[Question] Who should be the boss

[ChrisNG53]

By “boss” I am referring to our top leaderships posts such as President, Prime Minister and Chief Executive.
My humble opinion is founded on evidence garnered over 45 years working experience and interaction involving organizations in four regional countries and top management of US$multi billion entities in the UK, the US, Germany, Australia and New Zealand.
I have no hesitation in saying; in insisting, that “the boss” should be a woman.
To simplify something that could occupy a book, the central difference appears to be that of ego, not the brash overpowering “bully boy” insistence of being top dog, but an ever present insistence on acceptance and dominance. Howsoever subtle, this insistence is always there, as one side of coin whose other side is the acting out of manifestations of insecurity.
For starters, who are we kidding? Surely it is blindingly obvious that anything that can grow another human being in its stomach, produce it perfectly formed, and survive, is clearly biologically superior to the male species?

In my blog post I make out my case and include -

If I had my way I would ensure that on the day that the boss takes up his post, he undergoes IQ and aptitude tests in direct competition with all staff, and the results posted on the entity’s notice board. This “chastening” experience will be good for us males, in particular, and force us to accept a few things about ourselves and the people we lead.
The goal will change from “dominance” to inspiring others to lead in their functional areas.

Perhaps I am wrong. I doubt it. Just look at how buggerred up this male dominated world is.

[AndyD]

If you're proposing that women have less egotistical character traits and 'not the brash overpowering “bully boy” insistence of being top dog', I can deduce two things.

1. You haven't met some of the women I have.
2. You don't get out much.

[Dave A]

Perhaps I am wrong. I doubt it.

Can't get much more "male" than that

I take it in all that experience you didn't come across too many level 5 leaders then. Funnily enough, JZ probably is one. He's just rather heavily handicapped by the skeletons in the closet.

[adrianh]

For starters, who are we kidding? Surely it is blindingly obvious that anything that can grow another human being in its stomach, produce it perfectly formed, and survive, is clearly biologically superior to the male species?

This is like saying the liver is superior to the lung. You need both of them equally. It is great that women can give birth, but superior, what a strange sideways thought. I'd love to see a pregnant woman hunt down an animal for food.

I think that your views are probably based on the males that you encountered during your 45 years of working with men. I further think that your conclusions are drawn from faulty data given that you would have interacted with a very small number of powerful women due to the fact that they are poorly represented in positions of power for whatever reason.

Chris, you of all people should know that a person doesn't need to have a high IQ to hold a position of power. There are many, many people that are put in those positions via there connections to he leaders who got into power themselves, on the whole, not due to their intelligence.

Here's a stunning quote that I read today in Bad Science written by Ben Goldacre:

When people learn no tools of judgement and merely follow their hopes, the seeds of political manipulation are sown.
Stephen Jay Gould

Look at the rubbish that our schools teach and look at the rubbish the leaders preach.


And you know, I actually agree with you about having more women in power (I'd even go for more intelligent men)

So, I'm knocking the premise that women are superior (different yes, superior no, equal yes) , but I am not knocking the thought that there are too few women in positions of power.

[tec0]

Biologically women can do a lot more than men but ego and attitude are not based on gender. It is a complex mental state involving beliefs, feelings, values and dispositions to act in certain ways thus determining a mindset and Personality.

Humanity has two flaws that will ultimately become the foundation for our own demise. The first is we strive for perfection and the second is obsession. You can link every war, and every horrible act of humanity to these two things.

A leader must be well educated have moral value and must be self-driven and must be able to make difficult decisions based on sound reasoning. If anything the world never had such a leader ever in its existence if we did then our history, religion and advancement would have been different.

A superiority complex is really in its nature a flaw regardless of gender. Always remember as humans we are born capable to do almost anything, we can change biological building blocks and set an atom on fire so we are really unlimited in our potential. But it is our moral fibre that keeps us “human”.

[adrianh]

Always remember as humans we are born capable to do almost anything

I think that we are the most Machiavellian creatures to have ever evolved. We delude ourselves into believing that we are God's greatest creation. We have limited mental capacity and our various "components" are a mish mash of evolutionary compromise. Our eyes have blind spots, our brains are easily decived with optical illusions (they aren't actually optical illusions - they are simple drawings that punch through our automatic compensation machinery which I might add is required because our brains are simply incapably of dealing with the masses of optical information), our hearing is poor compared to that of animals, our sense of smell ain't great either. Then there is the fact that we can easily choke due to the manner in which we swallow and breathe. We are victims of our own emotions (which we largely can't control because it forms part of what we like to call the old (monkey) brain)....I can go on....

Humans are only born capable to do almost anything in the pages of the latest expensive self help book at the CNA, the rest of humanity is actually quite ffffed up!

What does the book say "If you can think it you can do it" ...aye well, I can think I can fly all day long...luckily I don't believe that I can hence I do not have a broken arm!

[tec0]

I think that we are the most Machiavellian creatures to have ever evolved. We delude ourselves into believing that we are God's greatest creation. We have limited mental capacity and our various "components" are a mish mash of evelutionary compromise. Our eyes have blind spots, our brains are easily decived with optical illusions (they aren't actually optical illusions - they are simple drawings that punch through our automatic compensation machinery which I might add is required because our brains are simply incapably of dealing with the masses of optical information), our hearing is poor compared to that of animals, our sense of smell ain't great either. Then there is the fact that we can easily choke due to the manner in which we swallow and breathe. We are victims of our own emotions (which we largely can't control)....I can go on....

Humans are only born capable to do almost anything in the pages of the latest expensive self help book at the CNA, the rest of humanity is actually quite ffffed up!

What does the book say "If you can think it you can do it" ...aye well, I can think I can fly all day long...luckily I don't believe that I can hence I do not have a broken arm!

I feel very sad for you I do; science when in practice can do a lot, I would love to see a fish building a nuclear generator or work out a formula so that babies can have powdered milk. Yes we are not perfect but if you only want to see the messed up bad evil parts of life then you will probably end up just like me and that in itself is scary...

But if you wake up and count your gifts along with the good things that did happen and work towards good things that will happen then good things can be expected. See right now we work for profiteers and because money is mathematically flawed so will our world be flawed.

But in time when enough people have given up their lives and the lives of their families then the system may change and with it changes will come. Some good some bad but I do think in a few thousand years from now humanity will evolved too something good.

Or not...

[adrianh]

Humans are simply evolving animals. We inadvertently became self aware when the various components that make up our brains developed a feed back system. I think therefore I am. Like mirrors reflecting one another.

I don't only see what you would term "messed up bad evil parts" to the contrary, I see the whole. We are flawed evolving animals. Bad & evil are simple social norms - whats bad & evil for you may be perfectly acceptable to another person living in another time or place.

Us humans give ourselves far too much credit!

[twinscythe12332]

I think that we are the most Machiavellian creatures to have ever evolved. We delude ourselves into believing that we are God's greatest creation. We have limited mental capacity and our various "components" are a mish mash of evolutionary compromise. Our eyes have blind spots, our brains are easily decived with optical illusions (they aren't actually optical illusions - they are simple drawings that punch through our automatic compensation machinery which I might add is required because our brains are simply incapably of dealing with the masses of optical information), our hearing is poor compared to that of animals, our sense of smell ain't great either. Then there is the fact that we can easily choke due to the manner in which we swallow and breathe. We are victims of our own emotions (which we largely can't control because it forms part of what we like to call the old (monkey) brain)....I can go on....

Humans are only born capable to do almost anything in the pages of the latest expensive self help book at the CNA, the rest of humanity is actually quite ffffed up!

What does the book say "If you can think it you can do it" ...aye well, I can think I can fly all day long...luckily I don't believe that I can hence I do not have a broken arm!

agreed. however we compromised on getting opposable thumbs. This is why we can shoot any other animal that gets too cocky (even fellow humans). There's a reason why we have reached the level that we have. some of it is skill, most of it is sheer dumb luck.

[Dave A]

Some time in the middle of last night, this thread popped into my head again. Strong ego generally manifests as a Type A personality, so:

In these examples, who would you consider as the stronger Type A personality:

Hilary Clinton or Barack Obama?

Maggie Thatcher or.. pretty much any of the recent wimps?

Helen Zille or Jacob Zuma?

Which one would be more likely to insist on having the last word?

[adrianh]

I read up a bit on "Type A personalities" Eish...reads like a mirror...

When I think of the book "Who moved my cheese" the first thought that pops into my mind is "F OFF, the cheese is mine, go get your own"

[Butch Hannan]

No doubt Helen Zille

[Butch Hannan]

Are we not all manipulated by the woman in our lives. They hold the keys to the most powerful and destructive weapon known to human kind. How many powerful men have come into disrepute and consequently fallen because of it.
I leave it to you imagination.

[ChrisNG53]

Who should be the boss?

When I think of the book "Who moved my cheese" the first thought that pops into my mind is "F OFF, the cheese is mine, go get your own"

This has relevance to my stance as I had a huge dispute with a male boss on the matter of what books should be recommended to senior staff for their personal development. He was adamant that "Who moved my cheese" was indicated. I was of the view that "Animal Farm" and "The Peter Principle" were indicated.
On their own, the staff read all three.
They were unanimous in concluding that "Who moved my cheese' was simply "un-inspirational" and had more to do with maintaining an "intimidatory" climate.
They gave the other 2 books full marks on any number of levels.

To conclude, I had hoped that positions would have been taken based on actual real life experiences.

Anyway, thanks for the contributions, especially as there does not appear to be any serious refute ...
.... and Deo Gratias that Brazil has seen the light.

[Dave A]

Anyway, thanks for the contributions, especially as there does not appear to be any serious refute ...

Really? I suggest you've missed the points raised in most of the responses so far then.

Which makes me a little curious - What, in your opinion, are the life lessons to be learnt from Animal Farm?