I just read this great article  by Jocelyn Noveck of the Associated Press about  (now former) Governor of New York-Eliot Spitzer. The headline read “Why the powerful do dumb things?” As someone who regularly dives into situation where people made some pretty poor choice.  Ms. Noveck had me hooked.  She then had me laughing and nodding with 100% agreement.  

 “ Yet, if the New York Governor is proved to have been involved in a prostitution ring, it would hardly be the first time that a powerful, brilliant person in public life has done something dizzyingly self destructive.”

Dizzyingly self destructive.  I love that quote and as a person who steps in to messes at work. I say that Ms. Novek is on the mark.  Much of what I see is that people create circumstances where they get in their own way –primarily by making poor choices. Choices, by the way, that seemed like a good idea at the time.  So Governor Spitzer, I am sure that calling a prostitute from a hotel room seemed like a viable option to pass the time….whatever.

However, talk about not seeing the forest for the trees. I think had he asked for some advice or disclosed his idea to a trusted advisor –even his dog- his actions might have been different.  Yet, how often do we make choices in secret. Don’t seek objective feedback. Bounce ideas off of someone to our detriment?

Here is the other part of the article that I really liked “ In order to be such a high profile position, you have to believe that what you are din gin innately right” 

 So how does this apply to the average working person, manager, or owner?  Simple, we too lack introspection. Managers-realistically- can not delve in to deep consequential anaylsis with every decision.  The nature of management is to make decisions –often decisions that impact the lives of others.