The first thing you notice about Jack Welker, the white supremacist played by Michael Bowen in the TV series Breaking Bad, is the big, black swastika on his neck. Jack makes no bones about his racism. You’ve heard of people wearing their hearts on their sleeves? Jack wears his hatred just below his head. Jack [...]
The majestic Grand Canyon | Photo by Bruce Weinstein Imagine that a fire broke out at your desk, and none of the fire extinguishers in your building worked. What would you do? That was the question that Marvin, the new director of the fire safety department at a large company, wanted to make sure never arose. [...]
Sunset on the Hudson River | Photo by Bruce Weinstein “Who put this thing together? Me, that’s who! Who do I trust? Me!” These words, the mark of a true narcissist, are shouted by the character Tony Montana in Scarface as the drug empire he has built starts to crumble. (Oliver Stone wrote the script.) [...]
Hiring accountable people makes the lives of managers and employees much easier, because accountable employees do four things consistently: They keep their promises. They consider the consequences of their actions. They take responsibility for their mistakes. They make amends for those mistakes. The following questions may help managers discern a job candidate’s level of accountability. The [...]
Honesty is the most important of the ten crucial qualities of high-character employees. My father once bought a life insurance policy from an agent who was a really likable guy. Warm, friendly, and a good listener, Eric was just the kind of person you wanted on your team. His impeccable credentials, strong references, and a [...]