Dorothy, You're Hired

SEARCHING FOR THE DREAM BOSS? LOOK NO FURTHER THAN YOUR CORNER VIDEO STORE.

The managerial icon for the 1990s is Dorothy in the Wizzard of Oz, insists clinical psychologist Steven Davidson, Ph.D. She is decent and caring and accepts people for who they are--even scarecrows and skittish lions.

"Dorothy is a good listener," says Davidson, pointing out that she patiently allowed the lion to drone on about his cowardice, the scarecrow his stupidity and the tin man his heartlessness. "She demands and expects others to be honest and fair in return, establishing a corporate culture of mutual concern," says Davidson, who is a private practitioner in Mariposa, California, and a consultant on organizational behavior.

So concerned was Dorothy, she risked life and limb to protect her staff. When the witch lit scarecrow on fire, Dorothy--courageous, shrewd, and quick witted by nature--saved the scarecrow and melted the witch with a simple dousing of water. She engendered such team loyalty that her staff wrested her from the grips of those menacing flying monkeys and the witch--before the meltdown, that is.

And let it not be overlooked that Dorothy et al achieved their goal: They made it to Oz, where they conquered their fears by pulling the curtain on that ineffectual little fraud, the Wizard.

Now that's a great boss.

ILLUSTRATION