A recent blog, Leadership-Why Talent is Overrated, by Mike Myatt in Forbes — So, what role does motivation play in becoming a leader? Some assert that it’s the overwhelming characteristic of leadership. See for example: To them, to be motivated, passionate, determined to get it done, hard working and relentless is the essence of leadership. With these characteristics, an individual will become a leader, without them, he or she will not. Here’s the problem. Just because leaders need to display these characteristics does not mean that they are sufficient. A lot of hard working people can fairly claim to have these attributes, yet few become leaders.
A case in point. I recently sat with a young executive who had just lost his job despite being the hardest worker in his group who was so motivated that his knowledge of the subject matter under his management was encyclopedic. I asked him to explain how he thought the decision to terminate him had been made. He explained that in his zealousness to “get it done,” he had neglected the softer requirements of the role: stakeholder management, collaboration, negotiation and people development. It was acknowledged that his work ethic and motivation were exemplary. He just did not have the right mentoring and development experiences to succeed in his role. Fortunately for future leaders, his former company is now taking developing leaders and growing talent more seriously. Too bad it didn’t happen sooner.
I could give many other examples, but the conclusion is inescapable: leaders need to take charge, but just taking charge doesn’t make leaders.