The Magnetic Leader

Chapter 3The Teflon Effect: Nonstick Leadership

I’ve worked with and for a number of leaders whose leadership style was anything but magnetic. I call these nonstick leaders Teflon leaders. That’s because they were experts at repelling talent. As mentioned in the introduction, I believe we can learn as much from poor leaders as we can from great leaders. And even though we may not place ourselves in the poor leadership category, we certainly may be guilty of displaying similar behavior from time to time.

Christie Smith, PhD and managing principal of multinational professional services firm Deloitte, calls things as she sees them. Her unfiltered approach to leadership is like a cool glass of lemonade on a hot summer’s day. It’s refreshing! Smith ...