World Monitor Magazine, Economy WM_April 2019 web version (2) | Page 68

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against the king and against Ned’s predecessor, Jon Arryn.
From Varys’s perspective, this warning is an act of courage,
duty, and honor. But Ned Stark doesn’t see it that way; he
understands those values only if they are presented in a
way similar to his own behavior. If Varys were acting with
courage and honor, Ned believes, he wouldn’t sneak into
Ned’s room in disguise.
Meanwhile, Ned misreads Cersei’s reactions to him, assuming
that her values hierarchy holds family as primary. He fails to
understand the way her values contribute to her leadership
choices. She assigns superiority, power, and courage even
more importance than family. Moreover, Cersei doesn’t
consider her husband, the king, to be part of her family. This
is an important distinction that Ned doesn’t see until it is
too late. Finally, Cersei doesn’t give a damn about Ned’s
priority of honor. If she cared, then she would retreat: take
her children “as far as the wind blows,” to save them from
Robert’s wrath when Ned exposes their illegitimacy. Instead,
Cersei replies: “And what of my wrath, Lord Stark?” Ned’s
error in misperceiving Cersei — especially her belief in her
own power and superiority — sets in motion the tragedy
that follows, including his own beheading.
This story provides a powerful reminder that the pressures
of day-to-day leadership can trigger conflict between
colleagues, even if they have been through strong mutual
experiences, feel extensive mutual goodwill, trust one
another, and have common goals. If we make assumptions
about personal values, we can make devastating mistakes.
For example, if we assume other people need to prioritize
their values in the order we prefer, we can deceive ourselves
about other people’s true motivations, blind ourselves to
risk, and damage the partnerships we need.
It is thus important that we, as leaders, search for clarity
about the values of our allies and competitors. What more
might Ned have learned from Lord Varys if he had taken the
time to ask and listen? What if he had tried to understand
Queen Cersei’s motivations before assuming she would
shiver in fear at his threat, weep thankfully at his offer to
save her children, and flee the capital? Use your values as
a map of what is internally important to you, and don’t fall
into the trap of assuming that the same values motivate
your colleagues and competitors. Keep your head where it
can be a resource, not tarred on a stake above the Red Keep.
Jon Snow’s persuasion challenge
In season five of the TV series, Lord Commander Jon Snow
— the leader of the Night’s Watch fraternal order, which
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guards the 700-foot-high ice wall that spans the northern
end of Westeros — must make a decision that has no
easy solution. After many long years of dormancy, a group
of supernatural “others” have reappeared beyond the
wall, with the ability to reanimate the dead and turn them
into zombie-like wights. Their first victims are the self-
professed free folk (or “wildlings”) who live on the other
side of the wall, and who have been fierce enemies of the
Night’s Watch for more than 1,000 years.
Should Jon strike a mutual protection deal with free folk,
letting them move behind the wall and joining forces with
them? This will be extremely difficult for many members
of the Night’s Watch; only recently, the wildlings fought
bitterly with them, killed their friends, and massacred
nearby communities — including some Night’s Watch
members’ families. But the alternative would be worse. If
the wildlings fall to the others, they will become part of
the opposing army, and eventually the Night’s Watch —