SPOILER ALERT: THERE ARE NO NINJAS IN CORPORATE OFFICES. 🥷

In times of crisis, many things happen because there are numerous critical changes.

One of those things, become particularly visible to me because it comes up in every conversation with clients, colleagues, and friends:

In times of crisis, people desperately seek for leaders. At work, within their families, among friends, on social media, at the ballot box. Everywhere.

They look to leaders for security, clarity, strength, honesty (ethical and intellectual), and direction.

But above all, they look for hope—that it is possible, that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and that it's worth fighting for and striving to achieve it.

There are countless writings about what it means to be a leader.

But let's examine some myths and truths about leadership and how these manifest in today's job market:

When we see job postings for mid-to-high-level and C-Level leadership positions, the descriptions of required hard skills present an increasingly lengthy technical list of specific knowledge areas.

Dissected meticulously, point by point, covering each of the multiple (and almost endless) sub-areas, tasks, and sub-tasks that encompass the entire business or a particular area of the business.

Does it seem reasonable to expect a VP, SVP/General Division Manager, or CEO to have worked in EVERY LISTED task or area they'll lead, and/or knowing all the jargon or the multiple sets of jargon by heart? (see previous article on this topic)

And that the candidate must also be under 40 or 45 years old tops?

Considering that, on average, most workers don't enter the large corporate market or specialized industries until they graduate from universities, at 24 or 25 years old.

Also considering that very few organizations have a strategically designed and effectively executed program to generate cross-functional mobility within the company.

All this means the candidate, who must not exceed 45 years of age, should have deeply understood or practiced almost all the listed aspects and areas of the business.

The math simply doesn't add up, even if the candidate has a Never-Stop-Learning attitude (which I highly recommend).

The most significant aspect of this recruitment approach is that it inadvertently generates (and reflects) assumed values of a certain organizational culture.

This culture also unintentionally permeates the staff that the candidate will have to lead.

Here are some myths causing tension between a multidisciplinary staff and their newly promoted or recruited leader:

“How does he/she not know every little detail of our department?!

How does he/she not master our department’s jargon?!”

“We won't respect him/her because he/she understands NOTHING of what we do.”

“He/she won't protect us because he/she doesn't understand the value our area brings to the business.”

Or the flip side, and equally mistaken:

“Finally! Someone from our specialty; this person will truly see the value we bring to the business and will protect us.”

Read these positive expectations between the lines:

"He/she will say yes to everything."

“He/she will support us in everything we wanted to do but couldn’t.”

“Hah! Now in the DISCUSSIONS with such-and-such department we always conflict with, he/she will take OUR SIDE.”

Does it sound familiar?

ANOTHER SPOILER ALERT:

If the organization correctly promotes or recruits the right leader, NONE of these assumptions will come true.

Neither the negative nor the “positive” ones.

An experienced leader who has trained and worked on their inner perspective will:

1. Be a mix of a good coach and a good listener.

2. Be a curious learner who will quickly absorb from their teams what he/she doesn’t know.

3. Provide guidance and strategic thinking.

4. Train and spread knowledge.

5. Recognize and value the diverse talents and capabilities of their teams.

6. Combine all these talents strategically to win (strategic perspective).

7. Be impartial. NOT taking sides with any team or any “side of an argument.”

NOT allowing individuals to win or lose strategic discussions.

PEOPLE DON’T WIN OR LOSE ARGUMENTS. THE PROJECT AND BUSINESS WIN OR LOSE.

8. Let each expert DO WHAT THEY KNOW BEST.

9. Encourage pushing limits and taking risks, to growth.

10. Tackle uncomfortable conversations.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY:

THE LEADER WON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS. HE/SHE WILL ASK MANY QUESTIONS TO UNDERSTAND AND MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS.

For aspiring leaders, I have more spoilers:

1. A good leader knows that being fair and doing what's best for the team isn't the same as being popular and always saying yes.

2. A good leader takes care of their team, often without them knowing it (because leadership confidentiality often requires it).

3. Leadership can be thankless and unpopular at times.

You have done something good or defended someone, but they don't know it.

Because perhaps you’re not able to let them know, for a number of reasons.

And perhaps, on the contrary they might think you negatively impacted their career or life.

No one says anything openly. The other person feels it, and you know it.

It's in the air. It comes with the territory.

Being a leader involves great responsibility and should come at the right time and for the right reasons.

To teams, I say: look beyond appearances and specific technical qualities; observe if your leader is experienced, listens actively, provides direction, shares a clear vision, and is there when it matters most.

And to recruiters and staffers worldwide, I say: don't create job descriptions for a Ninja mixed with Neo from The Matrix, which don't match reality or reflect the core of a position.

Certain technical skills must be there, of course.

But analyze the CORE functions an executive will genuinely perform, the key intellectual and emotional skills really needed to achieve results.

What strategic insight he/she will bring to the business.

What abilities she/he has to transform an organization from an abstract entity into a winning team.

Pep Guardiola wasn't the best player of all time, but he leads champions.

Jill Ellis or Becky Hammon weren't the greatest players, but they took women's soccer and basketball to the highest levels.

Steve Jobs wasn't a designer, yet he inspired design teams to create some of the world's most sophisticated gadgets (Yes, I’m a Mac fan). 🍏❤️

The list of examples is endless…

Don't look for Movie's Ninjas, hire Smart Leaders.

Let's be GREAT and GOOD! 🧠❤️