Page 80 - The extraordinary leader

Simplifying Leadership • 57

seems more often to be reserved for political leaders than for those in business
and industry, but we do not pretend to fully understand that anomaly.
In the aftermath of the attack on the World Trade Center on September
11, 2001, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani stepped in to orchestrate the City of New
York’s response to the situation. Giuliani rose to the occasion with hands-on,
calming, decisive behavior that earned him extremely high marks from citi-
zens and the media. One commentator on National Public Radio said that
“it was as if the situation erased all the negative images that had surrounded
Giuliani.” He had been through a sordid divorce, had been accused of racial
slurs, been tagged as “Mussolini on the Hudson,” and was in general disfavor.
Then, suddenly, an event and the way he handled it transformed him into
a hero.

Personal Capability

The second important tent pole of leadership is the personal capability the
individual possesses (Figure 3-3). This cluster of abilities comprises skills or
competencies that are absolutely crucial for people to be highly regarded by
peers, subordinates, and bosses. These are not skills that would typically be
described as leadership skills, and yet our research proves they must be in
place for any individual to be perceived as a strong leader.
Some of these individual capabilities are

● Technical knowledge. Research with a large natural resources products
company showed that the quality or attribute that had the highest
correlation with being perceived as a great leader was technical
competence. Those who were perceived as the best leaders always
scored high on this dimension. Conversely, those in the bottom 10
percent of the overall scores scored low on technical competence.
● Product knowledge. A thorough understanding of what the
organization produces and why it is superior to competitive products.
● Problem-analysis and problem-solving skills. The ability to define a
problem, analyze it, and come up with solid recommendations for
resolving it.
● Professional skills. These include the ability to write an intelligent,
concise report or memorandum; the ability to comfortably make a
compelling presentation in front of a group; and the abilities to