2. Principle

Competence-based leadership before “flat hierarchies” and consensus

Because knowledge and skill are more important than consensus

Hooray, flat hierarchies, they like to rejoice, and consensus in general. What could be better?

Sorry!

Consensus is garbage when it comes to the governance of companies and enterprises. Competence is needed for sustainable governance. And the so-called “flat hierarchies” are a romantic notion with little relation to reality.

No, this is not a hymn to the principle of dictatorship. Yes, there is a costly misunderstanding to be cleared up here. Consensus before competence does not work. Nowhere. If the better knowledge does not prevail over the worse, first stupidity wins, then idiocy. Sure, it’s desirable for everyone to feel equally comfortable. Parity is a non-negotiable fundamental value.

However:

It is neither possible nor desirable for ideas to prevail on a parity basis. The price of democracy, as it is currently implemented, is known to be that it is not always the best idea that wins, but the one that the majority can agree on in the course of established processes. Most of the time, it may be the best. But again and again it is not. That is a problem. For example, in dealing with the climate crisis. If the best ideas, based on competence, don’t win, we may soon find ourselves in a pressure cooker with excessively high temperatures.

But this is not about politics and a view on the sustainability of democratic processes, but about sustainable governance for companies and enterprises. Applied augmented leadership only works on a competence basis. Period. And: Yes, democracy could also learn from this…

Conclusion:

Competency-based leadership over “flat hierarchies” and consensus, i.e. the 2nd principle of the Augmented Leadership Manifesto, should be discussed on the basis of competency, not on the basis of opinions and vague preferences.