The biggest barriers to strategic renewal are almost always top management's unexamined beliefs.
Gary HamelRead
The real damper on employee engagement is the soggy, cold blanket of centralized authority. In most companies, power cascades downwards from the CEO. Not only are employees disenfranchised from most policy decisions, they lack even the power to rebel against egocentric and tyrannical supervisors.
Interpretation
Centralized authority can hinder employee engagement and empowerment.
In this quote, Gary Hamel critiques the negative impact of centralized authority on employee engagement in organizations. He suggests that when power is concentrated at the top, it disempowers employees, preventing them from participating in decision-making and standing up against poor management practices, ultimately leading to a disengaged workforce.
In practice
During a team meeting, to discuss the importance of empowering employees, one might say, 'As Gary Hamel pointed out, centralized authority can be a real damper on engagement.'
The biggest barriers to strategic renewal are almost always top management's unexamined beliefs.
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