— To follow is a bullet of wisdom on leadership. It comes from Tom’s rifle, named Shot, who has seen it all. You’ll get the drift by clicking Blog in the menu at www.tomnewhouse.com. —
COME ON MAN! Say it fast, and it sounds like “common man.” To the common man, we rifles often say, “C’mon man.” You see, the common man can’t shoot (well), can’t hunt (well), and just can’t handle himself (well). He (or she) is simply common. They miss when they shouldn’t.
“Common” is not leadership. No way! To be a leader one has to be great at something of importance. Leaders have to stand out. Research shows that those who excel at five of more key competencies will be among the top 10th percentile of all those attempting to lead. (See New Extraordinary Leader, by Zenger and Folkman.) They are not common. They have developed competencies that take them beyond ordinary. They are extraordinary. If you fall short, I say, “C’mon Man; develop some uncommon skills.”