I came across an HBR post written in Jul 2012 by Ron Ashkenaz calling for the return of the General Manager. With “specialization” being all the rage, I wonder what the take-up rate for General Managers will be. I’ve been in enough positions akin to the General Manager – or GeM, as I’ll call it here, to know that it’s a Dirty Harry kind of thankless job. Yet the post calls for someone willing to throw himself in and “Make Things Happen”. It calls for great tenacity, determination and being good with people. It calls for being willing to learn many different skills, few of which you have been trained for, and which you probably like even less.

Well, if you are looking for a GeM, let me recommend that you get yourself a spider. Someone capable of holding many threads in his hands, capable of knowing what’s going on all around him, and having the flexibility and skills to do something that actually adds value and profits. You might take a while. Happy Hunting!