There’s a bit of dialogue in the great movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? that goes:

Pete (John Turturro): Wait a minute. Who elected you leader of this outfit?

Ulysses Everett McGill (George Clooney): Well Pete, I figured it should be the one with the capacity for abstract thought.

Although that last line is hilarious, particularly coming from George Clooney’s goofy character, it is also succinct and true. The worst managers are those who think ONLY in production-line black and white. Tactical is great in day-to-day work, but at some point, managers have to think abstractly. (And by that I don’t mean using abstract jargon to communicate. I’ll bet even the person who coined the term “lowest hanging fruit” when referring to projects has moved on to more creative means of expression.)

In today’s video, I talk about an email I received from a TechRepublic member whose boss is perhaps the most tactical (micromanaging, dreadful) person I’ve ever heard of. Click below to watch.