This genius vacation test exposes bad managers

Auto industry mogul Henry Ford (1863-1947) once ordered his department heads to embark on a two-week Caribbean cruise.

- REY ELBO

No exceptions. Production deadlines don't matter. Even a Siamese cat with separation anxiety didn't cut it as an excuse. Ford's directive? "Don't call the office. Relax. Swim. Enjoy the sun. That's a strict order."

It sounded like a dream. Until it wasn't. When the managers returned—tan, slightly seasick and somewhat suspicious—Ford made a stunning move. Some were promoted. Others were fired. Why?

Because while they were away sipping daiquiris and reenacting Jack and Rose at the bow of the ship, Ford had quietly observed how their departments ran without them. If their department continued to function like a well-oiled assembly line, the leader had succeeded in building a strong, cohesive and independent structure.

If everything descended into chaos, with enough confusion to cause a GPS signal to drop, it meant one thing: the team was excessively dependent on their boss. And that, Ford believed, was a failure of leadership.

Disclaimer: This story is a motivational parable inspired by Ford's leadership philosophy. While it references his principles, there is no historical proof that he ever sent department heads on a cruise to test their team's independence. Instead, you may interpret this as an allegorical anecdote, not a documented fact.

What's true is based on my knowledge of a case involving a mid-level official in my former organization decades ago. As the human resources manager at the time, I was puzzled as to why a vice-president for purchasing had not taken a single day of vacation for several years.