I have often said that a smart sociopath is a leader’s worst nightmare. These snakes in business casually generate more havoc in a shorter period of time than anyone else—and they often make doing so look good, at least in the short run.
But we don’t give enough attention to the second-biggest problem: the overachieving, nose-to-the-grindstone, works-60-hours-a-week, go-getter idiot. These people proudly put in more face time than anyone else, take the jobs that others eschew and smugly announce that they have no time for a balanced life because their work defines them. Although this list contains laudable behaviors, the operative word we should consider is “idiot.”
A smart person who works hard and overcomes obstacles will be your dream come true. But the idiot with initiative will prove to be your undoing.
Leaders use words like “solid citizen,” “hard worker” and “good guy” to describe this kind of individual. Often these same leaders say things like “I can count on Joe. He’ll work longer and harder than anyone else.”
My repeated question: “What does Joe actually accomplish?” Too often the client has concentrated on Joe’s input, not his results.
The problem with the Joes of the world is they simply can’t prioritize. They want to give each task first place position and build the case that “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.” Joes can argue persuasively for quality, compliance and perfection. After all, who’s anti-perfect? My best clients are.
Perfect takes too long, costs too much, undermines excellence and pays too little return on investment. Success, on the other hand, involves a high percentage of accuracy but not the wasted time of precision. Joe and those of his ilk have a preoccupation with failure and a reluctance to simplify. (If you run a nuclear power plant, disregard this article and mirror Joe’s approach, except for the idiot part).
If, however, you run another sort of organization and you have too many Joes working for you, you are leaving money on the table, resisting innovation, and establishing a risk-averse culture. You won’t learn from your mistakes because no one will make any.
What’s your New Year’s resolution? A successful life and business? Or like Joe, have you condemned yourself to spinning your wheels, creating friction, abrasion, ongoing frustration and the status quo?
Dr. Linda Henman is one of those rare experts who can say she’s a coach, consultant, speaker, and author. For more than 30 years, she has worked with Fortune 500 Companies and small businesses that want to think strategically, grow dramatically, promote intelligently, and compete successfully today and tomorrow. Some of her clients include Emerson Electric, Boeing, Avon and Tyson Foods. She was one of eight experts who worked directly with John Tyson after his company’s acquisition of International Beef Products, one of the most successful acquisitions of the twentieth century.
Linda holds a Ph.D. in organizational systems and two Master of Arts degrees in both interpersonal communication and organization development and a Bachelor of Science degree in communication. Whether coaching executives or members of the board, Linda offers clients coaching and consulting solutions that are pragmatic in their approach and sound in their foundation—all designed to create exceptional organizations.
She is the author of Landing in the Executive Chair: How to Excel in the Hot Seat, The Magnetic Boss: How to Become the Leader No One Wants to Leave, and contributing editor and author to Small Group Communication, among other works.
Dr. Henman can be reached at 
