So far, in my professional career, I have worked with two CEOs, two presidents, a dean and a co-owner. If they are in any way tied to the ownership of the business, they’re usually on the level of intelligence rivaling a two year old.

But, there are exceptions. My current CEO is a great example of this. She doesn’t always relate the the jargon that I try to avoid when trying to get something done, but she’s pretty good at understanding concepts and also understanding that miracles can’t be produced in a single night, two nights maybe, but almost never one.

However, the last CEO I worked for, wow. He’s not just on the two year old level intelligence wise, he’s a two year old through and through. Temper tantrums were a regular thing because he would ask for something, say it’s top priority, then want coffee and donuts and THAT was top priority, drop everything else, run downstairs and get him 3 glazed, 2 chocolate covered and a 200 ounce DIET coke. Bastard. There, I said it to the world. Too bad I left family working for him. I feel bad, but then he did understand that the state his company was in when I started was terrible IT-wise. After working there for a year and a half, I asked for a raise. He gave me a dollar.

Now, my black hat was screaming for me to put it on, but my white hat overcame the urge and remained on my head. I even graciously gave the guy they were paying 4 times as much as me the basic run down of the network (it would have been a cold day in hell had I given him everything I had personally built up over the past year and a half).

I suppose that becomes the permanent dilemma for anyone working in IT, when the company screws you, do you have the ethics and morals to remain a good guy?

The other owners I have worked with have a good working knowledge of technology and basic networking principles, which I have to say is a blessing when it comes to explaining a problem that comes up, or when they ask for something that turns out to be a little difficult to pull off.

The Dean… well, let’s just say if I ever meet him on the street, he may be kissing the front end of a passing vehicle. Anyone who is in charge of educating people, and yet can’t reliably pick who does and doesn’t know their stuff, shouldn’t be in that position. Maybe cleaning up restroom stalls in a mental hospital is more his speed, at least there, he won’t have trouble identifying a pile of shit.