MEGLOMANIA

Beth, a friend since the 1970s, sent this amusing story. I don't know if her story is apocryphal, but following her story IS a true story:

If you've ever worked for a boss who reacts before getting the facts and thinking things through, you will love this. 

Arcelor-Mittal Steel, feeling it was time for a shakeup, hired a new CEO. The new boss was determined to rid the company of all slackers. 

On a tour of the facilities, the CEO noticed a guy leaning against a wall. The room was full of workers and he wanted to let them know that he meant business. He asked the guy, "How much money do you make a week?" 

A little surprised, the man looked at him and said, "I make $400 a week. Why?" 

The CEO said, "Wait right here." He walked back to his office, came back in two minutes, and handed the guy $1,600 in cash and said, "Here's four weeks' pay. Now GET OUT and don't come back." 

Feeling pretty good about himself, the CEO looked around the room and asked, "Does anyone want to tell me what that goof-ball did here?" 

From across the room a voice said, "Pizza delivery guy from Domino's." 

MY TRUE STORY:

In 1979, at International Harvester, the Plant Manager, a retired Marine named Bill Duvall, toured the plant daily, with a huge cigar in his mouth. One morning, in Department 28, Duvall stopped in his tracks and called a Supervisor, to come over to him.  The Supervisor was my friend John Steinhauer, and Duvall pointed to a guy sitting on the edge of a conveyor, eating a sandwich. Duvall screamed at John, "Go fire that lazy S.O.B.; doesn't he realize the line is running?" John didn't change a word, but simply went over to the guy and after a short dialogue, walked with him out of the department, as he noticed Duvall's approving look.

JOHN'S SIDE OF THE STORY:

John said that he went to the guy and said, "You see that S.O.B. standing over there chomping on the cigar?" The guy nodded that he did. John said, "He thinks you work here and he wants me to fire you." The guy asked, "Do you want me to act upset?" John told him that would make it perfect. The guy was from Ohio Bell and was there in the plant to fix the phones. John and the repairman had quite a laugh as they circled the department and returned to the same spot.

Years later when Duvall was leaving the Company for another company, John called the Ohio Bell repairman and asked him to come for the Farewell Party. He introduced the guy to Duvall and told Duvall that the story about firing the Ohio Bell repairman was legendary. After the introduction, the Ohio Bell repairman said to Duvall, "I guess all bosses are A-holes!"