In Praise of Utility Players

At a gathering for the C-Level women's group I Co-Chair, we went around the room and shared what our Superpower was. In a group of accomplished leaders from various industries no one cited a specific tactical capability like finance or sales or delivering a mind-blowing closing argument. They cited powers like persuasion, decisiveness, and optimism. 

Don't get me wrong, most of us need some people with specific and deep skills to run our businesses and there is no substitution for that. You might need teams of kick-ass Python coders or transplant surgeons. But any healthy group or organization needs utility players who can quickly learn a new thing and apply it where needed; who can drop into any situation and work their way through it; who can effectively lead teams towards a shared goal.

Harvard Business Review published the list of 19 capabilities that differentiate excellent leaders from average or poor ones (notice it says leaders, not managers). Of these, only one related to someone's technical or professional expertise. The remaining 18 related more to the Superpower skills that my colleagues cited, including resilience, relationships, and powerful communications.

In the rapidly changing environment of Covid-19 where companies, leaders, and team members are being asked to anticipate, pivot, and accelerate, are we taking advantage of our utility players or are we falling back on specialists because we hope that they have the answers? Are we as individual players seeking comfort and (assumed) security in a specialized field because it is easier to explain our value? 

Whether you are a start-up, an established business that needs to tighten their belt, or a growth venture that needs to take advantage of these changing times, consider who can give you the best return on your valuable investment: the role player who executes a single function with excellence, or a utility player who can pivot and serve many roles as needs arise. 

We welcome your thoughts. With Gratitude, Barb