Unified Theory of Leadership

 The year was 2005

I didn't know much about Leadership Theory, but I knew something was wrong.

I'd just finished seven years leading Famous Footwear stores, and had moved on to optical retail, a totally different type of retail.

Funny thing, though. The same leadership issues I left behind at Famous were waiting for me at Lenscrafters.

it was like both companies were reading from the same playbook.

I'd read "Who Moved My Cheese" at Famous, and Lenscrafters had a couple more "Required reading".

The One Minute Manager

The Seven Habits of Highly effective People

Then, it was off to the annual Lenscrafters leadership summit, with the star attraction, "Fierce Conversations" . 

Three days of training and a guest appearance by it's author, Susan Scott.

The rumored cost of this training and appearance?

$2,000,000.00

Riding home on the plane, I remember thinking, What a complete and total boondoggle.

I'd tossed around the idea of writing a book, but on the flight home, I knew, "I must write a book".

My desk was a mess, but the store was perfect, our metrics were solid, but the visit went poorly.

Reflecting, and realizing the visit would have gone completely different had I cleaned my desk, I had an epiphany.

Competence is an illusion, dictated by others, at the most elemental level of Emotional Intelligence.

Son of a Bitch!

Two Master's Degrees later

The Illusion of Competence was born