"I'm not the manager because I'm always right, but I'm always right because I'm the manager"
About this Quote
Gene Mauch’s statement plays with authority, perception, and the role of leadership in decision-making. He reveals a paradox at the heart of management: authority doesn’t inherently come from possessing the right answers, but from occupying a role that confers power and accountability. By reversing the usual logic, Mauch highlights how the structure of organizations often causes people to see the correctness not in the idea itself but in the source, especially when it comes from those in charge.
The expression underlines the performative nature of authority: a manager’s decisions become “right” because the organization runs on the expectation that someone must make the final call and others must support it. In many workplaces, a manager’s pronouncements may be accepted or justified not because of their inherent wisdom, but because disagreement risks undermining order or unity. Mauch’s words gently poke fun at this reality, suggesting that the job of the manager is less about omniscience and more about responsibility for the results, whatever those may be.
At the same time, the quote acknowledges the pressure managers face. Managers are often required to be decisive in ambiguous situations; people expect them to guide and direct, sometimes with incomplete information. The perception of being “always right” can create isolation or the fear of admitting error, as authority is tethered to infallibility. Mauch, with his wit, reminds both managers and those they lead that the trappings of authority do not guarantee correctness. Instead, the official capacity of a manager means their decisions are given a weight that can override debate, for better or worse.
Ultimately, the line is a wry observation about leadership, responsibility, and how human systems function. It’s a prompt to humility for managers: recognition that their role makes them “right” in the eyes of the system, not necessarily in fact. For followers, it can serve as a reminder to gently challenge, rather than blindly defer, to authority.
