Who knew politics could be so salacious, much less entertaining? Well, maybe fans of both political dramas House of Cards and Scandal did. And though House of Cards and Scandal couldn’t be more different from each other—one show is actually about a politician while the other is about a political fixer in Washington—it still doesn’t stop people like me from drawing comparisons between the two shows.
Both political and salacious in nature, the only other obvious similarity between House of Cards and Scandal is the fact that both bosses on the two shows, Frank Underwood and Olivia Pope, are both a piece of work. And that’s putting it lightly. If you had to choose between Frank Underwood and Olivia Pope for a boss, which would you prefer?
Management Style
From a managerial perspective, Frank Underwood and Olivia Pope couldn’t be more different from one another. Frank Underwood would probably be considered more of a micro-manager, which is fine if you like that sort of thing, but it can be a bit stifling if you are self directed or a top performer. Then again, Frank does have substantiated reasons for being a micro-manager. After all, he is often manipulating, blackmailing or sabotaging someone’s career, which not only makes for lots of enemies, but also would dictate keeping a close eye on those around him. Keep your enemies closer, yes?
Olivia Pope, on the other hand, has more of a laissez-faire type management style and is also much more approachable. True, she does ask a lot of her fellow gladiators, but in return, she gives them a healthy amount of shall we say “creative control” to accomplish their goals and objectives. She’s also more open to feedback, not in a sense that she feels obliged to do so, but rather because she understands that the individual members of her team each bring something unique and worthwhile to the party. This makes her office environment less of a dictatorship and more of a collective democracy; even though everybody knows she’s the boss and ultimately she has the final say. Again, it just depends on what type of management style you prefer to deal with.
Work/Life Balance
For most people, work/life balance is the deal breaker. Not being able to have a personal life outside of work could potentially drive someone mad; especially if their job is in politics, as we’ve seen on both House of Cards and Scandal. But then again, it’s kind of what you sign up for when you get in the game of politics. Although, there’s still has to be some boundaries, right?
Anyone who works for Frank Underwood knows that there is no work/life balance. And though people often say, “all work and no play makes for a dull boy/girl;” they obviously haven’t met someone like Frank because technically, Frank’s play is his work. He enjoys manipulating and threatening people. Even his right hand man, Doug, could attest this; although, his unwavering dedication to the job/Frank did ultimately cost him his life. Olivia is a bit different; mostly because she has more of a conscience.
Like Frank Underwood, Olivia Pope doesn’t really have a sense of work/life balance for herself, but is more flexible when it comes to her gladiators; case in point Huck and Quinn. One of the main reasons Huck has time to stalk his ex-wife and child is because he has free time. The same is true for Quinn, who was able to join B613 because she had the personal time to make new friends…shall we say. Olivia herself may struggle with keeping her work and personal life separate, but her desire to “stand in the sun” with Jake or “have Vermont” with Fitz drives her ability to offer some semblance of work/life balance for her team. Again, it just depends on if you like that sort of thing!