Ten Simple Rules On Working For An Idiot... Rule # 2: Keep Your Distance

Idiots tend to self-destruct. They can’t help themselves. When it happens they usually fall fast and far because the people around them are more than willing to let gravity take its natural course. Idiots are generally not nice to people on their way up, so people tend not to be nice to them on their way down (see post below dated March 1, 2010).

Several years ago I reported to the Chief Risk Officer of a large financial services company. He was a very smart man with a PhD in some quantitative discipline. In fact, he thought he was the smartest guy in the company. He operated under the assumption that if he made things appear complicated, he could simply say he accomplished those things, and because those things appeared complicated no one would actually check whether they were accomplished or not. His view was that talk was the same as action – if he held a meeting to discuss something, he believed that was the same as actually doing something. He got away with this nonsense for five years…until someone smarter than him started asking some really simple questions – like, “Can you show me how that actually works?”

The last straw that finally brought this guy down was holding a conference costing several hundred thousand dollars for nearly 200 internal executives, complete with ethnic Russian folk dancers for after-dinner entertainment. I had the pleasure of sitting at the same table with the president of one of our largest divisions. The confused and irritated look on his face was priceless.

This guy probably could have survived his arrogance and antics if he had actually delivered on some of his B.S. Unfortunately for a number of people around him (fortunately not me…) they were deemed guilty by association. Seven out of his ten direct reports were fired with him. They were smart and talented people but their identity and ultimate destiny was inextricably tied to an idiot...

Aligning yourself to a strong visionary leader can be a significant boost to your career. But the vision must be more than just words and the strength must come from the ability to influence actions in a productive and valuable way. If not, keep your distance so that others won't think you are just one of many in the idiot's entourage...