Page 92 - How Great Leaders Build Abundant Organizations That Win

WHATAMIKNOWNFOR? (IDENTITY)

traffic controllers than others. Physical abilities (e.g., not
being dyslexic) are prerequisites of course, but just as impor-
tant (and harder to ascertain) are the strengths of managing
stress, following detailed procedures, and remaining calm
in a crisis. When the FAA started to source future air traf-
fic controllers with police or military backgrounds (already
practiced in these strengths), their retention and proficiency
rates went up.
Disney theme parks communicate an identity. Their
family-friendly, clean, and responsive image is upheld by
employees around the globe who look and act in a particular
way. They are less interested in creativity than in customer
care, and they want employees who will play a role, enjoy the
look of delight on a child’s face, and handle repeated ques-
tions with courtesy—not merely work a register efficiently.
As a leader, you meld organization and personal identities
by hiring, training, and compensating employees whose per-
sonal identity melds with the identity of the organization or
its subparts. People find a sense of meaning, even abundance,
when they are in an organization where they fit and feel val-
ued for doing exactly what they do well. Leaders who are
thoughtful about bringing in people who fit both technically
and culturally help people find an abundant work setting.
In other cases, leaders meld personal and organization
identity by shaping an individual’s personal strengths into
organization capabilities. The U.S. military acknowledges
that it may not entice a lot of valedictorians as raw recruits.
But the military is renowned for taking ordinary people
and making them extraordinarily effective. Consistent and
focused training and communication can change identities
and shape how individuals respond to their situation.

73