Dear Jim Bob,
I work for a large corporation. Our CEO is currently travelling around to all our facilities from coast to coast making speeches to the employees. Jim Bob, all he is talking about is how bad our company is and how bad the future looks and how its probably going to be impossible to turn the business around. The amazing thing is that he looks happy and thrilled to be sharing all this misery. Is this a good leadership tactic Jim Bob. Shouldn’t he be trying to motivate and inspire us to work hard and pull together?
Samuel (Sam) Squelched
Sumpter, South Carolina
Dear Sam,
Your CEO is just following the lead of our new President. It used to be (in former times of common sense and rational thought) that leaders were to inspire and lift up the attitudes of those they lead. The new leadership style is focused on deflating people and scaring them silly. As President Obama wrapped up his National Gloom and Doom Tour this week it seems to be working for him.
To help you get a handle on this Sam I’ve created a simple Obama Gloom & Doom Thermometer, using this past week as a benchmark against the future. Here it is:
Love,
©2009, James C. Norman
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