Where corporate drones really come from: Young, ambitious graduates joining the workforce every year may be surprised to learn that “the people who get ahead are the stellar practitioners of corporate mindlessness,” André Spicer — Cass Business School professor and co-author of The Stupidity Paradox: The Power and Pitfalls of Functional Stupidity at Work — writes for Aeon. In fact, most corporations simply promote stupidity in staff. Many of these individuals would have been top achievers throughout university and graduate school, selected precisely because of their brains, drive, and character, yet a “mindless compliance with rules and regulations can detract [them] from actually doing their jobs.” Employees who reflect too much, find creative solutions to problems, or ask questions their supervisors deem unwelcome are often viewed negatively, or even politely told that their employer might not be their best fit. “Collective mindlessness” or “stupidity,” says Spicer, is a balancing act for the employee between not having their coworkers find them a liability, but not getting them to think you’re a fake, either.