Good People, Bad Managers

Buchzusammenfassung

Samuel A. Culbert is an author, researcher and professor at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. Culbert is also the author of Get Rid of the Performance Review!, Beyond Bullsh*t and Radical Management.

Leaders must challenge entrenched workplace norms, such as the obsession with instant results, perfection, and punitive accountability, which stifle growth and discourage vulnerability. Employees should feel safe admitting uncertainty or seeking help, yet many workplaces suppress such openness. Proactively seeking feedback, as demonstrated by Home Depot’s board engaging directly with employees, can uncover critical issues and drive meaningful change. Honesty is equally essential; using personal pronouns and inviting differing perspectives fosters trust and transparency. However, structural incentives and cultural conformity often perpetuate poor management, leaving employees hesitant to voice concerns, especially when career progression depends on managerial favor. Transformative change requires committed leadership from the top, as seen in the author’s consulting experience. Unfortunately, business schools undervalue soft skills like self-reflection, leading graduates into workplaces that prioritize conformity over authenticity. This dynamic, combined with a relentless drive for success, often results in flawed decisions and widespread dissatisfaction. Poor management, normalized in American workplace culture, is pervasive, with Gallup finding most managers lack essential leadership skills. This acceptance of mediocrity, exemplified by figures like Carly Fiorina, highlights the need to scrutinize and address these systemic issues. Dishonesty further compounds the problem, as managers often engage in insincere behaviors like feigning interest or relying on borrowed authority to justify decisions, ultimately neglecting their teams’ needs.

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