BOOK REVIEW: The Extraordinary Leader: Turning Good Managers into Great Leaders (By John H. Zenger & Joseph Folkman, McGraw Hill, 2002 ISBN #0-07-138747-1)

“Good leaders...neither they nor their leaders appear to recognize the substantial contribution they could make by moving from being merely good to great”

• Achieving “strength” in only three competencies, if spread around the five “tent pole” clusters, moves you up to 81st percentile in overall effectiveness as a leader and
• Leaders in the top 20%, vs. the middle 60%, in terms of leadership effectiveness, generate significantly greater results in measures such as net profit, customer service and employee commitment.

• No one pattern or configuration of competencies exists that works for all leaders or in all organizations. There is, emphatically, no one way to lead.
• The quality of leadership at lower levels of the organization rarely surpasses the leadership effectiveness demonstrated by the top team. So, sadly, if the senior executives are only mediocre as leaders, extraordinary leadership will not emerge. Senior leaders’ competencies establish the ceiling. Here is a powerful reason to attend to leadership development at the very top.
• Strong leaders aren’t just born; they can be developed. There is a fascinating section on how the US Marine Corps turns many recruits, many who come from dysfunctional homes and a troubled youth, into effective leaders within 2-3 years.
• Focus on strengths, not weaknesses, as you develop leaders. This way you are building on an already solid platform. The chances of improvement are greater. Furthermore, others will be inclined to acknowledge and praise them. And they will build self-confidence as they experience success. This, of course, reinforces further growth. A virtuous circle, no less.

1. Inability to learn from one’s mistakes
2. Lack of core interpersonal skills
3. Lack of openness to new or different ideas
4. Lack of accountability (for performance)
5. Lack of initiative

• Adopt one model of leadership and stick with it.
• Set very high expectations for your leaders (e.g. Achieve the 90th percentile in at least one competency from each “tent pole” cluster).
• Continue to develop your leadership capacity at the very senior level.
• Involve executives in leadership development, especially as presenters.
• Include multiple learning vehicles such as 360° feedback, coaches/mentors and “action learning” projects and tasks.
• Focus on enhancing competencies that are already substantial.

• Develop and demonstrate high personal character (honoring your commitments, owning up to mistakes and infusing your style with an attitude of humility would be great places to start).
• Find and use the support of a coach or mentor.
• Identify 3-5 of your solid leadership competencies, across the five “poles,” and develop them further.
• Identify your weaker competencies and find ways to neutralize them (e.g. delegating or outsourcing related tasks, redesigning your job).
• Connect with and work with/for extraordinary leaders.
• Infuse energy and enthusiasm into all that you do...it ignites others enthusiasm.