The idea of the ‘company man’ was forged decades ago. Its problems still haunt leaders today

Camerique/Getty I AM WORK. This handwritten phrase was found among the papers of industrialist Essington Lewis after his death in 1961. It captured the mindset shared by many Australian executives of his era. Lewis was one of mining giant BHP’s mid-century “company men”: a salaried manager who learned the business from the ground up, and gradually progressed through the ranks. Men like Lewis built their identity around work. In return, their loyalty and skills were rewarded with status,…