--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Never inject a man into the top, if it…" description: "\"Never inject a man into the top, if it can be avoided. In a big organization, to have to do that, I think, is a reflection on management, Of course the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/alfred-p-sloan-22832_avoided_never-inject-a-man-into-the-top-if-it-ca_129067.png" --- # Never inject a man into the top, if it can be avoided. In… ![“Never inject a man into the top, if it can be avoided. In a big organization, to have to do that, I think, is a reflection on management, Of course there are always exceptional cases.” quote by Alfred P. Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/alfred-p-sloan-22832_avoided_never-inject-a-man-into-the-top-if-it-ca_129067.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/alfred-p-sloan-22832_avoided_never-inject-a-man-into-the-top-if-it-ca_129067.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/alfred-p-sloan-22832_avoided_never-inject-a-man-into-the-top-if-it-ca_129067.png) > “Never inject a man into the top, if it can be avoided. In a big organization, to have to do that, I think, is a reflection on management, Of course there are always exceptional cases.” [Alfred P. Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-p-sloan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Avoid placing unqualified people in senior roles; it signals poor management and can harm the organization. **In simple terms:** Don’t promote unfit people to top positions. Key Takeaway Promote based on merit, not necessity. Themes leadership management organizational health talent allocation Mood cautious reflective Type advisory professional When to use this quote - corporate restructuring - startup scaling - team promotions Key Concepts meritocracy risk management Practical Applications - Implement rigorous vetting for senior hires - develop internal talent pipelines Questions to Reflect On - Are you promoting out of necessity or merit? - How can you improve talent pipelines? A Different Perspective Sometimes an urgent need forces a suboptimal appointment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Organization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organization/) [Reflection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reflection/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“The wisdom and goal of innovative CIOs are to help the organization think clearly about the two horizons of future, the short-term gain, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/the-wisdom-and-goal-of-innovative-cios-are-to-help-the-organization/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [If you look at any kind of modern organization and you think, 'What are the foremost tools of power?' You will find that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricardo-semler/if-you-look-at-any-kind-of-modern-organization-and-you-think-what-are/) [Ricardo Semler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricardo-semler/) > [Any big organization can be subverted by governments or multinational special interests. They have the resources to cast doubt and fear over any group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/any-big-organization-can-be-subverted-by-governments-or-multinational/) [Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/) > [Back then, I didn't have a big organization around me. I was just a kid with a guitar, traveling around. My responsibility basically was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/back-then-i-didn-t-have-a-big-organization-around-me-i-was-just-a-kid/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [When you go into a new city, or any city that you play for, the community is a big part of every organization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-k-subban/when-you-go-into-a-new-city-or-any-city-that-you-play-for-the/) [P.K. Subban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-k-subban/) > [And I think it's true of any big organization... Bureaucracies and organizations make it hard to do the right thing sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-terrio/and-i-think-it-s-true-of-any-big-organization-bureaucracies-and/) [Chris Terrio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-terrio/) > [Whatever the country, whatever the culture, whatever the time, when you become a big enough organization, you start to collapse and slow down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masayoshi-son/whatever-the-country-whatever-the-culture-whatever-the-time-when-you/) [Masayoshi Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masayoshi-son/) > [When you come in as a new leader, it's really important that people do get to know you and that you are constantly communicating.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-sweet/when-you-come-in-as-a-new-leader-it-s-really-important-that-people-do-2/) [Julie Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-sweet/) > [NASA is a big organization with a lot of needs that have to be met. So there are a lot of opportunities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-pittman/nasa-is-a-big-organization-with-a-lot-of-needs-that-have-to-be-met-so/) [Bruce Pittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-pittman/) > [You don't have to be a leader of a big organization. You can be a leader of your brother, of a young kid, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masai-ujiri/you-don-t-have-to-be-a-leader-of-a-big-organization-you-can-be-a/) [Masai Ujiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masai-ujiri/) > [I've said many times that people are policy. And to be truly successful in any big organization you need to put people into jobs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-baker/i-ve-said-many-times-that-people-are-policy-and-to-be-truly/) [Charlie Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-baker/) > [Poetry in love is no more to be avoided than jealousy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/poetry-in-love-is-no-more-to-be-avoided-than-jealousy/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [Among many other weighty objections to the Measure, it has been suggested, that it has a tendency to introduce religious disputes into the Army,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/among-many-other-weighty-objections-to-the-measure-it-has-been/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Naive optimism and pervasive pessimism are both to be avoided, therefore. It's not an easy balance to maintain, to be asked to work away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/naive-optimism-and-pervasive-pessimism-are-both-to-be-avoided/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [I avoided nudity unless a film couldn't be told without those scenes. If you look at my films, few of them have that element,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-scacchi/i-avoided-nudity-unless-a-film-couldn-t-be-told-without-those-scenes/) [Greta Scacchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-scacchi/) ## More by Alfred P. Sloan > [The business of business is business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-p-sloan/the-business-of-business-is-business/) [Alfred P. Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-p-sloan/) > [There is no resting place for an enterprise in a competitive economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-p-sloan/there-is-no-resting-place-for-an-enterprise-in-a-competitive-economy/) [Alfred P. Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-p-sloan/) > [Only in more production and in new production can the American standard of living be increased and the economy be sound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-p-sloan/only-in-more-production-and-in-new-production-can-the-american/) [Alfred P. Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-p-sloan/) > [Give a man a clear-cut job and let him do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-p-sloan/give-a-man-a-clear-cut-job-and-let-him-do-it/) [Alfred P. Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-p-sloan/) > [ \[Could\] motor cars could be produced \[in a country like Germany\] and sold in competition in the American market . . . .In my… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-p-sloan/could-motor-cars-could-be-produced-in-a-country-like-germany-and-sold/) [Alfred P. Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-p-sloan/) > [If we are all in agreement on the decision - then I propose we postpone further discussion of this matter until our next meeting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-p-sloan/if-we-are-all-in-agreement-on-the-decision-then-i-propose-we-postpone/) [Alfred P. Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-p-sloan/) > [Advanced engineering always, like advanced everything else, brings down upon it the discredit of ridicule of minds who cannot see so far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-p-sloan/advanced-engineering-always-like-advanced-everything-else-brings-down/) [Alfred P. Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-p-sloan/) > [Take my assets - but leave me my organization and in five years I'll have it all back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-p-sloan/take-my-assets-but-leave-me-my-organization-and-in-five-years-i-ll/) [Alfred P. Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-p-sloan/) > [There has to be this pioneer, the individual who has the courage, the ambition to overcome the obstacles that always develop when one tries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-p-sloan/there-has-to-be-this-pioneer-the-individual-who-has-the-courage-the/) [Alfred P. Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-p-sloan/) > [Competition is the final price determinant and competitive prices may result in profits which force you to accept a rate of return less than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-p-sloan/competition-is-the-final-price-determinant-and-competitive-prices-may/) [Alfred P. Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-p-sloan/) > [The final act of business judgment is intuitive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-p-sloan/the-final-act-of-business-judgment-is-intuitive/) [Alfred P. Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-p-sloan/) > [I see no reason why 1931 should not be an extremely good year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-p-sloan/i-see-no-reason-why-1931-should-not-be-an-extremely-good-year/) [Alfred P. Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-p-sloan/) > [Work hard. There is no short cut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-p-sloan/work-hard-there-is-no-short-cut/) [Alfred P. Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-p-sloan/) > [In any organization men would move up form the bottom to the top. That develops loyalty, ambition and talent, because there is a chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-p-sloan/in-any-organization-men-would-move-up-form-the-bottom-to-the-top-that/) [Alfred P. Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-p-sloan/) > [A car for every purse and purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-p-sloan/a-car-for-every-purse-and-purpose/) [Alfred P. Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-p-sloan/) [Explore all 27 Alfred P. Sloan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-p-sloan/) ## More Avoided quotes > [I avoided nudity unless a film couldn't be told without those scenes. If you look at my films, few of them have that element,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-scacchi/i-avoided-nudity-unless-a-film-couldn-t-be-told-without-those-scenes/) [Greta Scacchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-scacchi/) > [Among many other weighty objections to the Measure, it has been suggested, that it has a tendency to introduce religious disputes into the Army,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/among-many-other-weighty-objections-to-the-measure-it-has-been/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Poetry in love is no more to be avoided than jealousy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/poetry-in-love-is-no-more-to-be-avoided-than-jealousy/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [Naive optimism and pervasive pessimism are both to be avoided, therefore. It's not an easy balance to maintain, to be asked to work away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/naive-optimism-and-pervasive-pessimism-are-both-to-be-avoided/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [“war is not so to be avoided, but is only deferred to your disadvantage”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/war-is-not-so-to-be-avoided-but-is-only-deferred-to-your-disadvantage/) [Niccolò Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [I read actual physical books and have thus far avoided the electronic lure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/i-read-actual-physical-books-and-have-thus-far-avoided-the-electronic/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [Usually I avoided college students, whom I considered brutal, wrapped up in themselves, particularly in their youth, in which they found material for drama…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/usually-i-avoided-college-students-whom-i-considered-brutal-wrapped/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Specialness as a primary mode of death transcendence takes a number of other maladaptive forms. The drive for power is not uncommonly motivated by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/specialness-as-a-primary-mode-of-death-transcendence-takes-a-number/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [I've always avoided publicity. I've never been good copy at any stage of my life. I don't strive for it, because I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-noll/i-ve-always-avoided-publicity-i-ve-never-been-good-copy-at-any-stage/) [Chuck Noll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-noll/) > [“Adversity Isn’t to Be Avoided”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-anthony-smith/adversity-isn-t-to-be-avoided/) [Miles Anthony Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-anthony-smith/) > [If in the words which the Secretary of State has just used, the use of a nuclear weapon is to be avoided 'at all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enoch-powell/if-in-the-words-which-the-secretary-of-state-has-just-used-the-use-of/) [Enoch Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enoch-powell/) > [I've created a narrative of the world. I live in the world - tenuously, most times. 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