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Pursuing your dreams/goals and achieving them. (pg. 6)
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| Lira |
| quote: | Originally posted by ziptnf
I disagree. It was only a coincidence. Dennis Ritchie was born in New York, and Donald Knuth was born in Wisconsin. |
Hmm... I should have specified the people I had in mind. I was talking more of computer entrepreneurs, rather than just great computer scientists (which I guess the people you mentioned were?).
Although that isn't something I'd really cling on to, so it may well turn out to be a coincidence (can you think of other great computer entrepreneurs that weren't born in the mid-fifties in the West Coast?) |
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| EddieZilker |
| quote: | Originally posted by Lira
Really? I would have imagined being charismatic mattered a lot. |
I worked for a non-profit that had a well liked and capable interim CEO who was replaced by a man who managed to baffle the board of directors into hiring him, moved the HQ across the street, and "retired to spend more time with his family" after a number of gaffs in front of the press, humiliating the HR manager over a typo in an all-staff e-mail, and intimidating one of the administrative assistants (among other offenses, I'm sure). His first words in his introductory meeting were that he was, "going to drop a bomb on this place." His CV was impressive and he was definitely charismatic but the e-mail explicitly stating not to speak to any member of the press inquiring about his very sudden departure spoke volumes about the circumstances preceding his summary execution.
He managed enough charisma in front of the right people to get the job and is probably an exception when it comes to abrasive incompetents being short-lived in their capacity. Look at Enron, WorldCom, and even Madoff. Americans are far to eager to promote people who are not qualified because they exhibit the things we prize in leadership. Occasionally, you get the abrasive competent; the chef you want to run your restaurant or the tattoo artist who's striking self-confidence is vouched for in the repeat business he generates, but those are outnumbered by the prideful, charismatic incompetents who will be suffered because they look and act the way people expect them to while riding on the backs of their underlings, running the company into the ground. |
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| ziptnf |
| quote: | Originally posted by Lira
Hmm... I should have specified the people I had in mind. I was talking more of computer entrepreneurs, rather than just great computer scientists (which I guess the people you mentioned were?).
Although that isn't something I'd really cling on to, so it may well turn out to be a coincidence (can you think of other great computer entrepreneurs that weren't born in the mid-fifties in the West Coast?) |
IBM was founded in New York. Intel was founded in California. The guy who helped found AMD was born in Chicago. SAP was developed in Germany. ASUS was developed in China. You don't really have much to cling onto here at all, it's a complete coincidence that Steve Jobs and Bill Gates were both born on the West Coast. I can see why you're saying that, with the West Coast having Silicon Valley and all, but fundamentally there is no connection with being a great computer entrepreneur and being from the West Coast. |
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| Summerlover |
| quote: | Originally posted by OrangestO
Patience. Passion. Persistence.
Back when I was a natural up in life, I had neither of these qualities. One day I woke up and the light bulb went off in my head. While trying to fix my ups, create stability in my life and become a better man in the end, these three qualities have been right there with me. Sounds cliche, but the difference between who I once was and who I am today is a testament to that fact. |
Coming from the guy whos avatar is him doing a beer-bong, I'd hate to know what you were like before your realization :haha: |
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| Lira |
| quote: | Originally posted by ziptnf
IBM was founded in New York. Intel was founded in California. The guy who helped found AMD was born in Chicago. SAP was developed in Germany. ASUS was developed in China. You don't really have much to cling onto here at all, it's a complete coincidence that Steve Jobs and Bill Gates were both born on the West Coast. I can see why you're saying that, with the West Coast having Silicon Valley and all, but fundamentally there is no connection with being a great computer entrepreneur and being from the West Coast. |
I stand corrected then :) |
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| Vector A |
Nobody else a fan of the idea that it is mostly inborn traits?
If so, I guess I can live with Arbiter being the only one who agrees with me.
:p |
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| Halcyon+On+On |
| Genetics can safely be ascribed to the 'Luck' pile. |
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| Lira |
| quote: | Originally posted by Vector A
Nobody else a fan of the idea that it is mostly inborn traits? |
I'd say it's 50%-50%: Good corn can't grow in a bad soil. |
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| srussell0018 |
| A flute with no holes is not a flute. A donut with no holes is a danish. |
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| Lira |
Hah, I've always had the suspicion Banora was unholy!
*ba-da-psst*
I'll get my coat :D |
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| Joss Weatherby |
| I am the most popular cor poster. I win! :happy2: |
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| Joss Weatherby |
| quote: | Originally posted by EddieZilker
I worked for a non-profit that had a well liked and capable interim CEO who was replaced by a man who managed to baffle the board of directors into hiring him, moved the HQ across the street, and "retired to spend more time with his family" after a number of gaffs in front of the press, humiliating the HR manager over a typo in an all-staff e-mail, and intimidating one of the administrative assistants (among other offenses, I'm sure). His first words in his introductory meeting were that he was, "going to drop a bomb on this place." His CV was impressive and he was definitely charismatic but the e-mail explicitly stating not to speak to any member of the press inquiring about his very sudden departure spoke volumes about the circumstances preceding his summary execution.
He managed enough charisma in front of the right people to get the job and is probably an exception when it comes to abrasive incompetents being short-lived in their capacity. Look at Enron, WorldCom, and even Madoff. Americans are far to eager to promote people who are not qualified because they exhibit the things we prize in leadership. Occasionally, you get the abrasive competent; the chef you want to run your restaurant or the tattoo artist who's striking self-confidence is vouched for in the repeat business he generates, but those are outnumbered by the prideful, charismatic incompetents who will be suffered because they look and act the way people expect them to while riding on the backs of their underlings, running the company into the ground. |
Blame HR. Seriously, HR really needs to stay the out of hiring, how they even got into that position is beyond me. HR is usually the biggest bag of tools in any company. |
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