Page 213 - The extraordinary leader

190 • The Extraordinary Leader

order to be highly effective at competency A, I also need to be highly effective
at B and C.
Our experience in helping leaders develop strengths by looking through a
complete set of competency companions is that, typically, leaders will find
one or two of the companion behaviors in which their effectiveness is inade-
quate or where improving the level of performance on the companion behav-
ior would have a dramatic positive impact on the differentiating competency.
One leader commented: “The companion behaviors I needed to work on
stood out like a sore thumb. It was so obvious what was holding me back.”
Leaders can usually arrive at their own rationale for why performing poorly
on the companion behavior impacts the competency on which they are
working to develop exceptional strength. The added insight provided by the
competency companions is very powerful. Our analogy of the tent is useful
in understanding how companion behaviors impact overall perceptions of
leadership effectiveness.
Again, effective leaders have a great deal of tent in the air. The compan-
ion behaviors represent poles that are either nonexistent, short or in the wrong
place. By building the effectiveness of the companion behavior, more of the
tent is lifted into the air, and the overall perception of leadership effective-
ness is increased. Leaders who have experienced this approach have found it
to be a valuable tool in their efforts to make the transition from good managers
to great leaders.
To understand more about companion behaviors and obtain more infor-
mation on the competency companions go to www.zengerfolkman.com.