Comment by bluefirebrand
6 days ago
I'm not sure I agree much
Cynically, there's no difference from a CEO's perspective between a human employee and a horse
They are both expenses that the CEO would probably prefer to do without whenever possible. A line item on a balance sheet, nothing more
I think ceos that think this way are a self fulfilling prophecy of doom. If they think of their employees as cogs that can be replaced, they get cogs that can be replaced.
Doesn't matter
The median CEO salary is in the millions, they do not have to ever worry about money again if they can just stick around for one CEO gig for a couple of years
Granted, people who become CEOs are not likely to think this way
But the fact is that when people have so much money they could retire immediately with no consequences, they are basically impossible for a business to hold accountable outside of actual illegal activity
And let's be real. Often it's difficult to even hold them accountable for actual illegal activity too
If you’re playing at that level, you’re not thinking about subsistence living and never having to work again. You are driven by ego, by winning, by legacy. All three incentivize you to do well if your board consists of non-asshats. You are playing a multi-shot game.
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> they are basically impossible for a business to hold accountable outside of actual illegal activity
False. CEOs are held accountable all the time. At the extreme end, research shows that 1 in 3 CEOs are fired within 18 months.
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Isn't this good for the CEO? if your employees aren't cogs then what do you do if they leave? the more replaceable they are the better bargaining power you have as a capitalist right
If you have all cogs, the scope of your business is almost always local. You’re running a lawn mowing business or a subway. And I’m not denigrating those businesses just making the point that they’re not the bulk of the economy. If you’re running a serious business part of your business may be cogs but there’s a very important layer of non cogs that you spend most of your time recruiting, keeping, and guiding. These folks are irreplaceable.