Meritocracy: An impossible dream or a technology for advancing change leaders

Abstract

The article examines a meritocratic approach, a system in which a person’s career growth and prosperity are determined by their level of professionalism and an objective assessment of their achievements. Meritocracy is currently experiencing a peak in popularity. However, it is crucial to be aware of the potential risks of completely trusting in the principles of meritocracy. These risks encompass the impracticality of establishing equitable initial prospects for candidates pursuing career advancement; bureaucracy and corruption, which often result in the composing of reports on achievements that are frequently fictitious; an emphasis on personal accomplishment that supersedes collective achievements; subjective evaluation of merits; and the application of double standards in the interpretation of facts and regulations, contingent on the interests of the interpreter. An unbiased discussion of these issues should help to develop criteria for selecting leaders of change. These leaders should best represent the ideals of meritocracy. These include moral and professional authority, strategic thinking, the ability to anticipate crises, effective management, responsibility, decisiveness, and stress resistance. To systematize the primary risks of meritocracy and the standards for advancing change leaders, the article uses the 5×5 method, which was introduced by H. Mintzberg and modified by the author.