Managing Access:Lessons from History

Most of the leaders are busy people. Time is the most scarce resource for them. They can't spare time for everybody who demands their time. They have to be choosy. Access to the leader is a privilege. I have seen many people making their career out of such an access. Some use it responsibly, some use it sparingly but most of them overuse it and even misuse it. This article is about managing such a privileged access to power. If not handled properly, access can even ruin the leadership. Human history offers many examples and modern-day management leaders must draw their lessons from those stories.

Historically in Greece, Middle East, China, Korea, and other parts of the far east countries eunuchs played an important role during different dynasties. Castration was typically carried out on the soon-to-be eunuch without his consent in order that he might perform a specific social function.The earliest records for such intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city, Lagash (presently in Iraq) in the 21st century BC. Read here (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eunuch).

Eunuchs performed a wide variety of functions in many different cultures: courtiers or equivalent domestics, royal guards, govt. officials, and guardians of women. They were reliable servants of royal courts where physical access to a ruler could wield great influence. They performed low domestic works like cutting the hair of the king, preparing his bed, bathing him etc. Eunuchs had an access to the 'king's ear' which imparted the 'de facto' power to them. In China, the tradition of using eunuchs in the imperial court goes back at least 2,000 years. During the Han Dynasty (206 B.C." A.D. 220), palace eunuchs often ran the day to day affairs of the court. They vied for power with military leaders, scholar & bureaucrats.

Beginning with the reign of Han Shun To in A.D. 126, eunuchs held a high position in the Chinese court and had what is known today as access.

While ministers and many high officials were not allowed to address the Emperor directly, eunuchs saw him on a daily basis and were allowed to talk to him on familiar terms. (For details read https://factsanddetails.com/china/cat2/4sub9/item43.html)

In China, eunuchs became so powerful that they became an object of envy. The scholars & bureaucrats, who had risen to their positions through merit, "feared, envied and despised" the eunuchs. Soon eunuchs realized the fact that their access to the 'kings ear' was a bigger asset than the positions held by bureaucrats or the respect commanded by scholars. This realization made them greedy, corrupt and scheming. They started corrupt and immoral practices. They started selling the access. They often demanded kickbacks in return for contracts. Any senior official with a business that demanded the emperor's attention had to persuade a eunuch to carry the message for him; the eunuchs, naturally enough, asked for fees in return for such services, the more powerful ones were bribed and flattered by ambitious officials.

Does this ring a bell? Haven't you seen enough of them in the modern day offices? Are they not controlling the bosses? Are they not closer to his ears than most of you are? In the good old days, few persons would happily get castrated in order to be near to the power. Can you not see the similar behavior today?

The ultra-modern 'corporate eunuchs' cut-off their important organ, self-esteem, in order to stay near to power.

They project themselves as lions. They may or may not know their worth but they desperately want to prove their worth. They have limited ability to contribute hence they leverage their access to the leadership. Weak members of the team depend on them as their advocate. They are prepared to 'compensate' for the favors done to them. Such people create informal organizations within the organizations. It is called the cartel or the 'pressure lobby'.

Stronger the leader stronger will be the corporate eunuch.

Why are the corporate eunuchs dangerous? In the history, eunuchs were either born or forced to be eunuchs. But these modern-day 'corporate eunuchs' do it willfully. They are more dangerous. Their insecure mind is the source of their jealousy towards talented performers. They are a source of discontentment in the organizations. They are the parasites who flourish on corruption.

Corporate eunuchs realize that the access to power is the greatest nuisance power which can be encashed.

They frustrate the performers. Corporate eunuchs have no concern about the organizational mission or vision. Their mission is to propagate their vested agenda. Their loyalty to the leader is also not beyond doubt. They could leave the leader in a crisis like mice in a sinking ship.

How should the leaders deal with it? Leaders should have a secured mind themselves. My experience is that most of the times leaders themselves are the source of this problem. Eunuchs are creations of the insecure leaders.

Insecure leaders create corporate eunuchs.

Some leaders like sycophancy. They always want to be in a company of people who praise them. Such leaders are not open to evaluation by others. They evaluate themselves. This evaluation is not objective and it has no negative marks. But they need endorsements by others. They want only sounding boards & not genuine advisors who are fearless & provide their views without any vested interest.

Sycophans are potential corporate eunuchs.

Some leaders are not self-reliant. They are over-dependent on others for the secretarial assistance and for many things. If you are not driving your car yourself then you are inviting a potential corporate eunuch who can follow your actions and reactions because he is your driver. Initially, he drives your car as per your directions after a few years he starts giving you directions & drive you crazy and arrive at his destination.

Do-It-Yourself (DIY) culture reduces the possibilities of the birth of corporate eunuchs.

The secretarial assistance should be replaced by technology. The leaders have to be techno-savvy & should use modern day gadgets, apps and other tools like "Siri' in iPhone, google calendar, google maps, GPS etc along with the social media like Linked In, Facebook, Whatsapp etc.

Another way is remaining accessible. The leader should create enough listening posts and avoid staying in the 'forbidden city'. Creating multiple access channels reduces the power of corporate eunuchs.

How to deal with organizational eunuchs? The best method is to establish active communication with the leaders. Sharing the work progress, promptly with the leader would help.

In the rural India, people say that 'the dog which walks beneath the bullock cart pretends that the bullock cart moves because of him.' Corporate eunuchs are like these dogs who undermine the efforts of a bullock. They make their living by undermining the efforts of loyal & hardworking employees. The best policy could be remaining neutral and not joining any cartel as it may give you benefits in the short term but will definitely harm you in the long term. Please remember

The corporate eunuchs are friends to nobody

Trees live for hundreds of years but parasites have short lives. They thrive during spring and vanish in fall. But they can kill a weak tree. Follow the tree, don't follow the parasites.

About the Author: Prof Dr Ajit Patil was awarded 'Top Voice on LinkedIn - 2017'. He is a Management Writer; Marketing, Business Development & Retailing Consultant. He conducts Management Development Programmes; trains & coaches Sales & Marketing teams. He has been teaching MBA students in India & overseas for over 18 years. He can be reached at [email protected]

Prof Dr. Ajit Patil in the Wharton Business School (U-Penn) campus, Philadelphia, USA with the statue of Benjamin Franklin, the founder of the University of Pennsylvania and the former president of America. October 2017