Comments on: Random Day 1: Social engineering and genius http://managingleadership.com/blog/2007/08/06/random-day-1-social-engineering-and-genius/ The strategic role of the senior executive Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:35:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jim Stroup http://managingleadership.com/blog/2007/08/06/random-day-1-social-engineering-and-genius/comment-page-1/#comment-1216 Jim Stroup Tue, 04 Sep 2007 14:46:30 +0000 http://managingleadership.com/blog/2007/08/06/random-day-1-social-engineering-and-genius/#comment-1216 Hello Lee, Thanks for your return visit - I think the context of your original post suggested there was a typo, but thanks for your clarification and, especially, your elaboration of the issue: powerfully and beautifully expressed. More than that, you bring up some centrally fundamental points about what we're really talking about when we throw this term, "ethics," around. I look forward to seeing more of your thinking on this topic! Hello Lee,

Thanks for your return visit – I think the context of your original post suggested there was a typo, but thanks for your clarification and, especially, your elaboration of the issue: powerfully and beautifully expressed. More than that, you bring up some centrally fundamental points about what we’re really talking about when we throw this term, “ethics,” around. I look forward to seeing more of your thinking on this topic!

]]> By: Lee Thayer http://managingleadership.com/blog/2007/08/06/random-day-1-social-engineering-and-genius/comment-page-1/#comment-1215 Lee Thayer Tue, 04 Sep 2007 14:15:36 +0000 http://managingleadership.com/blog/2007/08/06/random-day-1-social-engineering-and-genius/#comment-1215 Jim--Yes, talk about "ethics" seems to be good PR (or just plain PC), but when you think about THAT--is that whole process "ethical"? Looks like the last sentence of my last comment (Aug 23) got truncated. What it should have said is that "..people who are INcompetent" like so many CEOs don't think or perform ethically because they don't have the tools for understanding such a convoluted subject!The larger problem, and this is ancient wisdom, is that "You cannot confer a benefit on an unwilling person." Ethics is a dance. It takes two.Beyond that, isn't the only real measure of ethical (or not) in the consequences? If it is to mean anything of value, we need to understand it not as a parlor game or political maneuver, but in terms of the consequences in the real world. Jim–Yes, talk about “ethics” seems to be good PR (or just plain PC), but when you think about THAT–is that whole process “ethical”? Looks like the last sentence of my last comment (Aug 23) got truncated. What it should have said is that “..people who are INcompetent” like so many CEOs don’t think or perform ethically because they don’t have the tools for understanding such a convoluted subject!The larger problem, and this is ancient wisdom, is that “You cannot confer a benefit on an unwilling person.” Ethics is a dance. It takes two.Beyond that, isn’t the only real measure of ethical (or not) in the consequences? If it is to mean anything of value, we need to understand it not as a parlor game or political maneuver, but in terms of the consequences in the real world.

]]> By: Jim Stroup http://managingleadership.com/blog/2007/08/06/random-day-1-social-engineering-and-genius/comment-page-1/#comment-1114 Jim Stroup Thu, 23 Aug 2007 23:29:40 +0000 http://managingleadership.com/blog/2007/08/06/random-day-1-social-engineering-and-genius/#comment-1114 Thanks, Lee, for your visit and your observation. A lot of the talk about ethics is merely because it's fashionable, isn't it? Enjoying your writing as well - please keep it going! Thanks, Lee, for your visit and your observation. A lot of the talk about ethics is merely because it’s fashionable, isn’t it?

Enjoying your writing as well – please keep it going!

]]> By: Lee Thayer http://managingleadership.com/blog/2007/08/06/random-day-1-social-engineering-and-genius/comment-page-1/#comment-1113 Lee Thayer Thu, 23 Aug 2007 21:50:26 +0000 http://managingleadership.com/blog/2007/08/06/random-day-1-social-engineering-and-genius/#comment-1113 Jim--Great, rangy, thought-provoking stuff. About "ethics"--other than the fact that it is just a fashionable subject: People who are competent in their roles (e.g., CEOs) don't because they can't understand ethical issues. Jim–Great, rangy, thought-provoking stuff. About “ethics”–other than the fact that it is just a fashionable subject: People who are competent in their roles (e.g., CEOs) don’t because they can’t understand ethical issues.

]]> By: Roundup: Virtual business, legislating corporate responsibility, subliminal suggestion, male and female brain differrences | Managing Leadership http://managingleadership.com/blog/2007/08/06/random-day-1-social-engineering-and-genius/comment-page-1/#comment-1069 Roundup: Virtual business, legislating corporate responsibility, subliminal suggestion, male and female brain differrences | Managing Leadership Fri, 10 Aug 2007 01:31:46 +0000 http://managingleadership.com/blog/2007/08/06/random-day-1-social-engineering-and-genius/#comment-1069 [...] Legislating ethics. We've talked a lot about the dangerously vague and seductive temptation to require businesses to be "good corporate citizens." We touched on the subject most recently in this post: Social engineering and genius, but also in a popular series about Karma Capitalism. And we'll get to hear more on this topic soon enough: according to this WSJ item, the world's first corporate social responsibility law has been passed, in Indonesia. Read the piece for news of the gathering storm; here's a bit of the Journal's take on the topic: "But the most important way most companies serve their communities is by creating jobs and contributing to economic growth. The late Nobel economist Milton Friedman once argued that the social responsibility of a firm is to make a profit. A corporation, after all, is just a legal designation; it's individuals, not paper firms, who have moral responsibilities." [...] [...] Legislating ethics. We’ve talked a lot about the dangerously vague and seductive temptation to require businesses to be “good corporate citizens.” We touched on the subject most recently in this post: Social engineering and genius, but also in a popular series about Karma Capitalism. And we’ll get to hear more on this topic soon enough: according to this WSJ item, the world’s first corporate social responsibility law has been passed, in Indonesia. Read the piece for news of the gathering storm; here’s a bit of the Journal’s take on the topic: “But the most important way most companies serve their communities is by creating jobs and contributing to economic growth. The late Nobel economist Milton Friedman once argued that the social responsibility of a firm is to make a profit. A corporation, after all, is just a legal designation; it’s individuals, not paper firms, who have moral responsibilities.” [...]

]]> By: Robyn McMaster http://managingleadership.com/blog/2007/08/06/random-day-1-social-engineering-and-genius/comment-page-1/#comment-1059 Robyn McMaster Tue, 07 Aug 2007 22:41:34 +0000 http://managingleadership.com/blog/2007/08/06/random-day-1-social-engineering-and-genius/#comment-1059 Hi Jim, I'm glad I inspired you for another post. That's the beauty of commenting to one another. Hi Jim, I’m glad I inspired you for another post. That’s the beauty of commenting to one another.

]]> By: Jim Stroup http://managingleadership.com/blog/2007/08/06/random-day-1-social-engineering-and-genius/comment-page-1/#comment-1054 Jim Stroup Tue, 07 Aug 2007 01:07:29 +0000 http://managingleadership.com/blog/2007/08/06/random-day-1-social-engineering-and-genius/#comment-1054 Thank you both, again, for your visits! Steve, careful: someone will see your comment and write a book on the Leadership Lessons of Cecil B. DeMille. Just what we need! Dr. McMaster, I love your definition of development: the knowledge that we are in the midst of those with skills superior to, and knowledge fuller than, our own. We develop our own abilities in order to participate and to contribute, not to dictate. What a great way to put it - has me starting a post about it already; I'll save that for later! Thanks again! Thank you both, again, for your visits!

Steve, careful: someone will see your comment and write a book on the Leadership Lessons of Cecil B. DeMille. Just what we need!

Dr. McMaster, I love your definition of development: the knowledge that we are in the midst of those with skills superior to, and knowledge fuller than, our own. We develop our own abilities in order to participate and to contribute, not to dictate.

What a great way to put it – has me starting a post about it already; I’ll save that for later!

Thanks again!

]]> By: Robyn McMaster http://managingleadership.com/blog/2007/08/06/random-day-1-social-engineering-and-genius/comment-page-1/#comment-1052 Robyn McMaster Mon, 06 Aug 2007 20:13:09 +0000 http://managingleadership.com/blog/2007/08/06/random-day-1-social-engineering-and-genius/#comment-1052 Hi Jim, I so agree about keeping an open mind and taking time to understand. For most of my life, I was held back by believing myths about my brain. I never attempted to develop my gifts because of that! I have developed my gifts now to the point that I do know that others are smarter than me in many areas. I enjoy highlighting that. When I don't strut my own "stuff," but rather lift high others' talents, I benefit in part because they do. Thanks so much for the "shout." Hi Jim, I so agree about keeping an open mind and taking time to understand. For most of my life, I was held back by believing myths about my brain. I never attempted to develop my gifts because of that! I have developed my gifts now to the point that I do know that others are smarter than me in many areas. I enjoy highlighting that. When I don’t strut my own “stuff,” but rather lift high others’ talents, I benefit in part because they do.

Thanks so much for the “shout.”

]]> By: Steve Roesler http://managingleadership.com/blog/2007/08/06/random-day-1-social-engineering-and-genius/comment-page-1/#comment-1051 Steve Roesler Mon, 06 Aug 2007 18:41:17 +0000 http://managingleadership.com/blog/2007/08/06/random-day-1-social-engineering-and-genius/#comment-1051 Sweet. Did you get advice from Cecil B. DeMille on doing an eight-day production :-) ? Looking forward to it. Sweet.

Did you get advice from Cecil B. DeMille on doing an eight-day production :-) ?

Looking forward to it.

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