It's Not the How or the What but the Who

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The Problem with Democracy

When executives tell me about the models their organizations use to make people decisions, they often use political metaphors. Sometimes they describe dictatorships, in which team, unit, or company leaders unilaterally decide who is hired, fired, staffed, or promoted. A better version is the benevolent monarchy, in which a king or queen still rules, but ostensibly in the group’s best interest. Others say they work in democracies, where all interested parties seem to have a vote or, in extreme cases, veto power. Unfortunately none of those systems works well. What you need is a selective aristocracy—a group of three top-notch assessors per decision to give you valuable input.

I offer this solution not just as an ...