Successful People
As a
relatively unsuccessful person, I have become an observational expert of
successful people. Successful people
come in three categories.
The
experts:
Eminently
qualified for a job, these people by sheer
intellect, drive and absolute devotion to their area of expertise become
successful in their chosen field. Not
highly successful, but they reach a moderate level of success by virtue of
their competence and productivity.
These people
are useful tools for the truly successful people:
The CEO’s:
The most
successful people in any area are the CEO’s.
These people learn just enough about any issue to recognize the true experts
and direct that expertise in the most productive way.
For instance,
an expert invented paper with an adhesive back, a CEO turned that into “Sticky
notes.” The expert was rewarded with a
high salary, the CEO was rewarded with stock options worth multi-millions.
The third category
is the
Middle
Manager:
These people
have no expertise in an area, but learn just enough to take credit from the experts
when things go well, and place blame on the same experts when things do not go
well. They can be identified by their
constant use of questions like:
“Didn’t anyone
test that first?”
or excuses:
“No one
could have ever predicted that.”
They protect
themselves of future mistakes by voicing comments as:
“I am
concerned that this may not work.”
The middle
manager has enough expertise to be dangerous, and enough political skill to
hide his lack of expertise.
He does look
good in a suit.
Some Middle
Managers are so good at being Middle Managers that they become ineffective CEO’s.
We see this often in politics.
Recently
there was a traffic jam on route I-95, the busiest highway on the east coast, during a snow/ice storm.
Apparently
it was no ones fault.
“No one
could have forecast such a storm.” (except the weather experts who did forecast the storm with
dead on accuracy).
“Salting
roads would not work as the rain would wash it away.” (except the rain hit the ice-cold
road and instantly turned to ICE!)
Finally the
jam which left hundreds stranded for over 24 hours in the cold without food, water or restroom facilities was blamed on:
“The
idiots that thought they could go out and drive during a major snow storm!”
The idiots
were mostly truck drivers bringing goods and produce to our homes and the empty
shelves in our supermarkets. Oh, and a
Senator who almost became Vice President of the United States.
There is
similar blame for Covid-19 deaths. When
faced with failure, blame the victims.
“Almost
all covid deaths are the unvaccinated.”
That may be
true, but it begs the obvious that you just can not convince 100% of any
population to stick stuff in their body.
Many people avoid the shot because they do not trust government based on
past medical experimental programs. Some
are just ignorant. Some feel they are
immune due to already suffering the disease.
Lots of reasons, some even valid.
(BTW I am double
vaccinated and boosted.)
So the
pandemic has hit us hard because:
“No one
could have predicted the new variants.” (Except the experts who have been saying it for two years)
and it is
“People’s
own fault for not getting vaccinated.” (Those people are even responsible for the new variant and
for giving Covid to the vaccinated!)
“Nothing
we could do, not our fault,” claim the in charge non-experts.
Except the
experts have developed therapeutics such an Remdesivir and Monoclonal
Antibodies while middle managers make excuses and the CEO’s sleep. These therapeutics are very effective and have been around for over
a year. Why is there a shortage?
“Not my
fault” “No one could have predicted the need” and “It is the anti-vacs fault!”
Six months
ago experts said they had therapeutics in pill form that were potential “game
changers” in the Covid battle. It took
months to test these pills to determine they were safe and effective. Now in the middle of the Omicron surge these
pills are proven effective and could save thousands of lives…except they are
not available.
Middle
managers waited until they passed all tests.
Now they will not be available until summer when the virus seems to be
the least contagious.
Why did we not
demand early full production of these therapeutics in anticipation of their potential effectiveness
and safety?
I have not
heard that question asked. I assume the
answer would be,
“No one
could have anticipated the need.” Or “Not my fault.” Or “If everyone was vaccinated
we would not need therapeutics in the first place.”
There is no
shortage of experts in the country, our problem is we have an overabundance of
Middle Managers, and too few effective CEO’s.
