Good news for everyone who loves a Netflix binge! House Of Cards has returned for a fourth season, with more presidential manipulation than you can shake an American flag at. Frank Underwood shows us some deceitful-yet-effective ways to make it to the top, but we don't reckon they will work in a real office.
If you're considering making a move up the ranks, do not do these five things!
Be it through making threatening speeches or committing horrific acts, Frank has managed to make everyone fear him. He claims fear is a good motivational tool, but this could not be further from the truth! Threatening negative consequences to your team will not get the best work out of them, because nerves will cloud your team's judgement. Keep fear out of the office: let them experience a good case of the creepy crawlies in our Jungle Experience instead!
Every manager knows to think a few steps ahead, and keep their team on task. Whether it's the simple lies Frank told the president, or the way he silenced news reporters, the chess pieces were moved in his favour but trust between everyone was destroyed. And if there's one thing a functioning team needs, it's trust. Do not manipulate. Motivate!
Every move that Frank made towards the Oval Office was beneficial only to him. This kind of selfish thinking will set any team up to fail. Think about your team as a whole, because you're all keen to reach the same goal after all! To really get everyone working together, consider stepping into our Labyrinth.
In some key scenes of House Of Cards, you'll see Frank taking an unfortunate situation and using it to his advantage. Making a public example of someone's mistake to further your own career is bad leadership. Talk to colleagues personally, and only do so with their best interests in mind. Inspire positive team conversations with our Apprenticeship challenge.
From leaking an education bill to turning a recovering alcoholic back to the bottle, Frank has brutally sabotaged the people and events around him. We've all worked with jealous colleagues, who have worked to set us up for failure. This kind of behaviour is immature and counter-productive. Become the supportive colleague and motivate your whole team. Why not get them bring everyone together in a team Haka?
