It was this passage that did it:

"He has a very personal system for running the place," Galeni observed. "It's quite Vorish, really. Most non-Barrayaran organisations attempt to define their tasks so as to make the people who hold them interchangeable parts. It assures organizational continuity."

"And eliminates inspiration. Illyan's leadership style isn't very flashy, I admit, but he's flexible and infinitely reliable."

I read that, and then not very long after found myself trying to explain the management culture at my organisation in very similar terms, and the rest just fell into place.