Losing It! Behaviors and Mindsets that Ruin Careers: Lessons on Protecting Yourself from Avoidable Mistakes

4. The Imperative of Selective Micromanagement

Blondie’s View

Former GE senior executive Bill Woodburn’s view (and I envy him because he still has the blonde hair I had long ago, with no signs of losing it) is similar to mine. Naturally, that’s why I agree with it. Bill feels that a key factor in losing is “superficiality,” or managing “up” and at too high a level. He tells me, “A good leader has the ability to know how far to ‘drive down.’”

Woodburn adds this important nuance to his obviously impassioned views: “When you are superficial in your vetting, it sends a message that you [in the organization] can be superficial in your analysis. When you know a review is going to be a ‘cakewalk,’ you know you don’t have to be too rigorous in your analyses.” ...