Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-11-06
BY HOWARD WHITMAN

turing, during the ensuing years
of the desire to go out into the
world and be top dog.
The scene changes from sano
pile or a grassy mound to q
downtown Office building or q
manufacturing plant, but the
game is essentially the same;
get to the top, get ahead of the
others, pull the top one down.
but no matter what, get to that
beautiful summit where you are
saboye them all. liege and lord
paramount,
! Too bad life isn't like that al
GALL tand maybe it's not even toe
sbadJ. One isn't out in the reaI
5Panae Of life very long before he
srecognizeS that there isn't any
sactual top. You don't sweat ano
struggle your way to a certain
2poiIlt and then find-.-oh, wonder
sful dayl--that you are no Longer
ssubservient- to anyone. that YOU
are the very real king of the
mountain, the true boss.
Quite the contrary, you usually
find that the higher you go the
more bosses there are above you
and the more you must cater tc
their capricious majesties for
since you have gone so high, the
falll if It came, would be harder
: "Chicken Colonel Law"
This proposition regarding the
enature OF life in the upper eche-
ions l call the chicken colonel
Jaw The term derives from the
Arn1y, where ran, though actually
1otl any more overbearing thar
st is in the world of business and
sprofessions, is at least more
CLEARLY defined. Looking from the
Bottom up. 1t seems very nice
sindeed to be a first lieutenant
sAnd it seems just fine to be a
captain. To be major is rare
delight. And to be a lieutenant
colonel is sheer heaven.
The lieutenant colonel, with {
ssilver'leaf upon his shoulder, cut
kan imposing figure-and what il
more .ego-saturating than to bt
addressed as Colonel (custom
sand usage permitting the quail.
siflcation Lieutenant" to bt
sdroppedt2a
z Yet. no matter how satisfying
sthiS role may be, the grim reality
Us that out there someplace is the
fun colonel, the man with silver
eagles on his shoulders (knowr
because of these ornithologica
semblems of rank as chicken
scolonel."l
Z There's always a chicken colo.
snel, no matter what.
] Truth Energies
4 In the world of affairs there is
"a tendency. when one looks up
sward from below, to imagine
sthat the manager, or editor, OF
9director, or vice president--as the
Cease may be--is a king of the
pmountain, commanding and pow
serful, gathering in subservienct
from all and owing it to none
Indeed. it does look that way
from below. But once one has
investigated these realms of the
sall-powerful. the truth quickly
.emergeS as quite the opposite
of the imaginings.
When that call to the from
soffice comes, no errand boy
squakes quite so profoundly as the
manager before the vice preSi.
ydent. the vice president before
sthe chairman. or the chairman
Before block of important
stockholders. If the quaking i.
not always visible, it is because
much Of 1t occurs in the pit o.
sthe stomach, producing. after {
ftimes the physiological phenom.
lemon known as the ulcer.
Executive has become thu
smagic word of our time. 1t Seems
ito suggest some superior ordel
sof existence, a higher plane. such
las the word "officer" would con.
mote in military life. All the res
sof the little minions in the bust
.ness world are enlisted men
Sand Of course they are not to q
ito the officers clubs. such al
TTwenty-One and Voisin mot be.
cause they lack bars OH theil
shoulders but more Importantly
because they lack expense &C.
counts.)
Yet, back Of the rank anC
privilege, the executive is likely
ito be a nervous type, constantly
Giving in the dread that the SAINT
Flick OF a finger which put hin
swhere he is can also. at any
scapricious moment, put him right
sback where he was.
The Executive
The anonymous people of thu
.world, those who work un.
sheralded at their own little bust.
anesses or pursuits. those who tot
in Offices with unmarked doors
those who merely work for q
diving without benefit OF title. arr
too prone to feel that the "execu.
tive has achieved the summur
bonum. Have they never giver
sthought to the ex-executive, thu
Zone who got the AK?
There is no product on thu
smarket more sluggish. more diff
scult 10 move And executive.
Sknow II This is a game Of "he''
an--he's out, and when he's out
Die is really out. For the sportinl
aype it is a great game and Il
alas its rewards, But for anyone
who has achieved the slightes
grain OF independence. title o.
mo title. Il is sheer foolishness 4
admire wiStfully that fellow with
4he expense account and the en-
erayed calling cards who 4
perched precariously in th'
executive suite.
Aware as they are OF the VIOLA
tile atmosphere around them
executives strive UNDERSTANDABLE
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