Working World - Organizational

By Barbara Bowes

With plenty of real warfare in the world, it's hard to fathom our workplace being referred to as warfare.

Yet, that is exactly what David F. D'Alessandro, former CEO of John Hancock Financial Services, calls executive-level career management. Warfare! He suggests that executives are really never happy with their latest coup, but are essentially addicted to climbing the ladder and always strive for the next big promotion. And, no one shall stand in their way.

This ambitious drive for the upper echelons of organizational success creates a work culture at the executive level that is extremely competitive and politically complex, complete with territorial jealousies, deceit and naked aggression.

In fact, the author suggests that individuals striving for those few executive roles need to be extra careful because the career game at this level changes dramatically. Not only that, D'Alessandro deftly points out that while hairdressers and barbers require a licence to practice, managers and executives don't. This lack of professional licensing, unfortunately, leaves plenty of room for a lot of underhanded and outright mean shenanigans. The result, in his view, is that the best career management strategy at the executive level is to relentlessly "watch your back."

D'Alessandro is a "straight shooting, no holds barred" storyteller who lets loose a seemingly pent-up venom on previous colleagues and bosses.

You'll be able to literally feel his anger as he explains the tough lessons learned as he climbed the ladder of success. Reading through the elements of his Executive Warfare: 10 rules of Engagement For Winning Your War For Success certainly brought back a few personal memories and I am sure you'll feel the same. Here are some of his most meaningful rules:

- You need to please several bosses -- Executive teams are exposed to and must create a good impression on a greater number of influential people. Make sure you take every opportunity to get known and be better prepared than anyone else for a meeting and/or discussion encounter.

- Don't trust your boss with your career -- Keep in mind that your boss can transfer, die or fall out of favour at any time. As well, don't count on your bosses to promote your interests ahead their own; they won't. Avoid making your only career strategy that of riding your boss's coat-tails.

- Build a network outside of work -- You need to become a known entity in a variety of environments as you never know when you'll need a friend to gain access into another higher level position and/or to leave your current organization. Build those networks, help people out of difficult situations and they will reciprocate when needed.

- Don't over-involve yourself -- By all means make a name for yourself by joining committees and task forces, but keep in mind that your own workload must be completed to exemplary standards. Attendance but no action will harm you, so be sure to balance your efforts.

- Peers can be dangerous enemies -- While peers may be useful to help gain influence, many resent your skills and ambition. They become enemies who will undermine you through whispered comments and rumour mongering. They'll rally a clique of colleagues and attempt to crush you. Advice: Keep your distance.

- Take a line, revenue generating role -- Executive-level roles require experience in revenue generating roles, so avoid staying too long in human resources, legal or strategic planning. You need to prove you can make a profit for the company.

- Everything at the executive level is magnified -- As you gain profile in your company and your community, you open yourself to more potshots from competitors. Protect your reputation through exemplary behaviour and personal privacy. If something does occur that serves to slight your reputation, fight it with all your might.

- Diffusing an enemy takes time -- Shame is not a deterrent for treacherous executive-level peers who seek to destroy you, so don't be in a hurry to retaliate. Instead, focus on diluting their influence in the organization and discrediting their contributions until they are forced out.

- Defeat your rivals in a siege -- If and when you do get the senior level job, it is best to get rid of your rivals. There aren't too many people who can work with a winner while feeling like a loser.

- Rid your nest of snakes -- Occasionally, you will meet one of your own staff, a subordinate(s) who believes they are better than you are. Or, they simply don't want you as boss. As such, they'll undermine and discount you in every way they can. Do whatever you need to do-- transfer them, split their job, lay them off or fire them -- but get rid of them quickly.

- Define the number of dents -- As a senior and successful executive, jealous, ambitious peers and competitors will be taking potshots at you all the time. Determine how much is enough. If you can't fix things and/or if you want to lead and you can't do it within your organization, then move on. There are plenty of other organizations that will value what you bring to the table.

- Don't underestimate the value of culture -- While many organizations have a positive, synergistic culture, most do not live up to the values stated in their brochures. Find out what the taboos and landmines are. Keep in mind that if you end up being that one person against a crowd, culture always wins.

So, when you are in the middle of bizarre workplace behaviour such as bullying, verbal and emotional abuse and confronting deliberate and aggressive undermining actions, your world will indeed seem like it is warfare.

And if you think this dire scenario is bad enough, D'Alessandro maintains that organizations will continue to become even more aggressive, more skeptical and more unforgiving than ever. In his view, what does a successful executive look like? They are strongly number-oriented amateur psychologists, humanists and humorists who can successfully manage multiple constituent relationships and at the same time, watch their backs.

Source: Executive Warfare: 10 rules of Engagement For Winning Your War For Success, David F. D'Alessandro with Michele Owens, McGraw Hill, 2008

Barbara J. Bowes, FCHRP, CMC, is president of Legacy Bowes Group and vice-president of Legacy Executive Search Manitoba. She can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .