Leaders As Symbols

Being Wary As We Look At Others

We put a lot of emphasis on Leaders.

Often, whenever we look at an Organization, we will look at the top Leader to determine everything about that Organization.

Whenever something happens, good or bad, our reaction is to go straight to the Leader.

We either look to raise them up, or tear them down.

When something happens to the Leader, we often also question the Organization as a whole.

I’ve been seeing this happen very recently with Sam Altman and OpenAI.

Sam Altman has been seen as the posterchild of AI for quite a bit of time now.

In some peoples’ eyes, there is not a distinction that they are aware of between AI, OpenAI, and Sam Altman.

With the news that Sam Altman has been removed both as CEO and from his position on the Board of OpenAI, many people are raising questions.

Did Sam Altman do something wrong?

Is the Board crazy?

What does this mean for OpenAI?

Is this foreshadowing something about the AI industry as a whole?

I’ll be the first to say that I am not sure what it all means.