Look closely at any company in trouble, and you’ll probably find that the problem is management. Ask employees about their jobs, and they’ll complain about management. Study large corporations, and you’ll discover that the biggest barrier to change, innovation, and new ideas is very often management. Make an inventory of the things that have stifled your own creativity and held back your own career; summarize the critical factors that have stood in the way of your organization’s success; name the individuals chiefly responsible for the missed opportunities and bungled projects you yourself have witnessed. Managers will top every list.
A version of this article appeared in the November–December 1996 issue of Harvard Business Review.