“To justify and extol human greed and egotism is to my mind not only immoral, but evil.”

Gore Vidal

What happens when an Iron Age Warrior is let lose in a modern boardroom?

Well, according to a recent article I read, some very bad things. The least of which is to earn Eddie Lampert, the Sears’s CEO, the dubious reputation as America’s worst CEO. Lampert had a meteoric rise on Wall Street and was being hailed as a financial genius. Philosophically, Lampert is an acolyte of Ayn Rand, a darling of the American conservatives, that teaches a gospel of greed and self-interest. This led to Lampert manifesting a leadership style more akin to Joffrey Baratheon in a ‘Game of Thrones.’

The Corporate Colosseum.

As such, he made his managers and divisions compete for their territories and resources, pitting them against each other in a gladiatorial like combat. Armed wi
th the fervour of an acolyte to Ayn Rand, his style of leadership and his management model, not only failed to deliver the financial returns he promised his shareholders, but also failed in maintaining a sustainable corporate culture. Instead, he set the stage for a series of tribal wars that resulted in devastating carnage.

Hang On!

Before we get too critical of Lampert too soon, let’s reflect for a moment. Is Lampert really an isolated case? Was he really the only one to lose the moral compass in leadership?

Rather than just being critical of the man, we need to dig little deeper and look at the context and influences he had that shaped him. Reflecting on my interest in how Lampert proceeded, it struck me that much of Lampert’s questionable leadership and management style stemmed not just from Ayn Rand’s morally bankrupt philosophy. It actually reflected the very fabric of the traditional masculine culture that has been imbued into men, and steered organisations and institutions for centuries. He was, in fact, the epitome of what I call the Iron Age Warrior. Lampert has, in essence, simply applied what men have been inculcated with from birth.

The Old Masculine Stereotype in action.

We are told, directly and indirectly, to be territorial, to be be conscious of your status in society, to be acquisitional and most of all, to be competitive. And, finally, if all else fails, be combative. Having been given further legitimacy through Rand’s philosophy, Lampert simply applied what had served him as a trader in a strongly masculine way. The problem is that Lampert’s approach may work with money, but it doesn’t work with people.

Lampert’s story sheds light on how the Iron Age Warrior fails to understand human nature, and if he does, then only in so far as to serve his own ends. People are commodities to be traded based on their usefulness. In order to achieve this, the Iron Age Warrior resorts to subterfuge; he makes you think he cares about you and the culture. He uses language that is seductive and stirring to elicit your loyalty, which you give freely because it is for the greater good.

A New Masculinity in Leadership.

Had Lampert been more a student of people and culture, the he would have had to rethink who he is as a man, what he is about and, if he was emotionally intelligent enough, how to effectively lead people. He would have learnt that rather than being territorial, to be inclusive; rather than being hierarchical, to be democratic and consultative; rather than being acquisitional and greedy, to be distributive, to share; and most importantly, to understand clearly that it is cooperation and not competition that make cultures work.

Above all, it would have meant, that had he joined a New Masculine Culture, he might have been worth following.