Page 152 - The extraordinary leader

Leaders Must Fit Their Organization • 129

Implications

It is critical for leaders to understand their individual areas of competency,
the things that bring them passion, and the needs of their organization. The
“leadership sweet spot” that is the intersection of these three elements holds
great promise for both individual and organizational success. It is rare to find
a perfect match between individual competence and passion and organiza-
tional needs. We know that individuals can develop new competencies to fit
the needs of an organization. We also know that organizations can change
their culture, which requires leaders with different leadership competencies.
We find the idea of the COP model compelling, but we also find people
rationalizing the lack of intersection in their personal situations. Individuals
will complain that the organization really ought to value what they do and
that organizations are narrow-minded in terms of what they need. These
rationalizations do not help the individual or the organization to become
more successful. A key to success for leaders is to find their own personal
“sweet spot.” For each person, there is something that he or she can do
extremely well. There is a competency with which he or she can make an
enormous contribution. The late Gene Dalton spent most of his career
researching how people achieve success in their careers. He found that peo-
ple who are successful are constantly focused on how they can make a con-
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tribution to the organization. It may take time to develop a competency.
Organizations need to be patient and assist with that individual development,
but ultimately organizations need to be successful or they cease to exist. When
an individual can provide an extraordinary competency that an organization
needs, the only other component that is required is passion. This is the ele-
ment that is most underrated and yet potentially the most critical part of the
model. Love, desire, motivation, inspiration, and passion are in the final analy-
sis the greatest differences between good leaders and great leaders. For
additional tools with which to diagnose your organization’s culture, visit
www.zengerfolkman.com. Go to the icon displaying products and services.