My wife is a wonderful cook. Her cooking and leadership have a lot in common.

First of all, her cooking has evolved over time. When she retired a few years ago, she relied more heavily on recipes to determine what and how she'd cook. Now, she relies a lot less on what she reads in a cookbook and a lot more on what she knows works. Her knowledge and experience play far larger roles in how she cooks. She doesn't stick strictly to the recipes any longer.

Leaders evolve over time, too. Early in their careers, they often rely on advice from others, whether it's advice from people they know or books they read. The reliance on knowledge from others decreases over time as leaders gain experience and wisdom. They learn what works and doesn't work for them. They refine their approaches as their knowledge grows.

When I worked at Arthur Andersen, one of the partners there had worked in the same industry for most of her career and for the same client for several years. She realized that the culture of that particular client precluded her from taking the normal, prescribed approach to selling new work. Rather than bring in a tax partner to talk about a new tax-savings product, she suggested that the client call other firm clients to talk about how they saved money using the product. She knew that her client responded better to third- party endorsements than direct approaches from the tax partner.

A week ago, I was working in San Diego with housing managers for the Navy. They face the challenge of having a lot of rules and requirements to follow. And, while their ability to get their jobs done is constrained by the rules, they don't let that stop them. They create 'work arounds' that may not break the rules outright but may stretch and bend them a bit. They've learned that getting the job done requires them to invent ways to circumvent the prescribed requirements.

My wife's cooking has changed in another way. She's more opportunistic and inventive. Not having a particular ingredient, or making use of the ingredients she does have, provides the incentive for creating new dishes. She's more comfortable experimenting now. Last night, she looked in the refrigerator to see what she had and created a dinner from what she found there, not having to leave the house to find other ingredients.

Leaders I know make use of the resources they have and aren't held back by the things they don't have. Nearly every leader I know uses his or her knowledge of the talent available to get things done. In particular, knowing what people can and cannot do is critical to leadership.

When I was hired at George Mason University by the Dean of the business school, it was because I had skills and knowledge she didn't. Instead of having to learn how to build relationships with the business community, she hired what she needed to complement her strengths. She realized it was more effective to import what she needed rather than take the time to develop the skill set on her own.

At times, leaders make use of the talent they have, even though this may not initially make sense to others. One of my clients took a young staff member (others thought she was too young) and put her in charge of a new initiative. Her drive and enthusiasm counted for more than her lack of experience. She succeeded, not because she had all the requisite knowledge and skills, but because the leader saw in her something that he could deploy successfully.

My wife's cooking fits the situation. She is a master at finding the right meal for the situation. She doesn't cook the same things all the time. Instead, she considers several factors, among them the occasion, who is joining us, what's in season, etc. The menu reflects her understanding of what would work best given the situation.

Good leaders also select the approaches they'll use given the situations they find. No one approach works all the time. Jack was a former boss of mine who realized that each of the people who worked for him needed a different approach. Some needed a stern hand, others a gentler approach. Some situations needed a well thought-out plan, others a flexible approach that changed as things evolved.

Lastly, my wife's cooking has become recognizable and distinctive. She has developed a style of cooking that reflects her interest, her passion, and her skills. Her cooking is her own version of mostly Italian dishes, relying heavily on fresh herbs from our garden, our own olive oil, and lots of lemon, garlic, onion, and wine.

Leaders develop their own styles, too. Good leaders develop a recognizable and distinctive style that is a combination of a deep knowledge of what they care most about, their knowledge and skills, their personalities, and the experience and wisdom they've gained over time.

Bill Pierce changed my life. As the director of the Rochester City School District's instructional television station, he saw in me something that I didn't see in myself. He encouraged me to pursue an advanced degree that led me to where I am now. Bill's insight, supportive and caring approach, and sincere desire to help me lay out a career path marked his style of leadership.

In what ways is your leadership like cooking? Has it become more distinctive and more noteworthy with time?

The Chairman and CEO of NCR said, in response to a presentation, "Good story, but it's hard to look smart with bad numbers."

How many times have you been in presentations (maybe even your own) when the presentation, despite its glitz, just doesn't add up?

Winston Churchill said, "Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things."

How often have you avoided or rejected criticism for fear that it would undermine your authority, chip away at your certainty, or erode your reputation?

email: archie@archietinelli.com archie@archietinelli.com