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Excerpts

The Discovery

One sunny day in Corporate America, Leadership Pill Industries (LPI) opened their first production facility with an announcement that received immediate national media coverage: "We can compress all of the attributes of effective leadership into a single pill."

Years of research and pilot studies had finally paid off. The company appropriately named their groundbreaking product the Leadership Pill and made plans to mass-market it across the land.

The Leadership Pill was viewed by the press as an especially stunning innovation. After lamenting the shortage of talented leaders in business, politics, and other organizational circles, the media clamored for more information.

"Industry survey data readily supports the launch of the Leadership Pill," the LPI spokesperson reported.

In an effort to further define the market for their new product, Leadership Pill Industries hired an independent agency to conduct a series of focus groups to explore various important questions. One question in particular evoked the liveliest response from most participants: "Of all the leaders you have met, how many of them do you consider to be truly great leaders?"

"The focus group data is compelling," LPI reported to the media upon receiving and analyzing the results. "CEOs and vice presidents across the board are concerned with the lack of leadership depth within their ranks, especially at the middle management level. Only a few front-line supervisors and employees recall feeling like they have ever worked for a truly great leader."

Case studies conducted by industrial psychologists at a national leadership think tank also substantiated these findings.

"The majority of business, government, and nonprofit organizations are stuck in a perpetual leadership crisis," the agency's white paper revealed. "On top of this, stress and job insecurity continue to pervade the business landscape. There are no signs that the situation is likely to change going forward."

Mounting anticipation of the Leadership Pill's arrival set off a wave of excitement. Company boardrooms bustled with anticipation. Employees speculated at the watercooler. No one could believe it -- leadership in a pill!

"But can the Leadership Pill rid the world of micromanagers and overbearing executives?" many asked. "Is there truly hope that leaders might actually do what they say?"

It was a delightfully tempting proposition, they reasoned.

While support for the Leadership Pill was tremendous, one prominent and well-regarded figure in organizational leadership -- aptly known as the Effective Leader based on his proven abilities over the years -- raised a strong note of caution.

"If they don't have the right blend of leadership ingredients, the Leadership Pill will do more damage than good," the Effective Leader stated in a talk-show interview.

Copyright © 2003 by The Blanchard Family Partnership and People First Group Holdings, LLC