Sam Smith, 2011 - I have been trying to understand the eternal fundamentals of leadership according those who see government and non-profits as badly in need of corporate principles. Here’s what I’ve come up with so far.
Fire, don’t inspire
Test, don’t teach
Statistics are just another form of adjective. Use them at will
Treat everyone – including citizens, patients, students, teachers, and
volunteers – as corporate employees.
With enough public relations, personal relations aren’t necessary.
Internal organization is far more important than external programs
Statistical margins of error don’t apply when numbers improve. Acceptable
progress need only be a decimal point away.
Dismantle, don’t build
Civility reflects inability
Reserve all creativity for budgets and annual reports.
