Who is your corporate jester?
None of us is immune to the dynamics that come with power. How often has history proved that powerful people become bad listeners, arrogant, and behave in a superior fashion over time? Just look at the classic corporate examples that we all know from Enron (USA) to Ahold (Europe). And if we look back a little further in history and think about the fall of Louis XVI and the French Revolution. I'm sure that you have examples of this from your our own lives. I do. Perhaps it’s even happening in your company at this moment?
Democracy is a beautiful thing. We should cherish it. The system protects against corruption. In politics, you can often be in charge only for a maximum of eight years. But not so in corporate life. Many leaders are in power for much longer than eight years. Or just think about family-owned businesses that are in power for generations!
If you are in power today, how do you orchestrate to hear what you need to hear? Who addresses the elephants in your room? This is not obvious! What we often see is that the people speaking up to the boss gradually disappear. No-one really knows what happened, but we can all feel it in our gut! Something is off. People aren’t stupid. They watch these things happen. The people that are left behind quickly learn that it’s better to shut up if they want to keep their job. You see this happen again and again. In politics and in companies.
Leaders get isolated and end up with having only yes-men around them. Sooner or later, it all comes down with a big crash. Perhaps not today or tomorrow, but it will come down someday.
In the 16th and 17th century we had a solution to provide a counterbalance for this: the jester. The jester had the privilege to mock and to make fun of the people in power. Such as the British royalty and Royal Courts. With humour they told the truth. They said the things that needed to be said. But, and this is crucial, without being punished. This tradition goes back even much further. Variations of the jester were already in place with the Aztecs and the Chinese. In ancient Rome, they already had the Italian version of a jester: the balatrone.
There is a large privately owned Dutch IT company called AFAS that employs a Corporate Jester today. The guy is paid upfront by the company. His job is to say whatever he wants to say. More than that: this is exactly what they want him to do!
My questions for you are.
- Who holds up your mirror?
- For how long are you in power?
- How do you orchestrate your opposition?
- How often do you ask for feedback?
- Who tells you the things that need to be said in your boardroom?
I don't know if it needs to be a jester or not to play this role. It can also be a consultant, a coach, HR, a non-executive board member or someone else trusted. To be the jester as an insider is possible, but more difficult. It's a little easier for a trusted outsider.
Jester or not, to everyone in power today, I want to scream: ORCHESTRATE YOUR OPPOSITION. AND LISTEN CAREFULLY TO WHAT PEOPLE ARE TELLING YOU!
Let me know your thoughts.
Hope this inspires.
Paul Donkers
Paul P.J. Donkers is a sought-after global business coach and management consultant. More about his work and projects can be found via www.tencompany.org and via www.ikigaicoachinginstitute.com
Paul and his partners work since decades with leaders to assist them create more value. If you want to have a confidential conversation, just reach out to us via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
