On Leading With Greatness Jim Salvucci

In this episode of On Leading with Greatness, Jim Salvucci of Guidance for Greatness delves into the counterintuitive reality of leadership where we often favor flashy, incompetent leaders over consistent, capable ones. By contrasting the styles of a crisis-loving manager named Carl and a reliable, drama-free manager named Pam, Jim highlights the societal bias influenced by the Dunning-Kruger effect and the action fallacy. Discover why marketing and sensationalism overshadow true merit and learn how to identify and nurture genuinely effective leaders.



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So which is it? Are leaders born or bred? Are they delivered by the proverbial stork, or are they mainly a product of their story? As I cruise the podcast circuit as a guest, this question keeps popping up: Is leadership innate or something that must be cultivated over time?


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How effectively do you market yourself? How actively do you ignore the hype and elevate merit?
Great leaders have a duty to discover merit amidst the noise of marketing, and I can help.
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Dr. Jim Salvucci is an author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant. He served higher education for 30 years as an English professor, dean, and vice president before founding Guidance for Greatness to guide young bosses to become the next generation of great leaders. He is a certified Tiny Habits coach as well as a certified Thrive Global coach and life coach and holds leadership certificates from Harvard University and the Council of Independent Colleges. Central to Jim’s leadership philosophy is that all great leaders are decent humans as well as great teachers, guiding their people and their organizations through values toward success.


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Benjamin Franklin wrote, “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.“
Good ol’ Ben Franklin was onto something. Sacrificing our sacred freedoms for some fleeting security is foolish, but we see it all the time. The backstory of this quote is a bit tangled, but the core message remains as sound as a hundred dollar bill. Don’t undersell what’s most important.


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What do people really mean when they say someone is good deep down?
Filbert was a bit of a nut. His wife would say that all the time with a chuckle. Usually she said this right after he pulled “one of his stunts.” It was not easy being married to Filbert, and her little pun was just one way she coped. When Filbert acted out, his friends would say, “that’s just Filbert being Filbert,” and offer a wry little laugh of their own.
The people who worked for Filbert generally feared him. For decades he had held his entire building floor in a simmering state of anxious misery that occasionally boiled over into roiling terror.


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Here’s the scene: A street partially excavated, construction equipment scattered about, jackhammers and backup beepers striking a symphony of cacophony. But, lo, what do I behold rounding the corner? Could it be? Yes, a lone driver has decided, despite all the barricades and “Do Not Enter” signs, that this street is still an active thoroughfare. Even the seasoned construction workers shake their heads and tsk-tsk at such foolishness. This episode repeats all day and all night as drivers test the reality of a dead-end street. This bizarre ritual is a perfect analogy for how managers and leaders navigate decisions.


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