Cracking the Leadership Code

EPILOGUETime to Leap

It's through a leader's actions—what he or she does and says on a daily basis—that the essence of great leadership becomes apparent.

—Travis Bradberry

When you embrace leadership as a journey of constant and never-ending improvement, sometimes the lessons come in the unlikeliest of places. Such as the dentist's chair.

First, a disclosure: the reason I keep going to the same dentist has nothing to do with my dentist. It's because Jackie, the hygienist, is amazing. Equal parts entertaining and educational, Jackie sees each tooth as a canvas and she's a da Vinci. Calling her skilled is an understatement. If you want to know anything about dental care, Jackie is your go-to.

One day, as I sat in the chair, I asked her, “With all of this new dental technology, with the sonic-powered and battery-powered and free-floating bristle head toothbrushes, what do you recommend? What's the best toothbrush out there?”

Jackie paused as she lifted her protective goggles to look me eye to eye. “The best toothbrush?” she grinned. “Oh, that's easy. It's the one that you'll use twice a day.”

Jackie's wisdom has application far beyond the bathroom sink. Any tool is only as good as its user's commitment to using it. And not just once—but consistently, over time.

THE MYTH OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

It's easy to look at leaders you admire, those you deem “successful,” and put them up on a pedestal. As you bask in their radiant glow, you might imagine that their journey to greatness ...