Last year I wrote about a guy we met who had the potential to be a great leader. He was brilliant but unfortunately arrogant. We presented an opportunity to provide insights into the market and innovative ways for him to deliver the ingredients for his finished goods. Instead of taking advantage of that, he did all the talking and never stopped to listen. He was loud, cocky, and looking back boring because everything was a show-off of himself.

POTC and I met talked with a gentleman yesterday whose personality is a stark contrast. He was quiet, gentle, articulate, humble and listened to our conversation. He asked about us and our company and told stories about others. He is not stuck at a mid-manager position, but leads a multi-billion dollar company. He leads. he has all the same skills, education, relevant knowledge and experience as the other guy, but his ability to tame his ego allows him to effectively lead the hearts of thousands.

It is important to have a nice hammer when building a house, but if you bend all the nails you’ll never finish that house. Being controlled while using your toolset and being interested in each person you work with seems to be the much more effective way to build the company.