12 REFLECTIONS ON CHARACTER AND LEADERSHIP
experience structure as stifl ing. They fi nd it very diffi cult to work with
others in structured situations unless, of course, they create the structure
and the work is done on their terms.
To use a disguised illustration, Larry Malcolm,^2 a successful US
entrepreneur in the sporting goods industry, is a typical example. In
my discussions with him, he talked about his inability to work for
others. After he dropped out of college, Malcolm started work as a
sporting goods salesperson for a department store. He liked the experi-
ence (sports had always been his great passion), but a fi ght with the
department head over the right way to display merchandise prematurely
ended his stay. He then found a clerical position in a clothing company
that manufactured active wear. Although he managed to stay on
longer at this job, he disliked the working environment, felt stifl ed, and
fi nally quit.
In his third job, he didn ’ t fare much better. By this time, Malcolm
had begun to realize that working for others was not his forte. Not
knowing what to do and wanting time to think about the future, he
took his savings and made an extensive trip to Europe. At a sporting
goods fair in Germany, he met a designer whose work he liked, and on
the basis of the man ’ s designs, managed to get a few orders from a
department store and a number of small retail operations when he
returned to the States. All of a sudden, Malcolm found himself running
his own business.
Larry Malcolm ’ s story is not unusual. Many entrepreneurs seem to
be driven by a magnifi cent obsession — some idea, concept, or theme
that haunts them and that eventually determines the kind of business
they choose to be in. Malcolm ’ s great passion was sport, and everything
related to it. This partly explains his talent for fi nding more functional
as well as attractive designs. But focused interest is not the only factor.
Listening to entrepreneurs ’ case histories, I have found many situations
where, as with Malcolm, it was their inability to submit to authority and
accept organizational rules that drove them to become entrepreneurs.
Those overly concerned with being in control also have little toler-
ance for subordinates who challenge their authority. In organizations, at
times, this desire for control can lead to extreme behavior. For example,
every morning one entrepreneur responsible for a $ 60 million consumer
product operation habitually opened not only his own personal mail but
also all mail (including e - mail) directed to the company. In addition, it
was his habit to approve all requisitions, no matter how small. He said
it gave him a feel for the overall functioning of the organization. Exces-
sive concern with detail may have been appropriate in the start - up phase
of a company but will increasingly become a burden to the organization,