HBR Case Study: Can Nice Guys Finish First?

Adam Baker had been bothered all day by the blunt message his boss and mentor, Merwyn Straus, had delivered to him on the phone that morning: Adam was not the right guy to lead their company's latest venture. Adam Baker was, like his name, barely noticeable. He was dark-haired, soft-spoken, and on the short side, with a thick neck. He looked like a third-stringer on a high school football team--which he had been. Yet everyone knew him and everyone loved him. It was therefore natural for Adam to respond to Merwyn's painful remark by jumping into his car and racing to the main offices of SES, one of the world's biggest event-planning businesses. He wanted to talk to his boss in person.