--- title: "Jack Dorsey: Stop Riding Those Coattails" id: "23106" type: "post" slug: "jack-dorsey-stop-riding-those-coattails" published_at: "2014-05-14T22:00:03+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T18:24:40+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2014/05/14/jack-dorsey-stop-riding-those-coattails/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2014/05/14/jack-dorsey-stop-riding-those-coattails.md" excerpt: "The issues that arise when workers sell their big ideas using their leader’s name. Also: The employee management processes that encourage cultural change." taxonomy_category: - "Executive Leadership" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "C-suite" - "Cost Management" - "Leadership" - "Organizational Culture" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "C-Level" - "Director" - "Executive Team" - "Manager" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Executive Leadership" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Jack Dorsey: Stop Riding Those Coattails Sometimes, being the genius at the top comes with big problems. For one thing, others may try to give you credit for things you never said yes to, in an effort to sell their ideas or increase their influence within the organization. And that’s a problem one leader is struggling to nip in the bud. More details in today’s Social Media Roundup: ### Leveraging Someone Else’s Name > Jack Dorsey posts internal Square email on Medium. Apparently people are using his name to get stuff approved. [https://t.co/FBCkesDfJb (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/FBCkesDfJb) > > — Jay Yarow (@jyarow) [May 14, 2014 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/jyarow/status/466579822270226432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Twitter and Square mastermind** Jack Dorsey has a big name, and it carries a lot of weight—especially within his own companies. But he’s not a fan of employees who use his name to sell ideas. In a self-leaked internal memo he posted on Medium today, Dorsey emphasized that ideas within Square need to succeed on their own merits—not his. “Simply: If you have to use someone else’s name or authority to get a point across, there is little merit to the point (you might not believe it yourself),” he writes. “If you believe in something to be correct, focus on showing your work to prove it. Authority derives naturally from merit, not the other way around.” Think he’s right? [Read the full post over this way (opens in a new tab)](https://medium.com/@jack/80ad140f990b) . *(ht @[jyarow (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/jyarow/) )* ### Culture vs. Process > Today’s blog: Focus on Management Processes [http://t.co/4bAMmKdX5n (opens in a new tab)](http://t.co/4bAMmKdX5n) > [#assnchat (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/assnchat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#corpculture (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/corpculture?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > > — Jamie Notter (@jamienotter) [May 14, 2014 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/jamienotter/status/466545842317320192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Relevant to Dorsey’s point** is a [blog post from consultant and author Jamie Notter (opens in a new tab)](http://jamienotter.com/2014/05/focus-on-management-processes/) , who argues that if you’re running into a cultural conflict within your organization, it might be time to think about the underlying management processes that could be at fault. “If you want to change the culture, then you MUST change some management processes,” Notter writes. He suggests two places to start: human resources, responsible for hiring and managing the performance of the people within an organization; and internal collaboration, the communication processes that drive overall culture. Notter’s post poses an interesting question: If Dorsey is facing a cultural problem of employees hiding enthusiasm for their own ideas behind his name, what processes could Square implement in hiring, performance reviews, and internal collaboration to solve it? That’s the kind of question that might prove useful for your own organizational efforts. *(ht @[jamienotter (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/jamienotter/) )* Twitter and Square cofounder Jack Dorsey, currently facing an internal culture headache. (photo by Johannes Simon/Getty Images New/Thinkstock) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#C-suite](https://associationsnow.com/tag/c-suite/) [#Cost Management](https://associationsnow.com/tag/cost-management/) [#Leadership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/leadership/) [#Organizational Culture](https://associationsnow.com/tag/organizational-culture/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [ArticleOne Title, Many Jobs: The Changing Role of the Association CEOAugust 7, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/07/one-title-many-jobs-the-changing-role-of-the-association-ceo/) - [ArticleAuthenticity Won’t Build Trust in Your Association–Credibility WillFebruary 19, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/02/19/authenticity-wont-build-trust-in-your-association-credibility-will/) - [ArticleTwo at the Top: How Co-Leadership Turns Shared Authority Into Strategic AdvantageJanuary 28, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/01/28/two-at-the-top-how-co-leadership-turns-shared-authority-into-strategic-advantage/) - [VideoSmarter Board Management for Associations: An OnBoard ShowcaseJuly 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/07/24/smarter-board-management-for-associations-an-onboard-showcase/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2014%2F05%2F14%2Fjack-dorsey-stop-riding-those-coattails%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !