Page 139 - The extraordinary leader

116 • The Extraordinary Leader

Passion and desire can never make up for competence. This person is some-
times viewed as incompetent, but more frequently he is viewed as average. In
this situation, the organization needs a particular competency, and the indi-
vidual has a strong desire to attempt the competency but lacks the ability to
do this skill with above-average expertise. In our research, we found several
examples of this. One was an organization that engaged in upstream explo-
ration for oil, and the organization’s most prominent need was technical com-
petence. The organization was composed of geophysicists, engineers, and
geologists who had extensive expertise and ability. Leaders who lacked the
level of technical knowledge to “keep up” were often viewed as the poorest
leaders.

Competence plus Passion but No Organizational Needs. In this situ-
ation (Figure 5-4), a leader has the right combination of competence and
passion, but all are built around skills and competencies that are not needed
in the organization. There is a fascinating philosophy that many people have
that an organization ought to accommodate the needs and passions of an
individual. Having coached people in this situation, they often respond with
something like, “Well, this company needs what I have to offer, but it is just
too dense to understand and appreciate how I can contribute.” This is a bad
fit. Not every person is going to have a satisfying and productive career in
every organization. Frequently, individuals get a job in an organization and
when they discover that their contribution is not valued, they push back and
try to change the organization in an effort to make things work. They assume
that their inability to be successful in the organization says something about
them. In reality, all it says is that the organization does not value their con-
tribution. They feel like they are a failure rather than a bad fit. So often we
see individuals who have struggled and been miserable in one organization
move to a different organization, only to find themselves being valued, con-
tributing, and making a real difference.

Using the COP Model

When your competence and passions intersect with organizational needs,
the outcome is always positive for the individual and the organization. The
individual is doing something he or she is competent at and has energy or pas-
sion about the tasks to be accomplished. The organization is getting good