ExtraordinaryExecutive

I'm a sucker for tests like this. Take a look at the 5 patterns quiz. Extraordinary executives supposedly exhibit these 5 patterns:

Understand the Value of You. The value you bring to the position.
Practice Benevolent Leadership. Setting goals not recipes for performance.
Overcome the Permission Paradox. You never have permission to do the right thing. First you have to see it, then make it happen.
Differentiate Using the 20/80 Principle of Performance. Includes the critical vs. urgent actions
Find the Right Fit (Strengths, Passions & People). Make sure your job fits you

So, ok, I scored as an Extraordinary Executive. Given what I write and speak about, that makes sense :-) I'm suspicious of tests that claim (in 27 questions no less!) to detect enough about who and what you are.

Do you know any extraordinary executives? Do they exhibit these qualities? Do they exhibit others? -- JohannaRothman 2004.06.04

Is this book any good?

I wonder how differently people will answer the questions given in the test. The phrasing of the questions did not look balanced.

Speaking of books, the folks at despair.com have a new managment book coming out soon. "The art of Demotivation.

Just incase people are unfamiliar with the products of this fine company you should check out their line of posters:

http://www.despair.com/indem.html

Ken Estes 2004.06.05

"I'm suspicious of tests that claim (in 27 questions no less!) to detect enough about who and what you are." - JR
I don't think I'd take the results too seriously either (and yes I took the test). To me it seemed the questions were designed to be answered by assuming that "meaning is obvious". I started to THINK, and got confused so I quit thinking ... and still managed to be rated "an extrodinary executive".

I'm not coming up with names on extrodinary executives. I'm sure I know some. It feels like my problem has to do with "leaders who lead by not leading". To me the extrodinary executive is one who achieves goals by a bump here, nudge there style, not a flashing flaming visionary. YMMV.

I enjoyed the posters at despair.com. I'm not sure I could read an entire book on it. DonGray 2004.06.06 (A good day to hug a veteran)

The current and recent CEOs of Apple make a study of contrasts: Gil Amelio was not flashy gave a long, boring and confusing speech at MacWorld. Gil wanted to wait for people to prove themselves before firing them, and his bringing good accounting principles and business practices into Apple made the company realize that they were selling computers below cost. His reorg helped financially stabilize Apple. Then he bought NextStep to be the basis of MacOS X and hired Steve Jobs, who took his job. A golden parachute made Gil rich (or richer than he had been).

Steve Jobs was flash and fast - firing mid/high-level people left and right. His salary was only $1 a year, for his first few years. He took the iMac project that started under Amelio and made it stylish. [He also killed off the Mac clones that Gil had licensed.] He gave exciting "reality-distorting" speeches at MacWorld and other venues. He tried to push developers into giving up Carbon and moving to Cocoa [based on NextStep], but was forced by Microsoft and Adobe to fully support Carbon [the backwards compatible API that eased porting from MacOS 9.]

KeithRay 2004.06.06

I think that most people would consider this group to be extraordinary, either in the sense of exceptionally good or in the sense of odd. Certainly I would expect a higher ratio of concern for others "Practice Benevolent Leadership" in any group of people that strives to be congruent.

I like doing tests like this, but I don't put much faith in them either. I do wonder if a randomly selected group of managers would come up extraordinary too. SherryHeinze 2004.06.06

Here is another quiz

Do You Have What It Takes to Embrace Change?

Test your current capacity to love change with this quiz from Corporate Insights, Inc., an Aurora, Ill.-based consulting firm.

KenEstes 2004.08.03

Okay, I took it, with this result:

Your final score: 100 of 100
Congrats! You've got the flexibility and people skills to deal with change constructively and help others around you do the same.

The first test also rated me as an extraordinary executive. I'm impressed with myself (or with the ability of the test designers to get business by inflating the egos of their testees).

Does this mean I'm an extraordinary executive, or just someone who knows how to take tests? (Or does knowing how to take tests make me an extraordinary executive?)

Gee, should we give more tests at AYE? Like a final exam or something? I'm really good at taking tests, so this would make people think highly of me. (How's that for an extraordinary executive idea?) - JerryWeinberg 2004.08.03

I must be extraordinary too!

On another note, there was a final exam at AYE for me, becoming aware of what I learned at AYE. This lasted quite a few months. CharlesAdams 2004.08.03

You're done, Charles?! I'm still working on what I learned at the 2001 AYE Conference. But I'm not jealous. -- MikeMelendez 2004.08.04

Perhaps I was too much in the superlative. Better would be, my rate of epiphanies is slowing down. :-) CharlesAdams 2004.08.04

Just in time for a recharge. Try to hold on until November (and don't watch political ads, they will sap the epiphanies right out of you). - JerryWeinberg 2004.08.04

Updated: Thursday, August 5, 2004