Page 132 - The extraordinary leader

Leaders Must Fit Their Organization • 109

“Jack,” he said, touching my suit, “this isn’t you. You looked a lot better when
you were just being yourself.”
Thank God Austin realized I was playing a role—and cared enough to tell me.
Trying to be somebody I wasn’t could have been a disaster for me. 1

In this chapter, we will explore the interaction between organizational
requirements and individual abilities. We believe that finding the right fit is
a key factor of success. At lower organizational levels, fit is not as critical, but
as people take on broader roles, fit becomes a defining factor in both the
success of a leader and of the organization.

Two Possible Scenarios

Scenario 1
What if research revealed that every leader in the organization needed a high
level of competence in five specific behaviors—and everyone needed exactly
the same five? Anyone acquiring these five behaviors would become a suc-
cessful leader as long as they were done extremely well.

Scenario 2

What if research revealed that great leaders need exceptional ability in a few
competencies, but the specific behaviors could be different for each effective
leader? Great leaders could be unique, widely different, one-of-a-kind versions.

Considering these two scenarios, which would you like to be true? On the
one hand, Scenario 1 seems to provide an absolute answer as to what great
leaders need to do, the answer that people have searched to find for centuries.
By focusing all your attention on developing and improving these five spe-
cific behaviors, Scenario 1 would provide a precise formula for success.
On the down side, implicit in this scenario is the assumption that a “cookie-
cutter” approach to leadership—that all effective leadership is the same and
that individual differences and unique approaches do not work—can be applied.
Scenario 2 provides the opportunity for people to choose the behaviors in
which they will excel. The key to Scenario 2 is developing strength in a few
competencies that are valued by the organization in which one works.