Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

Win Or Else In Boston

04/19/2015 at 8:21am EDT

from Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe,

On Wednesday, during his news conference to explain the firing of general manager Peter Chiarelli, Jacobs positioned the bar as high as it gets.

“I said that for us not to make the playoffs would have been a failure,” Jacobs said, referring to his January declaration. “So here we are, out. I want to clarify my comment about the playoffs. The expectation is for us not only to get into the playoffs, but to play and compete for the Stanley Cup, not just to get in.”

In some ways, Jacobs could say nothing else. These are the big words of every executive in his position. The Cup is a yearly pursuit, and rightfully so. If any organization targets lesser goals, it is doing its customers and business partners a disservice.

The tone of Jacobs’s words, however, did something besides defining the organizational standard. By identifying his target with such defiance and emotion, Jacobs declared that anything short of their goal would be judged swiftly and critically. Chiarelli paid for this shortcoming with his job.

Jacobs and team president Cam Neely have chosen this leadership style. They demand results. When results are not met, they make their displeasure known and hold employees accountable. Jacobs and Neely showed on Wednesday that they are in charge. The people below them on the masthead are expected to fall in line.

It is a hard and joyless management approach. It is also a thing of the past.

more plus other hockey topics...

Create an Account

In order to leave a comment, please create an account.

About Kukla's Korner Hockey

Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.

Email Paul anytime at [email protected]

Most Recent Posts

Most Recent Comments

Comment by Paul in Kukla's Korner Hockey from the entry NHL Short Notes - 51 minutes ago
Comment by Paul in Kukla's Korner Hockey from the entry NHL Short Notes - 52 minutes ago
Comment by Steeb in Abel to Yzerman from the entry Quick Recap- Wings/Hurricanes - 1 hour ago
Comment by calquake in Abel to Yzerman from the entry Quick Recap- Wings/Hurricanes - 2 hours ago
Comment by StargateSG1 in Abel to Yzerman from the entry Quick Recap- Wings/Hurricanes - 2 hours ago