There is a dangerous addiction in management. We applaud the firefighter. When a server crashes at 2 AM and “Dave” fixes it by typing furiously for 4 hours, we call Dave a hero. We give Dave a bonus.
This is a mistake. Dave is not a hero. Dave is a Single Point of Failure (SPOF).
The Difference Between a Linchpin and a Hero
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The Linchpin (Good): Creates art that connects people. When they leave, the soul is missed, but the machine still runs.
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The Hero (Bad): Hoards knowledge to feel essential. When they leave, the machine explodes.
The Narcissism of the Rescue “Heroism” is often a mask for poor engineering. If you have to work all weekend to save the launch, the process is broken. If you are the “only one” who understands the legacy code, you have held the company hostage.
The Protocol: Kill the Hero
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If it happens once: Thank the hero.
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If it happens twice: Fire the hero (or force them to document).
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The Goal: Boring Operations.
Great systems are boring. They don’t need heroes. They need mechanics. If your business relies on acts of heroism to survive, you don’t have a business. You have a ticking time bomb.
#DhandheKaFunda: Don’t reward the arsonist for putting out the fire he started.