or not ?

Max Cantor — Thu, 10 Aug 2017 21:18:00 +0000

Celebrity COO Sheryl Sandberg was on Bloomberg TV yesterday commenting on the popular topic of the Google Memo, the memo that went viral couple of days ago.

“I think it’s great when people lose their jobs when it [sexual harassment] happens, because I think that is what will get people to not do it in the future,” Sandberg said in an interview with Bloomberg Television’s Emily Chang. “And I think this is a leadership challenge. As a leader of a company, there needs to be no tolerance for it.” (Source: Bloomberg)

Onto Uber’s next leader: “People respond to what’s tolerated and what’s encouraged,” Sandberg said when asked what advice she had for Uber’s next leader. “And I think a great leader can change the culture of I think almost any company in almost any situation. You put in new policies, you have new procedures, your language is different; I’m always optimistic.” (Fortune)

I’m not going to discuss the Google Memo, but Sheryl comments make sense. Hey, Sheryl, I’ll trade you my job for yours [maybe].

What we do on this blog is power analysis. I won’t debate the Memo. I don’t work for Google, and frankly, it’s NOMB.

What a leader needs to do:

1. Make sense of the news if it is newsworthy.
2. Set an appropriate course

On the power level, the executive needs to meet the audience at their level. Notice the Google Memo did not debate or implied sexual harassment. Nevertheless, Sheryl addressed it straight point. Why ? Because that issue was in [most] people’s minds presumably drawing “the red line”. By talking about sexual harassment, Sheryl met the audience at its needs.

2. Sheryl diluted the argument diplomatically. Notice the generalities employed in those comments, and how well they are reframed to the leader. Sheryl spoke from the leader’s framework, as it should be. Notice there’s no flimsy wasting of breath on any bullshit. A leader does not waste her words on arguments that she/he is not part of.

Back to the original issue and the firing of the engineer. Should you be your “authentic” self in the workplace…or not ? A lot of you have that issue, whether you’re an engineer, a technician, driver, baker, butcher,..or the Boss Impaler which is what I’ve been called, whatever.

1. Authentic is meaningless unless you have power. If you’re some dope looking for attention and such…leave your manhood for the bedroom set. Nobody likes a smartass.

2. The First Rule of the Underling is to Acquire Power. Not to confront an organization. Confront a Person. Always Target A Person. Get that into your Head. The majority sets the “culture”, not you.

3. From 1) and 2) above, you can already seee that James Damone was dumb as a brick. Before she became FB’s COO while working at GOOGL do you think Sheryl gave a rat’s ass about culture ? She was there carefully orchestrating her rise, a little here and there, doing her job and getting her commendations. That may sound like a Ferengi Rule of Acquisitions, so here are some pictures for you dumbshits to stare at. If I had a dime for every idiot that works in finance, I’d be a millionaire by now.

Anyway, got to get back to my boring work modeling NOLs and carry forwards.

Until next time,

Max

Update: 8/11/17 Reader Ron submitted his favorite Ferengi quotes in the comments below. Since Comments are sometimes harder to read, I’ll reproduce his favorite “Rules of Acquisitions” [Source link] Get ready for it. For those that don’t know what the Ferengi are, they are a merchant race in the nineties sci-fi series “Star Trek”.

Rule #38: Everyone needs something.

Rule #29: Always ask, “What’s in it for me?”

Rule #27: There’s nothing more dangerous than an honest businessman.

Rule #60: Keep your lies consistent.

Rule #66: Double the price, then sell it half off.

Rule #72: Never trust your customers.

Rule #91: Hear all, trust nothing.

Rule #98: Every man has his price.

Rule #99: Trust is the biggest liability of all.

Rule #104: Faith moves mountains of inventory.

Rule #106: There is no honor in poverty.

Rule #110: Playing dumb is often smart.

Rule #114: The one in power defines morality.

Rule #116: There’s always a catch.

Rule #117: Profit is the better part of valor.

Rule #121: Everything is for sale, including friendship.

Rule #128: Secrets are commodities, sell them.

Rule #129: The fear of poverty is the beginning of knowledge.

Rule #130: Never pay for sentiment, always charge for it.

Rule #131: Information is profit.

Rule #137: Everything is negotiable.

Rule #142: There’s no such thing as an unfair advantage.

Rule #151: The man is richest who’s pleasures are cheapest.

Rule #152: A lie is a way to tell the truth to someone who doesn’t know.

Rule #155: Power is 50% what you have and 50% what people think you have.

Rule #160: Happiness is not mere possession of profit, but joy of acquisition.

Rule #161: Beyond the mountains there are more mountains.

Rule #162: Even in the worst of times, someone turns a profit.

Rule #163: When a friend makes profit, you don’t.

Rule #171: Blood is thicker than water, and money is thicker than both.

Rule #173: Dream, plan, believe, act.

Rule #174: If you can’t buy it, find someone who can.

Rule #176: The wind always favors the best navigator.

Rule #183: When it’s a question of profit, everyone is of one belief.

Rule #184: In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.

Rule #185: Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.

Rule #186: There is no security, only opportunity.

Rule #190: Hear all, trust nothing.

Rule #195: You can’t jump a 20 foot gorge in two 10 foot jumps.

Rule #197: Pick battles big enough to matter, but small enough to win.

Rule #198: You can’t shake hands with a fist.

Rule #200: A wise man chooses no side but his own.

Rule #205: Trust can be expensive.

Rule #206: Distrust can be expensive.

Rule #207: Sense without education is better than education without sense.

Rule #208: Sometimes the only thing more dangerous than a question, is an answer.

Rule #216: Never gamble with an empath.

Rule #217: You can’t free a fish from water.

Rule #218: Always know what you’re buying.

Rule #220: Listen what they say while watching what they do.

Rule #221: Computers can only give you the answers.

Rule #222: The right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be believed.

Rule #228: Bid high and bid often.

Rule #236: You can’t buy fate.

Rule #240: Do it yourself and keep it yourself.

Rule #244: Because something’s priceless doesn’t mean it’s not worthless.

Rule #245: Benevolence is 50/50.

Rule #246: Innocence is expensive.

Rule #247: Don’t negotiate with the underlings.

Rule #248: Profit is in the details.

Rule #251: Don’t miss the opportunity by grabbing at the shadow.

Rule #252: Little steps may prove great profit.

Rule #256: Accountants do not play the game; they only keep the score.

Rule #257: Despise the things you cannot have.

Rule #266: When in doubt, lie.

Rule #267: If you believe it, they believe it.

Rule #268: Hold on to what you have, but plan for future luck.

Rule #269: Trying to please an enemy makes you the loser everytime.

Rule #270: In business deals, a gun can be almost as important as a calculator.

Rule #271: What we want is not always the most profitable.

Rule #275: Foolish investment based on foolish advice is still foolish investment.

Rule #276: Overbooking is standard practice.

Rule #277: Anything worth fighting for is worth hiding from.

Rule #278: Appearances are deceptive. Dress above yourself.

Rule #279: Necessity knows no price.

Rule #280: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Rule #283: An individual is smart, a group is not.

Rule #284: Deep down, everyone’s a Ferengi.

The Unwritten Rule: When no appropriate Rule applies, make one up!

workplace rules of acquisitions | Wall Street Financier: Notes from High Altitude©

Be your “authentic” self…or not ?