1. MALICIOUS
OBEDIENCE:
MALICIOUS OBEDIENCE: THE MOST
DANGEROUS VIRUS IN ANY
BUSINESS
ALEXEI ORLOV WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM

2. ALEXEI ORLOV WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM
KNOWING WHAT IT IS, IDENTIFYING IT
CORRECTLY, AND DEALING WITH IT
APPROPRIATELY.

3. ALEXEI ORLOV WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM
FACING DIFFICULT PROBLEMS
IS NEVER EASY. DEALING WITH
THEM TAKES COURAGE, BUT BE
WARNED: IT IS NOT BLIND
COURAGE BUT DECISIVENESS
THAT WILL LEAD TO
HONOURABLE, CONSIDERED,
AND EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS.

4. ALEXEI ORLOV WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM
LIKE MOST PEOPLE,
I MUCH PREFER TO TALK ABOUT POSITIVE THINGS. BUT
HAVING HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING ACROSS EVERY
CONTINENT AND IN KEY LEADERSHIP AND C-SUITE ROLES
FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS, I’M SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THAT IT
IS NOT ALWAYS AN EASY JOURNEY. THANK GOODNESS MOST
OF IT HAS BEEN POSITIVE, BUT I HAVE ALSO HAD TO DEAL
WITH DARKER MATTERS. INDEED, IT IS THE TUMBLEWEED OF
BOTH ‘LIGHT AND DARK’ THAT HAS ALLOWED ME TO
UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF TRUTH FIRST AND
FOREMOST IN MYSELF AND THEN TO SEEK IT IN OTHERS.

5. ALEXEI ORLOV WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM
FINALLY, AFTER MANY YEARS, I HAVE
REALISED AT LEAST ONE PERFECTION
IN MYSELF, AND THAT IS
UNDERSTANDING MY
IMPERFECTIONS.

6. ALEXEI ORLOV WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM
ONE THING I AM MOST WARY
ABOUT IN BUSINESS IS
“MALICIOUS OBEDIENCE.” IT IS A
REAL AND PRESENT DANGER IN
MANY INSTITUTIONS AND IT IS
HAPPENING RIGHT NOW AS I
SPEAK - WHO KNOWS,
POSSIBLY EVEN WHERE YOU
WORK.

7. ALEXEI ORLOV WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM
SO-WHAT IS MALICIOUS OBEDIENCE?
PLAINLY SPEAKING, IT IS “YES SIR, NO
SIR … – ‘F**K YOU SIR” SYNDROME.

8. ALEXEI ORLOV WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM
WHEN THE PERPETRATOR
IS POWERFUL AND ALSO IN A POSITION OF TRUST, THE
FALLOUT TO PEOPLE AND BUSINESSES CAN BE DEVASTATING.
THESE INDIVIDUALS, WHO I’LL REFER TO AS “KILLERS,” OFTEN
CREATE A SORT OF “CORPORATE OMERTA” – A MAFIA-LIKE
CODE OF SILENCE THAT THREATENS PEOPLE INTO TO
TAGGING ALONG THROUGH FEAR AND NEGATIVE TRIBALISM.
THE WAY OF OUR WORLD SUGGESTS THAT THERE CANNOT
BE WINNERS WITHOUT LOSERS. AND FAR TOO MANY USE
THIS AS AN EXCUSE FOR HOW THEY GO ABOUT THEIR DAILY
LIVES.

9. ALEXEI ORLOV WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM
IN THE NOT-TOO-DISTANT PAST,
I WAS CAUGHT IN SUCH A MORASS MYSELF. IT HURT ME AND
EVEN SPILT INTO MY PRIVATE LIFE, UPSETTING THOSE
CLOSEST TO ME.
ON TAKING OVER A GLOBAL COMPANY, I SENSED ALMOST
IMMEDIATELY THAT A REAL SET OF KILLERS, SKILLED IN THE
DARK ART OF MALICIOUS OBEDIENCE, WERE WAITING,
SITTING LIKE GIANT TRAPDOOR SPIDERS. THEY VIEWED ME
AS THE THREAT. I WAS THERE TO CHANGE THINGS, AS THE
COMPANY HAD BEGUN TO FLOUNDER BADLY.

10. ALEXEI ORLOV WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM
FOOLISHLY,
I HOPED THAT THE BETTER PART OF HUMAN NATURE WOULD
PREVAIL AND THINGS WOULD SETTLE DOWN AND BECOME
GOOD. BUT THIS WAS NOT TO BE, AND IN HINDSIGHT I
SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO MY INNER VOICE AS WELL TO
OTHERS MORE CLOSELY, REACHING OUT IN A MORE TIMELY
MANNER FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION. CONSEQUENTLY
MAYBE - JUST MAYBE - I COULD HAVE FOUND MORE HEALING
SOLUTIONS.

11. ALEXEI ORLOV WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM
THE VERY STRENGTH
OF OUR HUMANNESS CAN BE SO POWERFUL. AND YET, JUST
AS MEDICINE CAN BE A POISON, SO TOO CAN POISON BE A
MEDICINE. IT IS ALL IN THE DOSAGE.
AS ONE LOOKS AT THE GENERAL MAKEUP OF ANY
INSTITUTION, THERE ARE GENERALLY FOUR TRIBES:

12. ALEXEI ORLOV WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM
THE DISRUPTORS:
EITHER THEY ARE ‘LEGACY LEADERS’ - TRUE LIGHTHOUSES -
HIGHLY STRATEGIC, POSITIVE AND EXCEPTIONALLY
IMPORTANT TO LONG-TERM VALUE AND GREAT LEGACY.
AND THEN THERE ARE THE IMMEDIATE CAPTAINS - THOSE
LIKE BIG CAMPFIRES THAT PEOPLE WILL GATHER AROUND,
BUT ONLY FOR THOSE IMMEDIATE MOMENTS.

13. ALEXEI ORLOV WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM
THE FOLLOWERS:
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH BEING A FOLLOWER.
WITHOUT COMMITTED FOLLOWERS, DISRUPTORS WOULD
HAVE NO POWER TO THEIR PURPOSE. INDEED, MANY OF US
FALL INTO THIS CATEGORY. FOLLOWERS ARE ENORMOUSLY
IMPORTANT; THE VERY WATER THAT FEEDS THE ROOTS TO
ALL AND ANY PURPOSE. BUT THOSE WHO DECIDE TO BE
FOLLOWERS STILL HAVE THE RIGHT TO COMMAND RESPECT,
TO HAVE AN OPINION, TO BE EMBRACED EQUALLY AND
UNEQUIVOCALLY, AND TO BE PROPERLY CONSIDERED ON A
TIMELY BASIS.

14. ALEXEI ORLOV WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM
THE WATCHERS:
THE STANDARD OF THEIR WORK JUST GETS THEM BY. THEY
CERTAINLY LIKE A GOOD FENCE TO SIT ON. THEY DO NO
HARM, YET OFTEN BECAUSE OF THEIR NATURE PASS
THROUGH LIKE DRIFTERS THAT NEITHER TRULY CARE NOR
WISH ANY HARM.

15. ALEXEI ORLOV WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM
THE KILLERS:
THEY ARE OFTEN VERY SKILLED, BUT ARE SUPREME AT
FINDING A PROBLEM FOR EVERY SOLUTION. IF ONLY THEY
WEREN’T SO DISTRACTED BY THEIR OWN NEED FOR EITHER
REVENGE OR SELFISH GAIN, THEY ACTUALLY WOULD BE
GREAT ASSETS. BUT INSTEAD, THEY ARE RELENTLESS AS A
PYROCLASTIC FLOW. THEY PERPETUATE THEFT OF OTHER
PEOPLE’S IDEAS, STEAL RECOGNITION AND REWARD, AND
SPAWN FEAR, ANGER, AND ATTRITION.

16. ALEXEI ORLOV WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM
I AM SURE WE ALL WANT TO BE
KNOWN AS POSITIVE
DISRUPTORS OR GENEROUS
AND ENGAGED FOLLOWERS. I’M
EQUALLY SURE NONE OF US
BELIEVE THERE IS THE KILLER
IN US, SO I REMIND MYSELF OF
THIS LITTLE STORY:

17. ON ENTERING HEAVEN, A PERSON IS SURROUNDED BY ALL THOSE HE KNEW
FOR SURE WERE SINNERS. HE CAN NOT BELIEVE IT, FOR HE WAS SURE THEY
WERE ALL DESTINED FOR HELL. HE TURNS TO GOD AND COMPLAINS BITTERLY:
HOW IN HEAVEN’S NAME HAD ALL THESE PEOPLE GOTTEN THROUGH?!
JUST THEN, THE GATHERED PEOPLE NOTICE HIM AS WELL. A SUDDEN SILENCE
ENVELOPES THE PLACE.
GOD LEANS IN AND SMILES WRYLY, “DON’T WORRY,” HE WHISPERS, “THEY’RE
ALL JUST A LITTLE SHOCKED TO SEE YOU.”
ALEXEI ORLOV WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM

18. ALEXEI ORLOV WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM
WE ALL INSTINCTIVELY DEFINE
OURSELVES AS ‘WE’ AND OTHERS AS
‘THEY.’ WE ARE TRIBAL EVEN THOUGH
MOST OF US HAVE NEVER GIVEN
MUCH THOUGHT TO IT. WE TAKE CARE
OF ‘US‘ BUT NOT OF ‘THEM’.

19. ALEXEI ORLOV WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM
WE ARE INCLUSIVE
AND THEREFORE MORE THAN CAPABLE OF EXCLUSION. OUR
HUMAN NATURE IS ACTUALLY IN MANY PARTS NO DIFFERENT
FROM EVERY OTHER ANIMAL ON THE PLANET. WHAT MAKES
US THE MOST POWERFUL IS THE GIFT OF OUR BRAINS. WE,
LIKE NO OTHER, ARE ABLE TO REFLECT AND DEDUCE.
WE HAVE TO EXCUSES; WE KNOW THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN CREATION AND DESTRUCTION.

20. ALEXEI ORLOV WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM
WE SEE THIS PLAY OUT
IN SOCIETY EVERY DAY AS WELL AS IN THE WORKPLACE. THE
DIFFERENCES ARE THE SUBTLETIES: OUTSIDE OF WORK, FOR
THE MOST PART, WE BECOME FULLY WHO WE ARE. BUT AT
WORK, BECAUSE WE DEPEND UPON IT FOR OUR
LIVELIHOODS, WE TAKE GREATER CARE TO WALK CAREFULLY
BETWEEN THE CONGRUENCE OF WHAT IS RIGHT AND
WRONG, WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE AND WHAT GETS US INTO
TROUBLE.

21. ALEXEI ORLOV WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM
THE EMPIRE OF THE WORKPLACE AND
THE FREE FIELDS OF PRIVATE LIFE
ARE SEPARATED BY A VERY THIN
LINE: THE NEED TO SURVIVE AND THE
DESIRE TO BE FULLY FREE AND
CAREFREE.

22. ALEXEI ORLOV WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM
WHAT YOU ARE OUTSIDE OF
WORK, AS LONG AS YOU
CONFORM TO HOW SOCIETY
GENERALLY EXPECTS YOU TO
BEHAVE, IS ENTIRELY A MATTER
FOR YOU. HOPEFULLY, YOU LIVE
A RELATIVELY FREE LIFE FOR
THE MOST PART.

23. ALEXEI ORLOV WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM
HOWEVER,
WHEN YOU ELECT TO WORK FOR A BUSINESS OR
INSTITUTION YOU EQUALLY AGREE TO WORK WITHIN VERY
CLEAR PRECEPTS. A COMPANY LIVES AND GROWS BY THE
AUTHENTIC COMMITMENT OF ITS PEOPLE - IT RELIES UPON
ITS EMPLOYEES TO BE VITAL, FLUID, PURPOSED AND
RELEVANT; HOW THEY THINK, HOW THEY RECEIVE, HOW
THEY RESPOND TO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
MATTERS A GREAT DEAL.

24. ALEXEI ORLOV WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM
WHEN YOU ELECT TO WORK FOR
A BUSINESS OR INSTITUTION YOU EQUALLY AGREE TO WORK
WITHIN VERY CLEAR PRECEPTS. A COMPANY LIVES AND
GROWS BY THE AUTHENTIC COMMITMENT OF ITS PEOPLE - IT
RELIES UPON ITS EMPLOYEES TO BE VITAL, FLUID, PURPOSED
AND RELEVANT; HOW THEY THINK, HOW THEY RECEIVE,
HOW THEY RESPOND TO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
MATTERS A GREAT DEAL.GREAT BUSINESSES AND
INSTITUTIONS ALIKE THRIVE BEST WHEN PEOPLE ARE WELL-
PREPARED AND ALLOWED TO DEBATE AND COUNTER-ARGUE
FOR THE SAKE OF FINDING ESSENTIAL RELEVANCE. INDEED,
TAKE ANY THRIVING AND HAPPY INSTITUTION AND THERE
YOU WILL FIND PEOPLE WILLING NOT TO JUST ASSERT
PROGRESSIVE POINTS OF VIEW BUT TO RECIPROCATE. THEY
ARE WILLING TO LISTEN GENEROUSLY AND TO GIVE WITH
OPEN HEARTS THEIR COMMITMENT.

25. ALEXEI ORLOV WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM
UNSURPRISINGLY, PEOPLE IN
THESE BUSINESSES AND
INSTITUTIONS THAT DEAL WITH
ONE ANOTHER IN FREE AND
UNCOMPLICATED WAYS ALSO
TEND TO DO WELL BY EACH
OTHER.
UNFORTUNATELY IN THE
MIDDLE OFTEN WAIT FOR THE
KILLERS.

26. ALEXEI ORLOV WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM
SO WHAT IS TO BE DONE?
WHEN A KILLER CANNOT BE TURNED
INTO A DISRUPTOR FOR THE GOOD,
THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY.

27. ALEXEI ORLOV WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM
LET THEM GO EMPHATICALLY.
BUT DO IT WITH CAREFUL CONSIDERATION AND WITHOUT
TINCTURES OF MALICE. AND THEN, IMPORTANTLY, EXPLAIN
THE MATTER CAREFULLY WITH THOSE WHO NEED TO KNOW.
KINDNESS IN ANY BUSINESS MUST BE UNDERPINNED BY
STRENGTH, DECISIVENESS, AND PURPOSE.

28. ALEXEI ORLOV WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM
IN ANY BUSINESS AND IN LIFE
THE QUEST FOR AUTHENTICITY NEED NOT BE A PRECIPICE. IT
IS DENIAL THAT IS THE FORCE AGAINST THE CURE, BUT I
TRULY BELIEVE THERE IS NO POWER GREATER THAN THE
COLLECTIVE CONSCIENCE AND WILL OF GOOD PEOPLE.
MORE OFTEN THAN NOT THE ‘SEEDS OF GOOD’ BEGET THE
‘FRUITS OF GREAT’ - AND YES - THERE IS GREATNESS WAITING
IN ALL OF US.

29. THANK YOU
ALEXEI ORLOV
WWW.ALEXEIORLOV.COM