Challenging the FOLKLORE...Team Competence versus Loyalty

One of the obvious failings of the Bush administration has been Bush's emphasis on loyalty rather than competence. There is no question that President Bush has had several unqualified members of his team and they have held their jobs because they have been "team players".
This has practice is also very prevalent and obvious in many large corporations and it has negatively impacted all of the key stakeholders.

According to Doris Goodwin's " Team of Rivals", Lincoln selected his cabinet members because they were competent and provided another perspective, even if they have adversarial views. His cabinet included people who ran against him and in some cases even criticized him in public. One of his team was running against him even while a member of the cabinet. But Lincoln used the talents of these adversaries to lead in probably the biggest CRISIS that the country had to face.

In my book: Risktaker, Caretaker, Surgeon, Undertaker- a four faces of strategic leadership I emphasize that there are no one leader for all times and that the team must fit the leadership type and the situation. If an organization is in crisis, the leader and the team must be willing to challenge everything, hold nothing sacred and seek all views.

In my latest book: THE SECRET TO GE's SUCCESS.. I emphasize that GE has avoided the "cookie cutter" approach and selected leaders and team players that were different and fit the unique situation.

When I was GE's Corporate Strategist, I always looked for and selected people who provided different insights, even if I didn't agree with them. When I led the Management Development Program and Strategic Planning Workshops and Seminars, I included professors and outsiders who challenged the GE Folklore and didn't just recite the party line.
I am not sure what is happening in GE today, but it is vital that all companies and organizations seek out people who are competent and not just "back slapping/ yes" people. Unfortunately it appears that most of the failing companies today have not sought "teams of rivals" but "teams of friends, neighbors and those who refuse to challenge the folklore".

Bill Rothschild, CEO of Rothschild Strategies Unlimited, LLC