The Leader...is Rarely The Brightest Person In

The American Heritage Dictionary Defines Crucible As "a Place, Time, Or Situation Characterized By The Confluence Of Powerful Intellectual, Social, Economic, Or Political Forces; A Severe Test Of Patience Or Belief; A Vessel For Melting Material At High Temperatures." A Crucible Was The Vessel In Which Medieval Alchemists Attempted To Turn Base Metals Into Gold. That The Alchemists Inevitably Failed In Their Audacious Attempts Doesn't Denigrate The Power Of The Crucible As A Metaphor For The Circumstances That Cause An Individual To Be Utterly Transformed.

Great Groups Give The Lie To The Remarkably Persistent But Incorrect Notion That Successful Organizations Are The Lengthened Shadow Of A Great Woman Or Man. However, Each Great Group Has A Strong Leader. In Fact, Great Groups And Great Leaders Create Each Other.

Judgment Without Character Is Expediency... Or Worse.

Our Tendency To Create Heroes Rarely Jibes With The Reality That Most Nontrivial Problems Require Collective Solutions.

Leaders Must Earn The Trust Of Their Teams, Their Organizations, And Their Stakeholders Before Attempting To Engage Their Support.