Organizational Theory
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What to Know Before Your First Promotion: A Title Is a Role, Not a Status
2025-09-05
Many first-time managers equate their new title with higher social status. I unpack why that illusion is dangerous, how it corrodes character, and what mindset protects you when you eventually step down.
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What Aptitude Does Management Really Require? The Power to Put Yourself on the Shelf
2025-09-04
Conventional wisdom lists the traits of a good manager, yet everyday reality demands something less glamorous: the ability to set aside your own shortcomings and keep the organization moving. I explain why this uncomfortable skill matters and how it differs from mere arrogance.
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The Dilemma of Developing Subordinates: Should You Invest in Top Performers or Lift Up Strugglers?
2025-09-01
Managers agonize over whether to spend time on their strongest people or on those who lag behind. Drawing on my own failures and organizational theory, I explain why I now focus my time on those who can already perform—and how that approach ultimately lifts the whole team.
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What Is Management? Why Managers Fail Without a Definition
2025-08-31
Management is every activity that keeps an organization achieving its goals. I clarify how it differs from leadership, why ESG and CSR are environmental constraints rather than new purposes, and why managers who lack their own definition always fail.