When the worst teacher gives you the best lesson...

When I was doing my business graduate course in one of the top business colleges in South America, I never though that I could get one of my best management lessons from a teacher that most of the students did not like. The level of the students attending these classes were very high, most of them coming from the best engineering or business courses in the country.

It was a class about behavior inside organizations and the teacher was one of the top rated in terms of degrees, but overall very arrogant and not very sympathetic to his audiences of students.

One day, in one class discussing about relationships inside the organization, one student in the back of the classroom raises his his hand and makes the following question:

" Master, the management staff in my organization does not listen to what I say nor agree with any of my ideas. What am I doing wrongly ? ".

The teacher slowly turns to him, think for a moment and says:

" This is because you are weak !"

There was a suddenly a very cold silence in the class, but in our minds it was the "WOW, what is this teacher doing ??"

But before anybody could jump in, the teacher said:

" Let me explain: this happens because you are not part of the circle of power. It was not because your ideas are good or bad, but it is just because you are not a friend or part of the circle of the ones who are in the top".

Today I can perfectly understand the meaning of this after seeing it many times in my career...

So, if you want to move up, besides being high performing, you need to have good relationship with the circle of power.

My additional advice is: never let this be higher than your values ! If you feel like you need to give up them to be part of the circle of power, don't do it. You can always find another place where you can be part of the circle and have your values respected ! And be much happier...

Alex Pecora