Today’s managers and politicians often like to say, “In my position, one must have an eagle’s perspective on things.” With this, they want to imply that they cannot afford to concern themselves with small matters and everyday business – a sign of entitlement and arrogance. However, this is only half the truth.
Certainly, they must consider macro-economic factors in their business, take into account the (world) market or local legislation, but they must also understand the daily craft of their business. They must be able to successfully fill positions even below their salary class if an emergency requires it, as a real hotel manager once told me. If three buses full of tourists arrive at the hotel unexpectedly, he must be willing to step behind the reception desk and assist. He must also participate in carrying luggage. If half of the room service staff is sick, he cannot be incapable or too proud to help with bed-making and room cleaning.
These arrogant “I am in the eagle position” managers cannot do this. And they don’t want to. In a short-term emergency or overload situation, they are the ones who don’t pitch in but want to manage themselves out of the situation. Questions like “Where can I quickly get additional staff from?” run through their minds.
Unfortunately, we live in a time when managers can no longer handle their day-to-day operations. They entered the business from a privileged societal position without experiencing the seemingly outdated dishwasher career.
Most politicians can’t even tell you how much a standard loaf of bread costs in an inflationary society. I have seen interviews where some politicians were exposed by such a question.
These are all classicists and charlatans. They are wannabe modern nobles and pseudo-baronies.
An executive manager only earns genuine respect from their staff when they have started from the bottom and climbed every rung of the career ladder. Being born into a wealthy family and having expensive business management education paid for is not enough.
Certainly, a manager should be able to take an eagle’s perspective. But even an eagle, from high above, must spot prey and be able to dive down precisely to capture it. Otherwise, it starves.
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