Ralph O’Riley is a dynamic CEO of a large for-profit system. He is well known in the community. He is a brilliant businessman, and he is highly rewarded for it, enjoying various perks such as a beautifully appointed office suite, a company car, and a parking spot right outside the hospital entrance. 

He rarely attends employee-related functions, and he only occasionally visits the other facilities in the system, let alone the units on his own campus. He is a mythical figure among employees and intimidates his own leadership team. He shows up to meetings late, relies on his chief executives to “fill him in on the agenda,” and does not know all of his staff members’ names or positions. He does not participate in operational discussions, but he gives orders that affect operations, something that confounds his team and angers the rank and file. 

Once during a retreat, Ralph was overheard by some of his team members boasting about his golf game and his power. “This is a waste of my time,” he complained over his cell phone. “It’s not PC to say it, but I own these people. They do what I tell them to do. I made a lot of money for this system. Now they should give me a break.” 

Questions 

Obviously, everything Ralph is seems to run counter to the practices that build and enhance trust. 

1. What long-term effects does Ralph’s behavior have on his team, the employees at large, and the organization as a whole? Are these effects irreversible? 

2. Ralph is clearly a financial wizard and has great business instincts. How should he leverage these competencies to create a better culture? To make himself even more powerful by being approachable and trustworthy? 

3. What role does power play in Ralph’s success?