The Wire: The parable of the bowls of shit.
Why Hacker News recommends it
Cited as a parable that leaders must absorb criticism and do the unpleasant work nobody else will.
What it is
A clip from The Wire (season 4, episode 7) in which a former mayor tells Tommy Carcetti about having to "eat shit" from each constituency during his term. It is a parable about the unpleasant compromises of political leadership.
Recommended by 0 HN commenters across 0 different months, 2012 to 2019.
What Hacker News said
Cites cs702 · 2012-06 · on “You're not the CEO - You're the Fucking Janitor”
This article reminds me a bit of 'the parable of the silver bowls:' [this video] -- regardless of the size of the organization, its leaders are the ones who must deal with the stuff no one else can or wants to tackle.
Cites randycupertino · 2017-03 · on “A profound apology”
The whole thing reminds me of when Tommy Carcetti becoming mayor scene from the Wire. The old outgoing mayor is giving him some advice and he basically explains that when you're mayor you have to smile and eat shit from everybody- the unions, the lobbyists, the press, the teachers, the churches... and smile and act gracious while you're doing it. [this video] Travis should have just smiled and eaten this guys shit, because that's just part of being CEO. "Thank you for your feedback, we'll look into it. Keep up the good work and thanks for the ride!"