Quiz: Are You A Crony?

Are You A Crony?

Cronyism:  Cronyism is partiality to long-standing friends, especially by appointing them to positions of authority, regardless of their qualifications. (Thanks, Wikipedia.)

Cronyism can cripple an organization leaving it with a few too many silver-haired, quarterback types, those easy-smiling, ornamental charmers who pat bums, wink at customers, win unexpectedly large client accounts but who eventually get caught embezzling, nuzzling, lying or worse.

In sports, the effect of cronyism can be linked to all manner of long-term ills including long losing streaks, inexplicable benchings, shocking party results, unfortunate memoir disclosures and general growing toxicity from top to bottom as frat boys at all levels collide and crumble or collude and corrode together.

Is this premise making you uncomfortable, a little defensive?  Are those pin-pringles of denial tingling along your arms and neck?    Do you feel the need to dismiss this entire article?  Do you feel the need to shove a media member?  Hey, could you be a crony?

If you answer yes to five or more of the following questions, please consider tendering your resignation.  And resist the urge to have a press conference to exonerate yourself.

The Crony Test

1) Do your working colleagues have to apologize for you?  Often?

2) Do you have a laissez-faire style and compulsively dismiss technique, ethics and the lessons of your organization’s history?

3) Do you lack the ideal and accepted formal education for your role?

4) Do you express respect for nobody but yourself?

5) Do you rarely, if ever, admit a mistake?

6) Do the law-enforcers love ya; whether it’s refs or police officers?

7) Are you the kind of person who feels comfortable admitting a huge error, an ethical blunder of cosmic proportions because you know you’ll get the “he’s human” card played in your benefit?

8) Are you a bit skill-less?  Incompetent?

9) Are you lauded for leadership qualities that are more related to your posture, nice suit and a life-time of privilege than to any actual accomplishments?  Are you “just passing the eye-test”?

10) Do large groups of people find it hard to believe you could do any wrong?

So.  Five or more yes answers?  Crony, move on.  Your time is done.

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2. The Great Save
3. Smug Parka
4. Cigar Chomper
5. Green Rechargable Trophies
6. The Game Goes On