Christiana
Appearances
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
But for some reasons, there's something about them intrinsically that they're not able to do the opposite.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Not stage a coup, but I'm saying that the people at the top are really good at... Trump is great at knowing how to get to the top, whatever you think about him. He's one of these guys, he could go anywhere and end up at the top. And he knows nothing. I think that's a talent. Well, he knows something. He knows something.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
But then the people that have all the acumen, as you're saying, have the expertise, have the vision, seem to be stuck and they can't transform these organizations.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
You also absorb all the anger of the people beneath you.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
I know loads of people like that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Well, you're like, buy my books.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
That's interesting. Now we're like into kind of this workplace dynamic space. Could you tell the audience more about your view on gossip? Because I come on the other side of it. And I don't like the word gossip. I think we should call it oral history because that's what it is. All history in real time. In real time. Is that true? Yeah, I mean, I come from a line of griots, West African.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
But wait, how do you define gossip? So like, I think gossip is really important for protecting the tribe. It's how we... No, no, but how do you define gossip?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
But you know, history and gossip is interchangeable for me. No, I'm with you in some ways.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
No, no, I mean amongst, like, do you get what I'm saying?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
But you know what? History, because we're on the other side of it. At the time, when they were burning all those witches, do you think they were like, we're about to burn 10 witches?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
I think gossip is frowned upon because women do it. I think everybody does it. But women do it really well. You know what? My closest male friends are great gossips. Again, oral historians.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
I mean, history is laced with judgment. There is no neutral history.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
And I'm on the other side. Like as a black woman, I never vent at work.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Can I tell you what office gossip normally... Someone who's worked in a lot of offices, it's normally done in a group chat. And it's like, this is what office gossip is. It's, you know, the Christmas party. So-and-so hooked up with so-and-so. Really? They did. Oh, there are no more sausage rolls because so-and-so took more sausage rolls. That's what office gossip is.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
It's just a litmus test of the culture and the happenings all the time. I'm telling you from the group chat. And then sometimes it slides into... you know, she did this today. Oh, that's so annoying. But the way gossip works and there's enough factions in the office, it's really hard to completely change the perception of one person. I have not found a situation.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
And if everyone hates you, there's good reason.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
It can, but it's also like, don't go into that guy's office because he's very handsy-pansy. Because there's been research on gossip.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
And can I tell you something about, I bet you about that company. They protect a lot of men.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Because I think gossip's a crucial social language. It's a very female... If we say no gossip, I think it insulates poor leadership. I think it insulates bullies. Because there are always these managers who are bullies. And you can't share your experience without being labeled gossip. So it's just like, how do I share?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
But some people would. Some people would say, well, that's gossip. You weren't there. You can't prove that he looked at her a certain way.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
I've worked a ton of different jobs.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
I understand the idea behind, like, let's eliminate gossip. That's not going to eliminate, like, the nastiness of office politics and how human beings behave. And I think gossip can be a great pressure release.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
What brought you here? I'm trying to get Trevor to move here. He refuses to. Well, I mean, he's smart. No. Don't say that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
So you're a real uncle dad.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
I think it's because we probably fall on different...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
parts of the capitalist debate and we're not going to get into it because i hate capitalism um and i but you are a champagne socialist i don't think it's a system that can be redeemed personally especially america's history of racial capitalism um i guess i object to the fact that why should i find purpose in work like i actually deeply recoil when i hear that because i'm just like
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Oh, so you want me to feel like, it's like kind of like the wellness industry, right? This way of feeling good about yourself in order to sell me more things. And I'm like, why should my, to me, my purpose can never, ever be in work. God forbid an office. And God forbid my boss coming to me and saying like, what's your why?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
And I'm like, well, my why is to be with my family and my friends and my community. This is just how I make money.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Yeah, especially Trevor. Ah, it's all a transaction. Remember that?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
But a lot of siblings hate each other. Also like he's like an uncle dad. He's helping raise. For sure, the third parent. Which is like.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
I would love that. Do you know what I mean?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Yes, but what I mean is, like, I feel like people... You bring order, Trevor brings chaos.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
They were like, what?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
I just struggle with the idea of infusing these corporations with purpose and spirituality. because I and the community I belong to we find that elsewhere it's like your job is your job I feel very fortunate to do a job that I enjoy despite it being with Trevor a lot of the time there's a whole wonderful crew yeah Yeah, forget them.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
But no, it's just like I butt up against that because in the tech world, it looks like, okay, now we're going to give you a gym in the office because that would make them feel better. And they have somewhere to sleep. And like what that gets layered into is just whole profit.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Yeah, and I don't want it from my office.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Because I have to be here more. And I want to be with my people.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
No, I meet a lot of people that work for these type of vision-driven, purpose-driven cults. I'm like, you've joined a cult and they will fire you too.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
So I need to move my kids around a lot. You do, actually.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
We want to do a London stint, definitely.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
I think what I object to fundamentally is like the privatization of a sense of belonging. I don't actually think that's the job of a business. Right. I don't believe that's the job of business. I believe that is actually the job of your community and your people. Wait, can I throw something in? And then I'm like, restore the community.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Yeah. But then we haven't chosen the place after that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
I'm not in the business of being like, let's make these businesses places of purpose and belonging.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Obi sounds like Peppa Pig when he's speaking to me.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
And he sounds like California when he's speaking to everyone else. So he's on the cusp. No, I'm English. My daughter does not speak English.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
But even if they're sincere, I just don't think that's the role of a company. I think that's a profound failure. Yeah, but I'm saying... Because I know the people who want to go to... People in my family are like, I go to work, I come home.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
No, but I'm in this cult with Trevor. But hold on. I can't get rid of him. I'm in the corporate cult.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
No, I'm saying I feel that I come from a position where I feel like it's a real luxury to do what I do. I get to write for a living. I get to think. I get to speak. Most of my people in my life, that's not what they do. It's not what my parents got to do. That's not what my grandparents got to do. So I come from a different kind of working lineage. And
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
How old are your kids? My son is four. My daughter is 18 months. And I'm like, Luna, Trump's America. You need to learn something.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Because of that, I don't try and entrust too much meaning into the job. Like, it's not supposed to give me fulfillment or community. But it does. But, I mean, sometimes it does. Not all the time.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
But when it doesn't... Sometimes your friends do, sometimes your friends don't. I think my issue is for... For most people, their job does not give them that profound sense of meaning. And I'm just like, we need to live in a world that even if your job doesn't give you that, that's fine. But it seems that what you do and a lot of people advocate is coming from it from the other side.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Let's make these businesses give to people what their general world should be given to them.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
But I'm a socialist. That's why, you know, champagne socialist.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
And maybe I come to it from a different vantage point as like as a mother. I have a lot of friends who have decided to spend like the very early childhood years with their children, which is a privilege.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
And it's because the thing that takes you out of the home has to be so fulfilling to be like, I'm not going to be with this kid when they're learning to walk and they're learning to talk, et cetera, et cetera.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Okay. Which is very different languages, by the way.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
We have three languages in our house. So English, Spanish and Igbo. Igbo is an indigenous language from the southeast of Nigeria. So we're always using different words. But my daughter, her English is really, she just doesn't have many. She knows like pizza, which is an Italian word, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
But like my daughter, like, and it's hard. Yesterday she was crying about something. She was like, what was she saying? She said, este, este, which is like Spanish for this. And I was like, so my husband, speak to her. I don't know what's going on here.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
So it's like this interesting thing where like each child is being drawn to their own culture because there's no like real common culture of the house. I often think about like when they grow up, I'm like, are they going to be close? Are they going to, you know, you figured it out.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
No, because I agree with him now. So you don't want to find your underpants? We'll do it in private. Okay. No, that's fine. I was just asking. No, but I agree with that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
The service stuff. That's what it's about. Okay. That's a life well lived service.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
But I think he creates the chaos. That's just the difference. Unbelievable.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
You seek it out, he's the one bringing it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
I think we've all worked in places where we've been like, you know, my boss is an idiot, right? Right? Yeah. But that wasn't you at the Daily Show, right? No, I was like, my boss is this smart South African. Okay, all right. He's so brilliant. Because I don't know many places you've worked.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
I didn't think you were an idiot.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
I constantly disagree with him. I still disagree.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Which makes a great entertainment. I was like, this is amazing. I was like. He's mad. And he thought the same of me. But I always thought Trevor's brilliant. So it wasn't that. I thought he was an idiot.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Brilliant and an idiot.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
But I'd say we've all worked in places where the really smart person or the person that has the insight, whether it's strategically or tactically... is kind of like stuck in middle management and for whatever reason isn't able to maneuver to be in a position where they're like the boss, right? What would you advise that person? Because I know I have tons of friends like that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
And I'm like, they're just stuck at this place in their career. And their complaint is my boss doesn't know what they're doing. The VP doesn't know what they're doing. The COO doesn't know what they're doing. And it seems that across the world, we just have this class of middle management who can't really make decisions.