Corporate “cult” themes have become hot topics within such recent books as Corporate Cults: The Insidious Lure of the All-Consuming Organization by Dave Arnott and The Power of Cult Branding by Matthew W. Ragas and Bolivar J. Bueno.
Now a new book by a famous former Enron employee raises the issue provocatively once again.
Sharon Watkins author of Power Failure: The Inside Story of the Collapse of Enron discusses her experience within the failed corporation bluntly, reports USA Today.
Watkins writes that CEO Jeff Skilling was “A very cult-like leader, like David Koresh (of the Branch Davidian sect in Texas). Except Koresh burned with the building, while Skilling slipped out the backdoor.”
Interesting. Does what Watkins say bear further comparisons?
Can a corporate “cult leader” be much like the more conventional type?
Some greedy CEOs like Skilling may possess little if any conscience, lack meaningful accountability and promote a “we vs. they” mentality regarding their critics.
And such a CEO might largely control information and the environment within a corporate culture consumed with a kind of insider’s jargon filled with thought-terminating cliches.
It looks like many Enron employees were so caught up in that corporate culture, they not only lost their way morally, but also it seems some of their capacity for critical thinking.
Sound like “brainwashing”?
No, that couldn’t be, could it?
no comment untill now