Let’s assume that Bloomberg (the publishers of Businessweek) understand their target audience. Let’s also assume that their target audience are the executives and leaders of our corporations, academia, healthcare and political institutions. In other words, these are the people who lead and guide and are the custodians of our society.
A recent article in two full, illustrated pages no less, purports to explain how to play golf with your boss. Here is an abbreviated version of the advice offered:
1. Dress the part. Mismatched plaid is an easy way to dress worse than your boss.
2. You don’t want to have nicer clubs than a guy who can afford nice clubs.
3. A drink will make it easier to laugh at his jokes.
4. Don’t talk about golf or work.
5. There is a very real chance that your boss sucks at golf. If he does, he may throw clubs or unleash a tirade of obscenities. Don’t be a hero: if he blows, book it.
6. Definitely let him cheat. It’s not cheating if you don’t say anything.
7. Master the art of fake frustration. To make your frustration believable include moments of quiet between your outbursts.
8. Don’t be a moron: let him win! If you lose with dignity… he’ll never know you threw the game.
I read Businessweek every week and, generally speaking, I think it is a very good magazine. It has had a recent makeover that has led to many 
improvements since Bloomberg acquired the magazine. But, it can also be very inconsistent, ranging from remarkable to moronicóas thetwo-page misguided advice aboveunderscores.
A more serious issue here is this, what are we teaching our leaders? How can we expect high standards of leadership when we dole out such inauthentic and morally barren advice? If we are shocked by the decline of values in corporate America, we should be asking ourselves if, by offering this kind of behavioral advice,we are contributing to the problem or solving it.
Come on, Businessweek! Show some appropriate standards up your game. You can do better than this; we need better than this; and we expect you, as one of the top opinion-shapers of leadership practice in today’s business media, to set a different tone. As Gandhi so famously advised us, We must be the change we wish to see in the world.”
Lance,
thanks for this. I t is a good reminder how easy it is not to be authentic by simply trying to be a “good” guy who is loved by everyone (in this case the boss) and how this is supported by the media giving good hints on how to behave (and I see this in Germany too).
Most of us have learned to be a “good guy”, to behave well in order be loved (by the parents, the teachers, the boss).
Wolfgang