This morning I read a child a book about African culture, and I came across a delightful remedy for rankism. When an Ashanti king took the throne, his elders delivered (and apparently enforced) the following wishes of the people:

We do not wish greediness.
We do not wish that he should curse us.
We do not wish that his ears should be hard of hearing.
We do not wish that he should call people fools.
We do not wish that he should act on his own initiative.
We do not wish things done as in Kumasi.
We do not wish that it should ever be said, “I have no time, have no time.”
We do not wish personal abuse.
We do not wish personal violence.

Wow! I wish that was the first advice given to every top executive and political leader today!