Comments
Did you know that the director of the recent Rajini-starrer Jailer had no major hits before this film? Why did the superstar agree to risk his reputation with a director who didn’t have a successful box office history?
Similarly, you might have wondered why some well-known leaders or people in your network join companies with a sweatshop work culture or where the boss has a reputation for lousy temper. In each sector, there are inevitably some companies with tarnished images that people may baulk at joining.
Deterrents
What are the factors that deter us from joining certain companies? Reputation of the founder? A senior HR Director once told me how a Unicorn founder fired a VP in the middle of a leadership meeting for disagreeing with his strategy. He said, “It could happen to me too; I don’t want to carry that mental scar for the rest of my life.”
High attrition? Do some of us get jittery when we hear that attrition is high at the leadership level of a particular company? In some industries like Banking or BPO, high attrition is considered par; however, a leadership churn is regarded as a sign of warning on the culture of any organisation. When I was offered the role of MD of a large MNC, one of the key deterrents to accepting the role was how in a span of six years, they had changed four Country Heads. It made me worry that something was either wrong with the role or the company. But I still joined them; I will tell you why later.
Reasons for joining
When asked why, Rajinikanth said that he had seen that the director of Jailer had ensured in his previous movie that the distributors and producers did not lose money, and that was insurance enough to take up the role. Similarly, corporate leaders who choose to join so-called tarnished brands may be aware of an attractive insight or context that the public does not know. Also, the context of the leader taking up that role matters too. Is s/he financially stressed, desperate for a C-Suite title, jobless and wants to prove a point or wants a last hurrah?
For instance, when I accepted the country head role despite the high leadership churn, I was thinking of being a white knight. At 37, I was being offered to lead a country of a Fortune 500 brand, and if I turned it around, I thought I could be a hero. The only insurance I looked for was if the people at the headquarters had inspiring leaders, which they did. One would imagine everyone who lands a role in such troubled brands will have their unique “why” story to share.
The money angle
The conclusion we often make when senior professionals join such haunted organisations is that “they must have been paid a ransom”. It’s pretty common for job aspirants to trade money with uncertainty. Once, when I was hiring for a senior role for a brand that was in a troubled state, the VP aspirant asked for a severance pay worth a year’s salary if he was terminated in his first year. His logic was that money was the only hedge to join this enterprise, which had a reputation of hire and fire.
The saviour syndrome
Empathising with prominent industry leaders or investors who plunge to save troubled enterprises is easy. Many of them act as board members or advisors to these companies in distress, and they have lesser skin in the game; moreover, these stalwarts may not be financially/emotionally affected like an employee if things go south. Elinor Greenberg, a psychologist, lecturer and author on narcissistic disorders, coined the term “White Knight Narcissist”. At the heart of it, white knight narcissists are looking to impact the world in return for recognition. Think of Satyam, Yes Bank and some marquee start-ups in recent times, which have needed industry veterans to step in to save them. We know that many of them did not have any direct benefits for their contributions but did enhance their reputation.
The wounded
Despite having good reasons to join a company with a poor image, many of those who do end up mentally scarred. Working in sweatshop settings, dealing with temperamental founders, unethical financial practices and abusive cultures have traumatised several leaders in the peak of their careers. Many have returned to their earlier jobs taking pay cuts.
The risk takers
Sometimes, the low-trust society we have created for ourselves clouds our judgement when we decide to join tainted brands. When our well-wishers advise us against such offers, we think they are jealous. Some tend to think that turnarounds are their specialty. But having gotten out once, I can tell you that the migraines and ulcers caused by these stressful assignments are not worth the dollars.
(The writer is co-founder of Xpheno, a specialist staffing firm.)
Comments
COMMENT NOW
