You (kinda) have to understand yourself better than your spreadsheet
The managers of the past were all about efficiency. There was no other way in an age where we mass produced all the basic goods we can think of. Management was (and still is to a large extent) treated as a science, procedures and workflows were put in place, metrics were established.
But times they are a changing. What worked great to produce hundreds of types of flavoured breakfast cereals is starting to show its limitations. Because humans needs and desires are infinite and as we satisfy our basic ones, new ones show up. Like video-game bosses, the further you go the more challenging they become. Our needs are like that. Access to fresh water was a big challenging need during ancient times. More recently we struggled with curing diseases using antibiotics or instant communication using the telegraph, phones and (most recently) the Internet. We have a long way to go. After all teleportation is nowhere in sight.
But recently we started craving for more complex & meaningful needs. We want our products and services to help us reduce our anxiety, give us meaning, motivate us, connect us to communities we could belong etc. Defining these is a massive challenge. Solving them is even harder.
In this brave new world, Seneca is probably a better read than Taylor’s scientific management practices. Thriving in this new economy probably means more self-education in social sciences. The new leaders are those who understand themselves better than their spreadsheets.
