William the Conqueror - 1066: The Outsider

William (1028-1087) grew up tough. He had to. It was a “Boy Named Sue” kind of situation.

(This is part two of four about the Norman Conquest of England in 1066)

Okay, first things first, he wasn’t named William the Conqueror when he was born. Spoiler alert: He will conquer England and earn that moniker. Apologies if that ruins the story for you, but it is literally the most famous event in England from the Middle Ages, with Magna Cart taking the #2 slot, followed maybe by, “My horse! My horse! My kingdom for a horse!” but most people can’t remember which king said that.

He was born Guillaume le Batard, which sounds way fancier in French than its English translation, William the Bastard. He was the illegitimate son of the Duke of Normandy. This might have meant that he was not destined to inherit his father’s wealth and title, but William’s dad made all his barons swear to support his son as the future duke after he died.

And his death was right around the corner. In 1034, William’s father left to go on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. (Not a Crusade. Those are still 60+ years in the future.) His dad made it to Constantinople, but the duke died before hearing “you have reached your destination” on his GPS.

Now William, age 7, was Duke of Normandy. As often happened, nobles rebelled against the authority of their young lord. There were sporadic rebellions, a mini civil war in 1040, and many attempts to seize power, but William held on. He had powerful protectors, with several relatives serving as bishops, and was fortunate to have the king of France support and mentor him.

His early years saw constant fighting, and that fighting turned him into one of the most fearsome military commanders in Europe. He didn’t take no guff from nobody. While besieging the town of Alencon, the residents mocked his mother and her low birth. He responded by winning the siege then cutting their hands and feet off. Just a piece of advice: no “yo mamma” jokes around this guy.

William grew in power, expanding his land through both fighting and well-arranged marriages. To some, he was getting too powerful. In 1053, his old ally and mentor, the king of France, turned against him. William fought the French crown for years, and almost lost his head a few times, but emerged victorious after all.

Now triumphant in his own domains, William looked across the sea to England. While being Duke of Normandy was cool, being King of England would be even better. William’s great-aunt had been queen of England twice, so he did have a weak claim to the title, especially because the king of England was old and sick and didn’t have an heir.

William told anyone who would listen that the king had said William could be king after he died. The king of England had grown up in Normandy, so maybe it was true.

Another story that is dubious, but fun, is that Harold Godwinson (the richest man in England and the king’s brother-in-law) was somehow sailing in the English Channel when his boat was blown off course, crash landed in Normandy, and he was captured. While William held him prisoner, Harold Godwinson promised to support William’s claim to the throne of England once the current king died. No English sources have this story, but it is popular among the French.

When the king of England died in January 1066, Harold Godwinson promptly got himself crowned king. William was furious. His honor had been impugned! No man of knightly honor, especially a man with such an epic mustache, could tolerate the insult. This would not stand.

So, William gathered his army and started loading them on boats. Just to cover his bases, he got support from the pope for his invasion, and then set sail for England under a papal banner. The game was on, but this fight wouldn’t be just between William and Harold Godwinson. There was another Harald who wanted to toss his hat into the ring…

When searching for a new leader, hiring committees have two main options: someone who already works at the company, or someone who doesn’t. One is the insider; the other is the outsider.

There are pros and cons to both. Promoting from within means the new leader doesn’t need much time to get up to speed. They know the business and the people, and many employees will be encouraged to see a known entity step up. When an outsider is selected, it’s usually because a change is needed. This fresh perspective makes it more likely to shake things up.

Duke William wanted to be king of England for two main reasons:

1) It was his by right! The English king had promised it to him, and it was his, dadgummit.

2) England was wealthy. He wanted to tax it and divvy up the loot to his loyal followers.

You’ll note an absence of any concern for the people of England on either of those two points.

Obviously, not every outside hire is just looking to loot the company of its value. Most are just looking for their next best step, and they must think this opportunity is the best opportunity for them, or else they’d go elsewhere. And someone claiming a divine right to a job is not likely to sway the recruiter.

At best, adding someone with experience from outside the organization will add diversity to the team’s expertise, bring valuable insights, and introduce best practices. At worst, you’ll overpay some idiot who pretended to know way more than they did during interviews, only to fire them after they’ve messed everything up and run off all your friends. Now, where is that pile of resumes…