Why do we celebrate incompetent leaders? | Martin Gutmann | TEDxBerlin

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TEDx Talks

TEDx Talks

27 күн бұрын

Management historian Martin Gutmann challenges us to rethink what great leadership looks like. While we tend to celebrate those with a proclivity for action and brash words, great leaders are often precisely those who don't need to generate excessive noise or activity. To make this point, Gutmann draws on contemporary research and historical examples, including the famed but disaster-prone Ernest Shackleton.
Martin Gutmann is a speaker, author, and researcher interested in how the past can shed new light on contemporary issues. He is a professor at the Lucerne School of Business, Switzerland. His most recent book is The Unseen Leader: How History Can Help Us Rethink Leadership: www.martingutmann.com/unseen
Martin has a Ph.D. in history from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, USA, an eMBA from IE Business School, Spain, and higher education teacher’s training from Harvard University, USA and ETH Zurich, Switzerland. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

Пікірлер: 595
@captainobvious9188
@captainobvious9188 13 күн бұрын
I’ve worked in IT my entire life, the people who’s infrastructure takes a dive and they end up pulling an all-nighter are celebrated, but if your infrastructure is always consistently working and there’s never any drama, you’re somehow ignored and treated as just an extra body when you’ve been the most reliable person there.
@Marie16240
@Marie16240 13 күн бұрын
💯
@snylekkie
@snylekkie 12 күн бұрын
You can always do a controlled failure and report it as a major win.
@eodo14051
@eodo14051 12 күн бұрын
100%
@stevec8131
@stevec8131 12 күн бұрын
💯 true.
@zixardent
@zixardent 12 күн бұрын
haha.. similar to my experience.. We did the job so good that there have been no major issue, but we have been requesting for additional member due to overload. Then somehow other branch with half of our workload and troublesome performance would get the approval to hire new member. 😅
@revengebed
@revengebed 10 күн бұрын
_Nobody ever gets credit for fixing problems that never happened._
@Rakschas666
@Rakschas666 6 күн бұрын
I remember one of the prominent scientists in government saying this about the obviously very expensive measures during the pandemic: "there is no glory in prevention (of harm)". He probably wasnt the first to say it, but it was very fitting to the ongoing discussion.
@adamhuss3679
@adamhuss3679 5 күн бұрын
Slightly unrelated, but it's the same reason that most reviews for businesses and products are negative. If something worked, you have no reason to take note of it. If you had a negative experience, you want to tell everyone. Problems are louder.
@ramonkikochaves6854
@ramonkikochaves6854 2 күн бұрын
old tale my mom used to tell me: An emperor's son was sick, so he called the best doctor in the kingdom. While the doctor was treating the prince, he said that although he was indeed very well known, his brother was a better doctor. The emperor asked why he never heard of the brother. The doctor said: Because he taught people how to avoid getting sick, so nobody ever gave him credit for anything.
@ducky36F
@ducky36F 16 сағат бұрын
Even further, people often get criticised for taking preventative action when a problem then never arrives.
@tiredperson6574
@tiredperson6574 25 күн бұрын
"When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all"
@vinavina336
@vinavina336 25 күн бұрын
So profound!!!
@vertecies
@vertecies 24 күн бұрын
Good point of view
@KWifler
@KWifler 19 күн бұрын
A leader makes things happen by convincing people to do things. Is it the leader's fault that their group is incompetent? I think that's dubious at best. The best leaders are also the best people for the job, but if they can't lead, they end up doing the whole job alone. It is better that the most incompetent person lead the best people to work together, if (s)he is good at leading.
@rabinraj15
@rabinraj15 18 күн бұрын
Nice one, tq 👌🏽 🙏🏽
@Kitchen374
@Kitchen374 14 күн бұрын
Seriously!
@DigSamurai
@DigSamurai 15 күн бұрын
The end message is why my favorite Einstein quote is "a clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it in the first place"
@Ralathar44
@Ralathar44 11 күн бұрын
And a smart person realizes that people who are not experts in your field do not understand the problem, the solution, or the prevention, and thus its your job to make them aware of this and sell yourself. You can be 10/10 at your job but if you're 3/10 at selling yourself you're gonna run into issues.
@kampanartsaardarewut422
@kampanartsaardarewut422 11 күн бұрын
to summarize as better to prepare and prevent than to repair and repent
@DigSamurai
@DigSamurai 11 күн бұрын
@@kampanartsaardarewut422 eloquently said. You are clearly someone of great wit and sagacity. 😎
@nikhilPUD01
@nikhilPUD01 10 күн бұрын
Is that survival tactics Like avoid, just avoid the problems. 😮
@DigSamurai
@DigSamurai 10 күн бұрын
@@nikhilPUD01 No it means you take steps that ensure the problem doesn't happen in the first place.
@seth2390
@seth2390 11 күн бұрын
Lessons we learned: - speak more no matter what you say - walk around confidently - always acting like you are needed urgently and always on calls - paint everything as a crisis 👍🏻 thanks for the promotion
@mrburton8842
@mrburton8842 11 күн бұрын
That was depressingly logical.
@jaslavie
@jaslavie 10 күн бұрын
^^ Seth is what sheep would look like - followers in this society are overpopulated 😂
@seth2390
@seth2390 10 күн бұрын
@@jaslavie ​you know, in my experiences, only people who don't live well feel the need to call others sheep so they can justify themselves not making it in a strict social hierarchy (income, degree, wealth). That's almost invariably true. But hope that's not you. Cheers
@RonaldSamielPineda
@RonaldSamielPineda 10 күн бұрын
ive been under leaders who paints everything as a crisis or always wants things urgently. They burn people out in 1 to 2 years, and a few months for some.
@richardlincoln886
@richardlincoln886 10 күн бұрын
The challenge is how long can you do that - even if you are promoted, at some point that success is likely to feel hollow - I guess unless you go full delusional that you are what everyone tells you :)
@SSNReactorOperator
@SSNReactorOperator 9 күн бұрын
Something taught to me a long time ago: “Don’t confuse effort with results.”
@obliviouz
@obliviouz 7 күн бұрын
Gotta be more specific here, because effort is pretty meaningless without results, and results are still results no matter the effort.
@omargoodman2999
@omargoodman2999 6 күн бұрын
​@@obliviouz Well, that's kind of the issue: the mentality that effort, without results (or, at least, without *recognizable* results), is counted as "meaningless". In other words, people treat it no different than not trying at all. This is why we often see unsuccessful people struggling with disability, mental health issues, homelessness, unemployment, etc. given the ever so unhelpful advice, "well, if you just _try,_ then maybe you'd succeed." It assumes their situation arises from them *not* trying. There are an awful lot of people who try very, very hard, but _still_ don't succeed. There are people who must spend all their effort on a daily basis merely to tread water and keep themselves from going under. They have nothing to spare to "try harder". But the attitude of "if you're not succeeding, you might as well not bother" plagues modern society and paralyzes many people. And then, "results" doesn't distinguish useful results from just spinning wheels. How many workplaces and employers are obsessed with employees "looking busy", even if not doing anything productive? "If you've got time to lean, you've got time to clean." That's a common trite, vacuous saying in workplaces. The problem is that too many people, particularly those in positions of authority and supervision, fail to comprehend that _downtime_ and _standby positions_ can *also* contribute to productivity. Well-rested workers are, plain and simple, more productive than overworked ones. Thus, "conserving effort" and "strategic application of effort" can yield greater results than reckless application of effort. Having extra workers whose *job* it is to be _available_ to step in when needed and *not* occupied with busy work to fill their otherwise empty time, is more productive than shoving frivolous tasks onto them.
@obliviouz
@obliviouz 6 күн бұрын
@@omargoodman2999 Yeah I'm sorry but effort that doesn't lead to results IS absolutely useless. You ever try to feed a family on "effort"? I don't assume that lack of results come from not trying: I *plain do not care* because it doesn't matter how hard you try if you don't achieve results. To use your example, "downtime and standby also contribute to productivity" - you're exactly right: it's the fact that they contribute *TO PRODUCTIVITY* (end results) that makes them valuable. Results are results. Long-term, and not immediately obvious results are still results, not merely effort.
@NithinMWarrier
@NithinMWarrier 4 күн бұрын
great - yes, effort matters, not only results..
@obliviouz
@obliviouz 4 күн бұрын
@@NithinMWarrier Ever try to feed your family on "effort" alone? "Effort matters" is a great motto for losers who can't achieve anything.
@alangibb3806
@alangibb3806 11 күн бұрын
I have run several factories in the last 30 years and can't count the number of "action oriented managers" I have encountered (especially in sales). Invariably I have taken over under-performing production lines and been told that making the workers "work harder" is the key to success. After a year, or sometimes more, when the numbers are up, I have to explain that making people's jobs easier has been the key to the change.
@xtrakulgy
@xtrakulgy 10 күн бұрын
This is the basis for organizational behaviour. Making people's lives easier and better makes them work better and provide higher quality product.
@Some_Average_Joe
@Some_Average_Joe 9 күн бұрын
I wish my last job understood this
@VeggiesOutFront
@VeggiesOutFront 9 күн бұрын
Reduce twists steps and turns as they say in McDonald's land
@leedogification
@leedogification 10 күн бұрын
An old upper management I once worked for said "Many times you don't know what jobs a good manager does until they don't do them."
@whateverrandomnumber
@whateverrandomnumber 12 күн бұрын
It's not only about leadership. Any good professional will make his work look easy to an outsider.
@thebestbelmont4273
@thebestbelmont4273 11 күн бұрын
Indeed. I used to work in industrial robotics and oversaw several cells, providing preventive and diagnostic maintenance for several robotics systems. Sounds technical, but it wasn't that bad, really. Anyway, I used to regularly get in trouble because it never appeared that I was working, and everyone thought I was slacking off. The reality was that I took my preventive measures seriously and didn't cut corners with any on-the-spot maintenance. I also had a great partner who always backed me up. As a result, things rarely broke down, and when they did, we were often able to implement an easier fix than if we let things degrade too far. When I explained these things to my supervisor, his answer was, "Yeah, but you have to think about appearances..." Give me a break.
@Lessenjr
@Lessenjr 11 күн бұрын
​@@thebestbelmont4273 God do i despise the word 'optics'.
@DigSamurai
@DigSamurai 11 күн бұрын
@@thebestbelmont4273 thinking about appearances and not the competition is a recipe for failure.
@thebestbelmont4273
@thebestbelmont4273 11 күн бұрын
@@DigSamurai Couldn't agree more
@gund89123
@gund89123 8 күн бұрын
@@thebestbelmont4273 Management mantra: Visibility. If upper management don’t know you then you are slacking.
@johnkeefe20
@johnkeefe20 8 күн бұрын
"Never confuse motion for action" - Hemingway
@kater123bln6
@kater123bln6 13 күн бұрын
Had a supervisor who talked a lot with our team lead, did not support the team in any way and was only talking down to us to repeat what team lead already told us. She got promoted and I was puzzled why. I realized then exactly that, people who make noise and appear to be busy get rewarded, even if they had done nothing for the team.
@mjmulenga3
@mjmulenga3 8 күн бұрын
At least the promotion got her out of your way.
@ysteinfjr7529
@ysteinfjr7529 25 күн бұрын
Roald Amundsen is by no means forgotten in Norway. This guy Shackleton on the other hand is someone I barely have heard about.
@TheLRider
@TheLRider 24 күн бұрын
Shows you the power of the Anglo Anerican media circus where they dominate so much of the global headlines. Marketing, Brands and advertising rules and wrongly drives so much of global trade.
@markaurelius61
@markaurelius61 20 күн бұрын
The main story Shackleton is famous for is the one where he left the survivors on Elephant Island promising to rescue them, and did, returning 137 days later.
@tuckerbugeater
@tuckerbugeater 15 күн бұрын
@@TheLRider How much larger is the population of "Anglo" countries?
@TheLRider
@TheLRider 15 күн бұрын
@@tuckerbugeater?
@ninglight4433
@ninglight4433 14 күн бұрын
​@@tuckerbugeaterAnglo American population in comparison to world's population? Relatively small. American culture, big. There are a few countries, which have still an own film industry of relevance. India, France, China, Russia are the most important one.
@tomzhang9614
@tomzhang9614 14 күн бұрын
“Unhappy is the land that breeds no hero! No, Andrea....unhappy is the land that needs a hero.” ― Bertolt Brecht
@Chengyuan79
@Chengyuan79 12 күн бұрын
Thank you for sharing. 🙏
@leviathon2
@leviathon2 12 күн бұрын
This makes me think of our political leaders.
@creatingyourlifestyle4898
@creatingyourlifestyle4898 7 күн бұрын
Yes! Just about all of them.
@patrickkaleja9581
@patrickkaleja9581 7 күн бұрын
true, they have to be like this, to be promoted. in my opinion it is a cultural fallecy of thinking.
@joeszpak2491
@joeszpak2491 10 күн бұрын
This describes perfectly my 37 year career both with the Government and Contractor business I was in!!!!! When my company picked internal “Leaders” to speak at our leadership symposiums for the last 15 years, they picked people who were part of the root cause of a major issue who were then flooded with resources to become the “hero” to get through the self imposed crisis. Haha, ANYONE with unlimited support can get through a tough issue….most people don’t even stop to think about why the issue happened in the first place and who are the real leaders who consistently prevent them!
@stevecarter8810
@stevecarter8810 4 күн бұрын
Last Christmas we celebrated both a step-change reduction in lead time to market AND the wonderful effort spent firefighting quality issues at a lead customer. The presentation was so smooth I have no idea how many people understood both were the result of squeezing QA to the point they couldn't do their job anymore.
@Indoor_Carrot
@Indoor_Carrot 6 күн бұрын
His river example makes me think of soldiers we celebrate. We fixate on extreme examples of heroism but ignore the smaller things that made a huge difference. The men responsible for maintaining food and ammo to frontline troops are often forgotten but were invaluable.
@Meower68
@Meower68 11 күн бұрын
The "noise" aspect is a variation on Dunning-Kruger. Someone who knows a little bit about a subject tends to publicly exhibit more confidence WRT that subject. Someone who genuinely knows about a subject tends not to seem particularly confident. They're not loud. They tend to be quietly confident and genuinely make it all look easy. The clueless think it's easy because they genuinely don't know just what they're getting into. When you know about Dunning-Kruger, it changes how you behave and what you look for.
@Volkbrecht
@Volkbrecht 9 күн бұрын
Not necessarily. A bias for action, or at least the abiity to take action in the face of a hard challenge is indeed a skill. The curse of management is having to take decisions based on incomplete information. That needs a certain amount of trust in one's ability to work things out along the way. Of course, the higher you climb, the more you have control over the tools which help you overcome such problematic situation, over the people and processes that are in place to help you. I have seen a number of people, among them a few so-called "high-potentials", climb the career ladder around me, and rarely undeserved. They all had one thing in common: they would not shy away from taking on tough challenges. In the end, what is important is that an organization evaluates its leadership candidates honestly, and sorts out those who fail to deliver on their confident claims. That's how you get strong leaders, and you need those once an organization reaches a certain size.
@yvettejon3372
@yvettejon3372 12 күн бұрын
This was exactly what I needed to hear. My boss is asking for a report on staff morale, which I've told him repeatedly was low, and I've been resistant to doing it. I now know why. I've talked to him about it before to head off problems, but he inevitably ignores what i say, until the wheels come off. I'm exhausted. I think he doesn't realize how low my morale is as well. He dismisses people who are steady and reliable for those who make "busy work" for others to do to make themselves look good. This talk helped me to figure out how I want to address it again with him. Thank you, I need it.
@inesvetinparadise9715
@inesvetinparadise9715 12 күн бұрын
Good luck. Be cautious how you report it back. When ppl ask for things like that, they often want to hear the things that are re assuring them they are doing the right thing. Try and present the data without personal impressions on what is going on. 48 Laws of Power is great book for office politics
@chiaraosbat4824
@chiaraosbat4824 12 күн бұрын
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
@yvettejon7728
@yvettejon7728 12 күн бұрын
@@inesvetinparadise9715 Thank you.
@TorianTammas
@TorianTammas 11 күн бұрын
People tend to shoot the messenger, especially when he brings bad news they don't want to hear. Management has often sand in the ears; this happens when you put your head in the sand.
@Dexroid
@Dexroid 10 күн бұрын
Best of luck, please let us know how it goes.
@thuvermolly2426
@thuvermolly2426 25 күн бұрын
There's a Chinese saying (I know...how cliche, but this one is real...) -- "the skilled warrior achieves no spectacular feats" 善战者无赫赫之功. Some competent leaders achieve wonderful results but just don't make enough noise to be noticed.
@thelesserzdoctor2345
@thelesserzdoctor2345 15 күн бұрын
Me!! That’s me! But sadly as I’ve discovered, the modern work place paradigm requires self-celebration and narcissistic marketing! Sadly when you are a highly able / successful leader with humility, you are taken advantage of and people take credit for your achievements. We live in an era of celebrity and not just that, celebrating stupidity. Look at Trump, look at the Cardassians, look at glitzy pop cultures fascination with glamour over musical talent etc etc. But I still can’t be anything but who I am, so people like me need to find a way to survive this environment without losing their integrity!
@thuvermolly2426
@thuvermolly2426 14 күн бұрын
@@thelesserzdoctor2345 Kudos for living your values! The good thing is those external metrics for success aren't the only thing that matters in life. People who say nice (or honest in this case) people finish last don't know where the finish line is😋
@thealterego1777
@thealterego1777 14 күн бұрын
@@thelesserzdoctor2345 I can relate to your situation. The best thing to do over here is stop caring about "noise" altogether. Appreciation is noise in today's age, as it is mostly fake. People appreciate others thinking they'll do the same when it's their time, that's all there is to it. I have learnt to compete with myself and have learnt to be recognized by God and the universe. Maybe the last bit isn't too appealing but trust me, when the majority has a "herd mentality", you can only look up to God for guidance, appreciation, competition and inspiration.
@TorianTammas
@TorianTammas 11 күн бұрын
Alexander the Great is known, the people who died for his idea to conquer the persian empire are not. So you gad to be at least in the rank of a general to get a piece of the pie after Alexander's early death
@thealterego1777
@thealterego1777 11 күн бұрын
@@TorianTammas Everyone knows Alexander today, but Alexander knew which of his generals were worth knowing and respecting. The point being - people choose whether they want to be known for their achievements today, or whether they would like to be discussed in the future. In Alexander's case, the two coincided. Today, you will be remembered anyway because your videos will not be deleted unless someone reports on them.
@maximumkillmtg
@maximumkillmtg 8 күн бұрын
I'm an anesthesiologist, and we value those who never run into problems. As a profession, we have this mindset of avoiding problems in the first place and look down on those who can "fix problems" but keep on running into new ones to fix.
@frankfahrenheit9537
@frankfahrenheit9537 7 күн бұрын
As a potential heart surgery patient I agree
@kishoresoma6534
@kishoresoma6534 25 күн бұрын
In life and leadership, we often mistake noise and drama for true capability. The allure of dramatic stories and visible action can overshadow the quiet, steady work of those who plan meticulously and avoid crises. Effective leaders are not those who constantly battle emergencies, but those who prevent them through careful preparation, deep understanding, and thoughtful execution. True success often appears effortless because it is the result of rigorous behind-the-scenes work. Therefore, we must learn to recognize and celebrate the quiet, diligent leaders who create stability and guide us smoothly through challenges, rather than those who thrive on chaos and spectacle. The best leadership often goes unnoticed because it is proactive, not reactive.
@kararinjuguna2189
@kararinjuguna2189 18 күн бұрын
Touché!
@rabinraj15
@rabinraj15 18 күн бұрын
🫡
@EchoMountain47
@EchoMountain47 15 күн бұрын
That’s cute. Care to cite your source, because you obviously didn’t write that. It’s either either stolen from someone else or generated with AI
@kishoresoma6534
@kishoresoma6534 14 күн бұрын
@@EchoMountain47 You generate the same or better than this with AI and post. Best output is important.
@EchoMountain47
@EchoMountain47 14 күн бұрын
@@kishoresoma6534 if you’re going to comment, use your own brain and tell people what you think. Anyone can ask ChatGPT to write a comment for them. Meaningless
@akuzminsky
@akuzminsky 12 күн бұрын
I knew about Amundsen since age of 9. Today I learned about Shackleton.
@maggierobertson2962
@maggierobertson2962 11 күн бұрын
May I ask where you were educated?
@bohdandvorianov
@bohdandvorianov 10 күн бұрын
Yes! I believe here in Ukraine a few people would know about Shackleton, but we hear about Amundsen a lot throughout our school program.
@natashamartin2019
@natashamartin2019 9 күн бұрын
Likewise. Knew of Amundsen since childhood (educated in the Soviet Union) and never hears of Shackleton. Must be the Anglo-Saxons' arrogance - celebrating only their own and overlooking heroes from other countries. ))
@lopatou_ovalil7361
@lopatou_ovalil7361 4 күн бұрын
Same in slovakia
@sirsky3857
@sirsky3857 2 күн бұрын
One of the best TED talks I heard so far. As an IT specialist, I often had to present the problems I solved to my boss in a more dramatic way, even if they were relatively easy to resolve. After some time, I requested a pay raise and received a 10% increase. Now, I’m preparing my reports for the next six months to request another pay raise. It's unfortunate, but this is the reality of how management often thinks.
@lonefire333
@lonefire333 9 күн бұрын
This makes so much sense looking at all the psychopaths, sociopaths, and narcissists at the top
11 күн бұрын
We ought to know who to vote for after watching this, but some will still prefer Shackleton.
@thanelewis8893
@thanelewis8893 3 күн бұрын
Oddly, I’m not seen any Amundsen characteristics in either presumptive candidate.
@daniel51020
@daniel51020 10 күн бұрын
"We confuse a good story for good leadership." So true! This is such an important Tedx Talk. So spot on. We need to hear this, as a society. Reimagine leadership... "Ignore the captains of crisis" (um, Putin, Trump, etc, etc, etc)... "Celebrate those who mitigate, rather than promote drama"...
@fangwang5321
@fangwang5321 13 күн бұрын
The business world needs to hear this
@thanelewis8893
@thanelewis8893 3 күн бұрын
Need to, but will never listen because they need to act like they know it all.
@ThePeriphery
@ThePeriphery 8 күн бұрын
It's tricky because leadership, by definition, is an active process. One has to take the initiative. Distinguishing this signal from the noise someone might be making is the key. Great talk.
@rewiredtogrow
@rewiredtogrow 14 күн бұрын
This is a great talk. Loved it! Truly great leaders don't set out to want to become great leaders. They are always in pursuit of a higher purpose bigger than their own self needs and tend to be both authentic and empathetic. This combination leads to leadership in its truest form. These kinds of leaders quietly create positive working environments for their teams, encourage new ideas and innovation, and tend to know how to inspire their teams into action.
@MileHigh52
@MileHigh52 8 күн бұрын
I just had this conversation with one of my mentors. They love Shackelton's ability to shift focus from his hubris to his care for his team. He wasn't initially celebrated for his failure, while Falcon was even more celebrated for a graver Antarctic journey that led to he and his team not succumbing to the journey. Need more books about Amundson.
@RandyGiven
@RandyGiven 25 күн бұрын
4:55 An analogy in baseball is one of my pet peeves. It's the outfielder who dives and makes a "fantastic" catch. Disregard the team status if the catch is missed and everyone is scrambling. Contrast with a better outfielder who knows from experience, either general experience or related to that specific batter, who sets up in a better location and makes an "easy" catch. Unfortunately, the better outfielder doesn't make the highlights video, the evening news, or a photo in a newspaper or magazine.
@MarcoBonechi
@MarcoBonechi 14 күн бұрын
It's why moneyball works. Takes the drama out and let's ability shine
@jayant89vs
@jayant89vs 8 күн бұрын
This is just brilliant. I started as software engineer in 2012, right out of college. Initially for few years, I was really confused to see people being promoted whom I thought would be fired. over period of times I figured out what exactly is happening. Well articulated, I could relate to it, so true
@johnandan1594
@johnandan1594 14 күн бұрын
Its the same concept as a road, or a powerline, or even a powerplant. Leadership is a type of foundation like infrastructure, you only notice it's existence when it fails.
@rebeccafoley8626
@rebeccafoley8626 11 сағат бұрын
This is oddly comforting as someone who feels very overlooked and taken for granted!
@stvartak7164
@stvartak7164 11 күн бұрын
Holy mackerel, this was the talk I needed to help me get through this workday and then look for a new job with an organization that doesn't reward and celebrate "dynamic" clowns. Thank you for saying what desperately needs to be said!
@caty863
@caty863 10 күн бұрын
You won't find such organization. Everywhere you go, you'll find that extroverts and incompetent by "self-confident" clowns are celebrated
@Nooneself
@Nooneself 10 күн бұрын
Love this. I've had a lot of egotistical and low intelligence bosses, and everyone suffered. Best wishes
@rodneydm
@rodneydm 25 күн бұрын
Fantastic insight on true leadership. Winning before having to deal with conflict that was already unavoidable.
@ErManu10
@ErManu10 25 күн бұрын
What a wonderful Ted talk. This is sooo true. Actually, it doesn't apply only to leaders, but to all professionals I would say.
@jeffobrecht882
@jeffobrecht882 10 күн бұрын
My Dad was the role model for me. He was a great leader that empowered his staff. This is back in the 60’s and 70’s.
@tuckerbugeater
@tuckerbugeater 15 күн бұрын
Shakleton was admired for his recruiting tactics and overcoming adversity. Hence the self help books praising him!!! One of Shackleton's most famous recruitment ads for the Endurance expedition read: "Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success."
@thealterego1777
@thealterego1777 14 күн бұрын
People like Shakleton are also necessary. Ones who are beyond algorithms, who get more meaning out of experiences than the set "end goal". The aim was to reach some obscure part of a polar ice cap, or maybe chart a route but he ended up having an adventure. Not saying that that is better than someone who actually completed doing what he planned to do, but the adventure sounds more fun. The issue is people tend to follow blindly instead of actually thinking. If more people do something, then it gravitates more and more - that is the "common consensus". Boring is boring, but it works impeccably. Adventure is exciting but it fails to get to the point. Is there a middle ground? The meticulous planning, understanding currents etc - sounds like algorithms in action. The latter sounds like a child waiting for a brain freeze. Balance is key, but because of impatience, we hardly get to see that in the real world.
@kristofferterner719
@kristofferterner719 12 күн бұрын
I think thats Amundsen.
@patrickr9416
@patrickr9416 11 күн бұрын
Also just realized that his leadership failed in the recruitment also. Who do you think responded to this ad? Was it the experienced and highly competent? No, because they recognized from the ad that he was going to be a poor leader. The ones who responded were probably those without enough experience or insight or good judgment to recognize the early signs of a probable disaster in the making. So Shackleton likely set up the poor end result right from the beginning …. (if he truly posted this ad. apparently it is historically uncertain.)
@athaya2992
@athaya2992 5 күн бұрын
ngl that looks unprofessional lol i dont think an experienced seaman will respond to that ad
@leratosetsiba
@leratosetsiba 4 күн бұрын
Brilliant talk!! Most crises can be avoided with careful and deliberate planning- sticking out with the mundane stuff that no one wants to do.
@KookyBone
@KookyBone 10 күн бұрын
This is what i saw at all workplaces in my career.... While i worked hard, but quiet and efficient, i always had co-workers that always complained, needed a long time for projects and always talked how hard he is working while using every opportunity to talk to people or the boss... They get promoted and you get fired. And i saw the most incompetent people in leadership positions at all my workplaces
@cdjtft
@cdjtft 25 күн бұрын
Social media is a nightmare
@rolandojrbriones3079
@rolandojrbriones3079 25 күн бұрын
If taken wrongly spending time watching non educational content.
@lunarious87
@lunarious87 25 күн бұрын
Why? I ask because I ... don't know for sure
@cdjtft
@cdjtft 25 күн бұрын
@@rolandojrbriones3079 or the fact that it can hide your secret exchanges, and possibly make your life implode due to your inability to realise that the grass is not always greener as your secret partner promises, while they are hidden in their basement promising things they can't deliver. This is not my first time but it is the most annoying time as not only did the little basement dweller promise a better life, also while told how old my step daughter was, he claimed her age was older than she was ( paedophilia )
@cdjtft
@cdjtft 25 күн бұрын
@@lunarious87 employers can judge you on your personal views before your ability to do the job you applied for, to then make sure that they only employ people who will only do the things they ask and have no views as a person
@lunarious87
@lunarious87 25 күн бұрын
@@cdjtft cool
@DarylMetzler
@DarylMetzler 11 күн бұрын
Great talk. And a very refreshing point of view.
@BilgaBhuvanam23d311
@BilgaBhuvanam23d311 5 күн бұрын
I am delighted that I came across this talk. The question 'Why do we celebrate incompetent leaders?' has been troubling me for a long and I was thinking what can be the reason for that. I felt that the problem was with the current generation but now I know it is human nature and we can always change that.🙂
@AnnaAwesome77
@AnnaAwesome77 25 күн бұрын
I absolutely love this TedTalk! Thank you!
@gc4847
@gc4847 14 күн бұрын
Incredibly valuable talk. Thank you!
@helacells1
@helacells1 12 күн бұрын
I didn't know about Shackleton, but Amudsen was my dad's hero. He had been telling me about Amundsen's adventures before night sleep. And i am not Norwegian. So, some people are able to see the right qualities! I wish them to be more...
@Netbug009
@Netbug009 24 күн бұрын
I think people can self-sabotage with this kind of thinking too - they can feel they aren't special if things come easy for them, even if that "easy" is brought by slow, steady work.
@kate-kate
@kate-kate 20 күн бұрын
So true!
@muhammadfawwad4599
@muhammadfawwad4599 8 күн бұрын
Dismissing the quiet leaders affects their morale to work. I know how my opinions have often been ignored or overshadowed by the loud voices in the room. Being on the spectrum it is hard to find the support to help you grow as a leader when you have a lot to say that can be beneficial but struggle because you're in the corner of the room not under the bright light.
@medwardl
@medwardl 7 күн бұрын
Failing upwards is a real problem.
@FamilyTherapist
@FamilyTherapist 25 күн бұрын
Incidentally, I read the bio of Roald Amundsen as a teenager some 40 years ago, but because I am not particularly interested in polar expeditions I have not heard of Shackleton until the TV series came out... However, I agree - in Australia we celebrate some British explorers of the 19th century who basically set out from Australian coast poorly prepared and then lead expeditions inland with disastrous outcomes! People talk about them as brave!
@johnstrachan69
@johnstrachan69 8 күн бұрын
Thank you for your message! I agree with what you shared. When we are good at anything, we make it look easy.
@slimsloth243
@slimsloth243 5 күн бұрын
When I was younger, I was obsessed with polar explorers. I'm going to say that definitely Roald Amundsen is underrated. He also grew up in the northern part of Norway and truly understood how to survive in the cold extremes. The incompetent leader he should be contrasted with is Robert Scott, the Englishman, whom he beat in the race to the South Pole. Scott tragically died along with most of his team because of impatience and poor planning. Amundsen's entire team lived and succeeded. As to Shackleton - he may have lacked judgment in planning but damn, when the crisis came, he was amazing. His story is one of incredible courage and fortitude. I would want to be with him in a foxhole. I'd just want Amundsen to be the general leading the troops so I wouldn't be in the foxhole in the first place.
@keith6706
@keith6706 2 күн бұрын
There was an old saying I heard once that if you wanted the best planning and preparation so that there was minimal risk of things going wrong, you wanted Amundsen in charge. If things still went horribly wrong, for whatever reason, Shackelton was the guy.
@christiantosumbung5791
@christiantosumbung5791 10 күн бұрын
This applies as well to plant maintenance and operation. Every manager and head seems to like firefighting since it raises their profiles. What you actually want is exactly the what the title states. A boring looking dept where everything is running smoothly and decisions are made for the sustainability of the operation. Not a douse the flame and move on method. Same in production, a nice quiet efficient process, everything planned and prepared up and down the supply chain.
@jenniferpott7595
@jenniferpott7595 18 күн бұрын
Thank you for your illuminating and very timely talk. I think you should travel around the country giving this same talk to as many people as possible between now and the election!
@rexharrison2066
@rexharrison2066 8 күн бұрын
Two examples currently attracting attention. The D-Day landings. It is universally acknowledged that their succuss depended directly on thorough, exhausting and painstaking staff work. Boeing Aircraft. The names of the CEOs currently at the helm during the company's troubles are well known. Who can name the CEO that built the company into the behemoth that pioneered aircraft such as the 707 and 747?
@nevillecreativitymentor
@nevillecreativitymentor 11 күн бұрын
this talk is ON POINT. and needs to be promoted all over ... i have already shared it on my FB ...
@jeremiahreilly9739
@jeremiahreilly9739 12 күн бұрын
Bravo, Martin. Excellent talk. Completely turned my understanding of Shackleton on its head-and that is good.
@thanelewis8893
@thanelewis8893 3 күн бұрын
This will be the first assignment in my classes this year.
@KenSexe67
@KenSexe67 3 күн бұрын
Great talk, thanks for sharing. A picture perfect talk about the typical American corporate leadership climate. Well done.
@EcomCarl
@EcomCarl 17 күн бұрын
Martin talk sheds light on the importance of celebrating leaders who prioritize planning and authentic leadership over drama. True success often comes from those who work diligently behind the scenes. 🔍
@Volkbrecht
@Volkbrecht 9 күн бұрын
There is one problem, though: big corporations often exceed the size where a quiet, efficient leader is sufficient. Exactly because it often involves characters with more ego than brains. The quiet, efficient type may be able to lead an expedition to the south pole, but he might not be able to make himself heard in an organization that employs tens of thousands of people around the globe, and has departments that fight among each other for budgets and prestigious tasks.
@bornjusticerule5764
@bornjusticerule5764 22 күн бұрын
Great talk. Thanks for sharing. 🤙🏿
@victoriawalker6174
@victoriawalker6174 13 күн бұрын
So, so true. Thank you❤
@alexhernandez6025
@alexhernandez6025 14 күн бұрын
Fantastic talk! This gentleman is very good and knowledgeable.
@mrkhowells1
@mrkhowells1 7 күн бұрын
I work for the NHS and believe we continually fall into a similar trap. We celebrate clinically trained persons as leaders and go even further by assuming that certain clinical training creates better leaders than other training. The result is we often have leaders who are in posts because of their education rather than their ability. As a clinically trained person myself I left my profession to develop myself in management and leadership but all too often I am now labelled as a manager and am often overlooked for what I can offer because I am no longer clinical; mind you, even if I were still on a professional clinical register my clinical background is one that is not considered for leadership in the NHS.
@josiefrancis8197
@josiefrancis8197 25 күн бұрын
He is so true. We do praise the wrong leaders.
@Zannablu12
@Zannablu12 25 күн бұрын
I read “God leadership looks boring” and I was sooo ready to listen😭😂
@johndoe5432
@johndoe5432 7 күн бұрын
The correct lesson to be taken from this is that you should appeal to these aspects of human nature, while still being competent.
@stevecarter8810
@stevecarter8810 4 күн бұрын
Too many commenters miss this, and I was hoping for tips in the video
@gund89123
@gund89123 8 күн бұрын
Best video, thank you. I see this at my work, I am tired of this.
@Hardjoe888
@Hardjoe888 14 күн бұрын
I am surprised this video 'found me'- popping into a suggested video on KZfaq in my feeds. I say exactly the same thing to my staff, with your job as leaders and managers is to "MAKE SURE NOTHING HAPPENS. LACK OF DRAMA". SPOT ON.
@albertbozesan
@albertbozesan 10 күн бұрын
I've seen this so many times in movie and TV production. The directors and producers who run completely disfunctional organisations for months, only to then deliver a product in the knick of time and at the cost of hundreds of hours overtime, are celebrated and handed awards and press. Those who consistently deliver season after season of reliable entertainment (and really keep the teams together) are usually undervalued and often given titles like "coordinator" or "assistant".
@ibrahimlawalahmed6593
@ibrahimlawalahmed6593 18 күн бұрын
This is so revealing to me👏🏽👏🏽
@jayadevmenon
@jayadevmenon 7 күн бұрын
So true .... have seen this happening. Found the message so relevant and pertinent.
@OceansEpilogue
@OceansEpilogue 14 күн бұрын
Many Americans instantly thought of one particular "very stable genius" during this.
@RichChristensen-xr9yc
@RichChristensen-xr9yc 14 күн бұрын
Excellent, thank you!!!
@pagesculptor
@pagesculptor 14 күн бұрын
We literally have an Amundsen in our office. And boy would our office fall apart without him.
@TiagoRamosVideos
@TiagoRamosVideos 25 күн бұрын
Very interesting and true 👌
@edgarbernardoorellanahered5261
@edgarbernardoorellanahered5261 11 күн бұрын
It’s the spontaneous action of bravery that make us fall in love with leaders
@mariaquevedo1226
@mariaquevedo1226 11 күн бұрын
This is true to me, no other leader at work work as I do , yet there are bigger pay to the loudest ones and me just filled with more and more responsibilities because I get things done. Somehow I get overlooked on promotions and raises …
@carsella11
@carsella11 9 күн бұрын
This is the core issue I have with encouraging the use if the “STAR” method for answering interview questions. It presupposes the existence of a “situation”.
@boipusomuseke1613
@boipusomuseke1613 25 күн бұрын
This is a good one
@stevecarter8810
@stevecarter8810 4 күн бұрын
I've been trying to puzzle how to notice and reward diligence in my organisation because you only have to throw a stone to find problems created by action oriented heroics in middle management. The only metric that counts is total net sales but we don't understand when we do unsustainable stuff that makes it harder to deliver what the customer paid for.
@Kakikiwi-eu2kr
@Kakikiwi-eu2kr 2 күн бұрын
I wonder tough. I once was in a situation of co-leading. I was the careful planner, preparation and detail oriented leader. I was choosing the strategic orientations. But when things did go wrong and I was out of plan B and C, I let another guy step in and lead during the crisis. He was just better than me on the spot. By on the spot, I mean split second decisions under uncertainty. It worked really well because we both knew the qualities each other had. Maybe the action oriented leader is good too. It just shouldn't be the first option.
@macfanguy
@macfanguy 3 күн бұрын
Very interesting tech talk! Food for thought as a team leader
@8020drummer
@8020drummer 10 күн бұрын
Very thought provoking speech and engaging speaker. I’d definitely be interested in reading this guy’s books. As a Ted talk’s purpose is to inspire us to learn more about something I think this is a good example. I have two primary critiques of the epistemology, which aren’t to detract from the talk, which as I said is not meant to be a scientific paper. The first is it’s thin on proving a causal relationship between our supposed veneration of louder, action-oriented leaders, and catastrophe. We have the anecdote of Ernest Shackleton, but even in that case we don’t know for sure he was venerated because he was a worse leader. (Are there examples of brash, braggadocios leaders who succeeded? We don’t know from this talk.) what might flesh this out is a statistic, like “xyz study correlated ceo success as measured in stock price growth with headlines about them, and found a statistically significant negative correlation”. (Indeed, believe Jim Collins has something like this statistic in Good to Great.) My second critique is we’re missing a mechanism. And it’s here I think he buries the lead a little. Because if true this is fascinating. But one proposal would be that just like baseball pre-bob-James, we’re trusting anecdote and not stats. He could further propose that in fields where performance is closely linked to legible metrics, we see more quiet,humble leaders get promoted and lauded more often. Which I think is probably something like the truth. He could conclude by saying we need better measurement, so we’re not lead so quickly astray by the more dramatic story. Etc etc.
@myparceltape1169
@myparceltape1169 6 күн бұрын
I was taught early in life about Scott and Amunsden. One failed and didn't come back. Shackleton was the name of an aircraft for sea patrol.
@zbynekdolejsek8930
@zbynekdolejsek8930 14 күн бұрын
First time hear about Shacleton. Amundsen is very famous, for his south pole expedition and excellent resource management.
@danielsalay3681
@danielsalay3681 10 күн бұрын
There's a story that went around the web some years ago about a farm hand who claimed he could "sleep in a storm." The moral is the same as this talk. He was prepared; all tasks were done before urgency was needed. I've been criticized at work for lacking a sense of urgency. My answer is this story, if im prepared, nothing IS urgent.
@susanmercurio1060
@susanmercurio1060 25 күн бұрын
Thorstein Veblen explained this in the book The Theory of the Leisure Class
@deprecor1
@deprecor1 12 күн бұрын
interesting, I'll check that book again!
@grapesofhypocrisy9842
@grapesofhypocrisy9842 23 күн бұрын
I termed this concept the "pitchfork effect"... saw this decades ago.
@TheGinnyhp
@TheGinnyhp 13 күн бұрын
I feel very skeptical from my experience in various fields that the culture of crisis leadership can change but, I like the idea.
@HT-xw1fh
@HT-xw1fh 10 күн бұрын
Thank you for this.
@karlbolt7159
@karlbolt7159 10 күн бұрын
When I was in the service, preventing crises with teamwork and formal planning, no credit; developing quality training and mission plans, no credit. Be mediocre, allow catastrophe, and ask older leaders for mentorship.
@koborkutya7338
@koborkutya7338 9 күн бұрын
A few years ago when me and my dad talked about politics and role of single people in poitics he told me the same. "With all those high-profile politicians you have visible problems on the surface. Can you recall the name of the Prime Minister of Switzerland just from the top of your head? Or Norway" In general, when leaders have to be in the stoplight all the time it indicates problems with strategy and direction, which is literally the key task of top level leadership. Countries in the best condition are normally off the news along with their leaders - they just live, work and flourish. Also in maritime careers, there are some captains who are famous for saving their ships in critical situations while there are probably hundreds of others who didn't get their ship into such situation in the first place.
@lydialutz
@lydialutz 14 күн бұрын
There is value in the failed stories too! That's my only caveat/criticism of this talk. Overall, I totally agree with the point of the talk. Bring on more boring, stable people and businesses into my life!
@danpoduret7470
@danpoduret7470 8 күн бұрын
I've never heard of Shackleton until today. Though I know Amundsen, I've learned a lot about his expeditions, etc.
@arga400
@arga400 Күн бұрын
I handle a project at my job for two and a half years; I handle this project alone with no outside support ever. My leadership would constantly complain about the most minute issues in the project despite not understanding it. I had amazing KPIs so I was assign to a more important project and my old project was given to 3 people with outside support. The project is going so poorly I been asked to help the team and by now everyone recognizes what an amazing job I did and those minute complains are nowhere to be found.
@CollectiveWest1
@CollectiveWest1 11 күн бұрын
I agree with the basic message, and have seen this happen a lot. The fallacy might be caused by our instinctive attraction to stories and a strong traditional narrative, not simply 'action'. A possible mitigant can be to have useful management tools such as KPIs which can help to reveal where effective leadership is preventing issues arising, rather than coping with recurrent preventable crises.
@Petch85
@Petch85 9 күн бұрын
We do the same in politics.😢
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