The Challenge Makes The Leader

I remember an organization hiring a new CEO touting the metrics of success in his prior leadership role. The reality is he had exceptionally favorable conditions in that role making it impossible for anyone to have failed. To make matters worse, he had come to believe his own news releases that he was solely responsible for the positive outcomes so he was supremely confident in his abilities.

The reality was this never a true test of his leadership. Earlier in his career when he had to lead under far more challenging circumstances, the results were mediocre at best. This is who he really is. Sure enough, when the new role required transformational leadership, he failed and left the organization in ruins.

The leader who was born on 3rd base constantly bragging he hit a triple is not a leader. It is the transformational leader who inherits the poorly performing organization with the wrong leadership and unhealthy culture, the lack of a true team, and limited resources and builds and leads the right team to make unprecedented achievements we must emulate. This is real leadership.

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From the Teacher: Leadership Lessons with Dr. Saviak is a weekly column with the esteemed Joseph C. Saviak, Ph.D., J.D., M.A., M.S., Management Consulting & Leadership Training

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