Don’t get stumped by the stature of a person while choosing a leader

Cricket the most loved sport in India would have a lesson or two for the corporate world when they make leadership choices. Rather than being stumped by heroes it may be advisable to hire a person for whom the job is aspirational. It’s proven that very rarely do heroes shine twice in their career.

So, is there a universal recipe’ that boards follow to choose the right leader?

No, but there are a few attributes that could help choose the right person --capability, attitude and cultural fit.  Whether it is finding a suitable option within the organization or someone from outside, the method of assessing a leader depends upon person’s capability, understanding person’s core values, beliefs and their aspirations and if they would align with that of the organization.

Capability 

For choosing a leader, confirming one’s ability to perform is least of the problems. After all, it is one’s capability that has brought one to the shortlist.

Being a star performer does not automatically guarantee outstanding captaincy because ability to perform and ability to lead are two different aspects. For instance, cricket legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Mike Brierley: the former who is an icon in cricket couldn’t handle the demands of captaincy while the latter who was an average performer led England cricket very ably.

So what is needed? Attitude and Cultural Fit.

Attitude

Attitude to me, is a combination of one’s ego, core values and beliefs. Most significant and visible component of attitude is person’s ego. Ego should be worn like a hat and should not become a person’s skin.

A leader with the right attitude should be able to park his ego when required while managing different stakeholders and prioritizing the views of various stakeholders to achieve the common goal.  

This flexibility is reflected through a leader’s personal beliefs and core values. 

An effective leader will keep stakeholders inspired and aligned, in spite of none of them getting 100% of their wish list. An all-round assessment during selection will provide deep insights into the person’s core values and beliefs and their fit with the company.

Culture Fit 

The most difficult part for Board is to assess the ‘cultural fit’ of a candidate.

Culture fit is the ability to identify with the team, get a sense of belonging and have a sense of commonalities in individual aspirations and organisation’s shared destiny. Allan Border and Steve Waugh, legendary Australian captains, worked hard because they believed and shared Cricket Australia’s vision of making Australia the leading cricket team in the world.

So how do you make the final choice?

The assignment should be aspirational for the leader. One must possess fire in the belly and have unmet dreams which one hopes to fulfill with the assignment. A desire to grow along with company, both in purpose and stature: one who is confident yet apprehensive- these are some of the things that Boards keep in mind. 

A person who is famous and has stature runs the risk of becoming a victim of one’s own image. Sourav Ganguly became a victim of his own image in the mid 2000’s while M S Dhoni has evolved as great leader in his career.

When a person’s stature overtakes his duty and sense of commitment he gets stumped

A person believing that he can lead without effort because he has “been there, done that” can get blindsided to the leadership imperatives of the moment. For example, during 1996 Indo- Pak World Cup Quarter-final in Bangalore, a knockout clash between India’s former pace bowler Venkatesh Prasad and the then Pakistan captain Aamir Sohail who was clean-bowled right when he was hitting the seamers. He got bowled by his overconfidence immediately after he mocked Prasad after hitting a boundary. 

Sometimes, when a person is capable of exceptional performance and has talent, he gets sucked into leadership, entirely unprepared. World is full of amazing performers, not everyone can lead. Different situations warrant different leaders. A successful leader in one context may be unsuitable for another. The contextual change may make you irrelevant and unsuitable. After all, Churchill lost the elections after WW2.  Dhoni gave away his leadership role to make way for a new leader. It is like a relay race, right people need to be in the leadership position at the right time.

Carry a sense of  destiny. Find a common minimum program/ belief along with others. Respect each other. Achieve a high sense of self awareness and park your ego whenever it is needed. Whether one is Virat Kohli or Anil Kumble or a CEO it is always good to remember the message a plaque on table of Ted Turner carried, “Either you lead, follow or get out of the way”.