‘Of leadership and management’, or ‘What is the point of a good boss at AP?’
“G’day mate! Long time, no see. What are you having?”
“Yeah, g’day, I’ll go one of those craft frothies. It’s easier on the plumbing.”
“Um, what’s up?”
“Mmm, been thinking . . . “
“The last time you were ‘thinking’, it was about your firm’s delivery subsidiary. How’s that going? It was in transition, you told me.”
“Ahhh, yep, well, it’s actually doing pretty well. Really hard market with plenty of really strong competition both locally and from elsewhere. And it’s lumped with a legacy business that some of the older shareholders like but which has been badly undermined. Messaged anyone lately? They won’t spin anything off because there’s a lot of cross-subsidisation involved. Anyway, it’s a massive business. It earns plenty for group revenue.”
“Hey, congrats, mate that’s gotta be good news, right? I mean, the growth area pivot-planning’s been there for a while and a bright bloke got it underway before leaving the business. Bit expensive but bright all the same.”
“And it got a top-notch replacement. Plenty of runs on the board and hugely respected. A couple of years ago, the mangement team nailed a cracking deal to get finance companies to have their presence in its premises nationwide, so our offices and their customers can access their services whenever they visit.”
“You what!? That’s brilliant! Hey, want another one?”
“Yair, why not? My shout. Can get a taxi later. No doubt it’ll make my group a motza and support all those offices.”
“Wow, winners all ’round. And you’re right, that sort of thing’s a management team effort. The bonus must’ve been really something. Not least for the CEO, but everyone who got that over the line.”
“Well yes and no.”
“What?”
“The CEO’s been sacked.”
(Cough, splutter) ” . . . um . . . why?”
“Look, I don’t really get it either. The CEO was a motorcycle nut and those involved in the deal all got a nice leather jacket each. Not diamond-and-ruby encrusted, just very nice. A personal momento of a successful effort beyond expectations.”
“So?”
“So, the owners only found out about it now at a shareholders’ event. And even though it’s an independent entity within the group, a minority group of shareholders kicked up a huge public fuss, saying it was an extravagance.”
“So, surely the majority shareholder told them where to go. A handful of leather jackets isn’t a sacking offence. Remember 2018? It was as close to gangbusters the decade got to see. Ya can’t cast the decisions before a one-in-a century pandemic in the same light as now.”
“You might think that but the majority shareholder is under pressure on a variety of front in the whole business. Been all sorts of goings on and the minority wants to get its shareholding up to get control of the board, as it views various dealings in a very dim light.”
“Oh dear, but that’s really tough of the CEO, poor bloke. Should have stuck by the rules.”
“He’s a she”
“What? In transport and logistics? Like hens teeth, pardon the pun.”
“No worries. And there were no ‘rules’. Still aren’t. They make it up as they go along.”
“But wait on. Aren’t your minority shareholders really hot on equal rights and celebrating the achievements of women and minorities? I thought they were busting to promote successful women as role models, especially as the other mob doesn’t give a stuff. Looks like an appalling own-goal.”
“it was one of their women leading the charge.”
“But how are the group and the shareholders, not to mention the enterprise itself, to gain from all this, um, self-gratification? How are they to attract the best and the brightest possible if those who do well are sacked on a whim? And why would you want to try to strive for such a business if you’re gunna be thrown under a truck for something so woefully sad and petty? Where’s the leadership? Can’t they see how destructive and appalling it all is? It makes absolutely no sense. If this sort of indulgence happened in private companies, you’d worry about their futures.”
“You may say that, I’m a bit too exposed to comment.”
Truly, you couldn’t make this stuff up.