How NOT to run a business – Advice from the big and small screen
Throughout the decades, there have been countless bosses portrayed on both the big and small screens. While it’s often hilarious to watch the crazy interactions between a semi-psychotic, megalomaniac boss and his or her unsuspecting employees on screen, it’s rarely as fun in real life. Here are some business and management tips you can take away from some of the craziest bosses in screen history.
Mr Burns, The Simpsons: The 100-and-something-year-old, power hungry owner of Springfield’s Nuclear Power Plant punishes employees with brute force, ignores dangerous gaps in his maintenance of the plant, and believes that forcing his employees into hard labour and 18 hour work days are the key to wealth (his own, that is).
What we’ve learned from him:
• Don’t rely on backwards, out-of-date ways of doing business – While it may be funny to hear Mr Burns rambling about phrenology, autogyros and other generally archaic terminology from somewhere in the 1890s, consistently doing business ‘the way you’ve always done it’ is no way to get ahead in today’s fast paced and ever-changing business climate. It also goes without saying that you should probably not treat your employees like slaves in a coal mine…
Tony Stark, Iron Man (2008): Ok, so there are worse bosses to have, especially when they look like Robert Downy Jr., but having a wildly unpredictable boss who’s prone to jumping out of planes, building insane inventions and generally exploding things at random can be tiring. Stark could definitely
What we’ve learned from him:
• Be a charismatic, but responsible leader – You can be charming, brilliant, and still follow conventions and proper ways of doing business. Then again, it could be that rebelliousness and disregard for the rules that gets Tony Stark ahead and earns him his millions, but some executive leadership advice wouldn’t go astray.
Michael Scott, The Office: Michael Scott (or David Brent, if you prefer the UK version) is the irritating boss who wants to be friends with everyone. The problem is he has no idea how to interact with others, instead making inane comments and generally offending everyone around him without even realising.
What we’ve learned from him:
• Don’t be oblivious to how your employees and others see you – Also, while it is important to have a good relationship with the people who work for you, you can’t expect to everybody’s best friend. There needs to be some level of professional distance maintained in workplace environments.
If you’re worried you’re turning into the next boss from hell, consider taking some business coaching courses to get you back on track.
rogenSi can revolutionise your business operations. With their unique and tailored business coaching programs, rogenSi has helped business leaders and their teams lead, inspire change and drive sales growth within their organisations. At rogenSi, we provide clients with the strategies, skills and mindset required to increase revenue and improve service.
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