Ever wonder if corporate leaders believe in fairy tales? I do! Its pure fantasy to believe that leaders become quality leaders by osmosis. Yet look at any recent edition of The Wall Street Journal, and you’ll find this to be true. The CEO of Morgan Stanley was fired…oh, I mean he retired today. He said, the personal attacks become too much to bear. I don’t know what type of development was going on inside that organization. But it seems to me, as a leader, Purcell should have seen the writing on the wall way before now. Powerful corporate folks forget that power can blind you. The board of Morgan Stanley was also practicing fantasy when they bought the “osmosis” theory.
If I were on the search team at Morgan Stanley, I would let my peers know that the world has changed. Therefore, the new leader should see the world much differently than his predecessor did.
The osmosis theory says; you can’t become great because of some unknown act of nature. Ninety percent of Greatness in influence can only occur by choice (I will choose to read, risk, evaluate and serve), the other ten percent by crucible.
Go be great!