The Princple

After voicing my disdain with Corporate America to my father, I was invited me to read a book entitled The Peter Principle.

Wikipedia provides a quick overview:

In a Hierarchy Every Employee Tends to Rise to His Level of Incompetence.

Ouch.

With further elaboration:

The employee’s incompetence is not necessarily exposed as a result of the higher-ranking position being “more difficult” — it may be simply that the position is different from the position in which the employee previously excelled, and thus requires different skills, which the employee may not possess.

Most people don’t realize when they’ve achieved their peak. This is very evident in entertainment too: Michael Jordan, Michael Jackson, Rod Stewart, etc. The only ‘big name’ I can think of that’s bowed out gracefully semi recently is Jay-Z with The Black Album.

I think it’s an issue of humility. Who doesn’t think they could always do better? Hopefully the book will answer a few of my questions. I’ts a good read so far.