The more experienced and self-confident I become, the more I realize how much FEAR drives people. Considering the effect fear has has helped me understand problems that used to baffle me (in myself and others). I wonder whether, as people gain responsibility within an organization - does the fear morph into other related behaviors? I suspect it still operates.
Are the stakes higher for those at the top, lending more pressure to the fears that are there?
Fear is pretty much the source of stick motivation, isn't it? Do this thing (or don't do this thing), or Something Bad will happen.
Are the stakes higher for those at the top? Interesting question. My first thought was that certainly people at top *think* the stakes are higher. But are they?
* job loss - arguably it's more painful for a lowly worker to lose their 5-figure salary than for a top dog to lose a 6-figure salary.
* reputation - top dogs who screw up usually bounce back just fine (politicians too, it seems), but when someone lower on the totem pole really messes up, it can wreak havoc on their career path.
* company profit/viability. Here's where the stakes would be higher for those at the top. If it's you're own business, yes. If it's someone elses, or public, probably not. Think of all the execs that have walked away from companies in tatters and gone on to new companies as if nothing had gone wrong.
I think I just made the argument that the stakes are higher for those at the top, but only if they're entrepreneurs, lol. That wasn't my intent.
Posted by: Julie Gomoll | May 01, 2007 at 09:32 AM