Management Autopsy
Where management myths go to die and dangerous ideas emerge.
đź“ŽExecutive Edge Memo: MANAGEMENT MYTH BUSTED -- Leaders are Made, not Born
“Leaders are made, not born!”
“With the right training, anyone can lead!”
You’ve heard this in every leadership seminar and book. It’s comforting. It’s democratic.
It’s also mostly bullshit.
“Why, after thousands of books and billions spent on leadership development, are companies still starving ...
Apr 17, 2026
đź“ŽExecutive Edge Memo: MANAGEMENT MYTH BUSTED -- Happy Employee Initiatives Increase Performance
An HR executive once asked, “When someone comes up to you after your speech, how do you know if they’re going to pat your head… or slap it?”
I laughed.
But I understood why she asked.
Challenging the status quo—especially in HR—is risky. After 2,000 speeches, I’ve learned that when you question a...
Apr 17, 2026
đź“ŽExecutive Edge Memo: MANAGEMENT MYTH BUSTED: The Boiled Frog
The "boiled frog" laboratory experiment helps educate people on how slow, incremental changes may not be noticed until it’s too late. In the experiment, if you put a frog in a pot of boiling water, it will jump right out. But if you put it in cool water that you slowly heat up, the frog remains ...
Apr 17, 2026
đź“ŽExecutive Edge Memo: MANAGEMENT MYTH BUSTED -- Followers Follow Leaders
All the business schools, bestselling books, and motivational speakers tell us what makes great leaders:
1. Show empathy2. Be a good listeners3. Embrace change4. Create a mission or vision5. Develop your followers6. Communicate7. Build trust8. Articulate clear goals and roles9. Be open to new ide...
Apr 17, 2026
đź“ŽExecutive Edge Memo: MANAGEMENT MYTH BUSTED -- You gotta be the Lead Dog
Management consultants, trainers, coaches, and speakers inspire us to be winners. Many use popular metaphors to motivate us. One I see a lot at conferences and in books is “you gotta be the lead dog.” You probably heard these phrases over the years:
• “If you’re not the lead dog, the view never c...
Apr 16, 2026
đź“ŽExecutive Edge Memo: MANAGEMENT MYTH BUSTED -- The Butterfly Effect
You and I have heard management experts preach how a small change in your leadership now make a big impact in the future!Â
They're referring to something called the Butterfly Effect: a physics concept that the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil can set off a tornado in Texas.
Â
The wisdom of ...
Apr 16, 2026
Your Best Customer Is Your Silent Boss (the diagnostic)
Featured Contributor: Joel Block — Hedge Fund Manager, Venture Capitalist, Founder of the Advantage Player Institute
Joel sees business the way elite operators do: as a game of leverage and decisive positioning. I wondered how he wins so much where bad strategy gets you killed fast. He's a forme...
by Joel Block —
Feb 20, 2026
