So, Who's In Charge - Apollo's Marc Rowan Blew Open That Reality

 "Ousted UPenn board chair says donors

shouldn’t decide policy after

contributions pulled over school’s

handling of antisemitism"

 New York Post, December 28, 2023

Essentially Apollo CEO Marc Rowan exposed the control that those not actually inside an institution had over it. 

Among other strategies to eliminate campus antisemitism Rowan motivated other major donors to academia to threaten withholding future funding. In addition, the issue got the attention of Congress which conducted a hearing. It's an understatement to size up those presentations as disasters for the academic leaders. Also what was shown not to be in control was the white shoe law firm WilmerHale which provided the advice to those academics on how to deliver that Congressional testimony. 

Rowan's initial target - the leadership at UPenn - caved. At Harvard things are dicey.  No bit of higher education should feel safe. 

Rowan merely uncovered the reality few admit and that it applies way beyond academia. 

At Disney Bob Iger is not in charge. He's held in "communal custody" by shareholders, especially activist ones, the dynamics of the entertainment market and the media/social networks.  Maybe it's that lack of control which motivated a record number of CEOs - 1,500 - to exit this year.

In their global and domestic growth strategies law firms Kirkland & Ellis and Paul, Weiss have no choice but to expand their operations where the market is. Those locations range from London to Houston, Texas. Those firms didn't sit down with a clean sheet of paper and decide to explore in a free-spirited manner the whatevers. Recall learning in some class about Adam Smith's concept of the Invisible Hand ... 

Smirk. Remember also how knowledge/analysis were supposed to give the edge in a career. No longer can those kinds of credentials provide the optics of being in control. 

Even the Harvard Business School MBA is losing its brand equity and job offers for the Class of 2023 are down. That's because of a confluence of factors which overrides the one-time reverence for macro thinking. Those factors include the flight to cost-efficiency, return of self-confidence to industry which is willing to do problem-solving in-house, preference for hands-on experimentation and how many predictions (such as a recession) have been so off. British comic John Oliver has a massive audience for his scathing take-down of the "value" McKinsey creates. 

In my coaching practice, more of those determined to earn a good living recognize it's up to them to figure out their unique situation. That's what we sort out. For example, what counts even if everyone contends it does not, what are the exit options and how to put together multiple sources of income. However, they accept that they are not in control. Instead they are simply assessing and managing the risks in their strategies. 

Wise effective leaders surrender to that. Jesus Christ got it that he was only a part of the grand design, with his Father having more say in the action. 

Complimentary sample intuitive coaching session. No pressure. Maybe even some lightness of being. Exhale. Please contact Jane Genova for an appointment (text/phone 203-468-8579 or email at janegenova374@gmail.com)