December 2015

There is clearly a crisis of leadership in most company and organizational structures; a lack of that which represents true leadership in business. Current hiring practices, as they are trending in the last decade, screen out all but the generic, cardboard cut-out conformists. Likewise, the utilization of psychometric testing has the same objective: to identify a cross-sampling of the “right kind of people” which, whether it was intended or not conveys to innovators, outside-the-box thinkers and stand-apart leadership types that they need not apply. Universities don’t develop leaders, it isn’t their function and campus activism isn’t analogous with leadership, in case you needed clarification. Institutions of learning might provide courses in leadership that may identify what leadership is, but this doesn’t produce or develop leaders. Same for most MBA programs in which the operative words, when it comes to Master of

I feel compelled again this week to address yet another ridiculous question interviewees are subjected to and feel obligated to answer. Clearly, the most basic premise of a job interview is for the hiring manager to challenge those with whom they will meet by asking “can you do the job and why should we hire you?” How is it such a basic task can be turned into such a circus; nevertheless, leave it to people without any business sense or bureaucrats to turn even the most straight-forward and clear processes into something unrecognizable and, quite nearly, pointless. Have you ever been asked this one, “…what animal would you choose to be?” or any variation referring to a kind of car, a food, even a candy bar you would choose to be? Along with the inevitable follow-up question, “…and why…?” My own

“What is your biggest weakness?” is one of the dumbest, brain-dead questions to ask a person being evaluated for a potential job opportunity. The people who ask this question actually think they are clever. This question is demonstrative of a true amateur pretending to be otherwise. And if I’ve offended anyone with my direct, but honest, statement please just go crawl away to your safe space and suck your thumb. Sometimes the truth simply needs to be delivered right between the eyes. Sadly many people are not good at conducting an interview, so they compensate with condescension and/or arrogance as a shield to deflect attention to their own shortcomings. We’re always told about the flaws in job candidates but, sometimes, it is the unfortunate applicant who must suffer through a meeting that has more in common with a pointless and