Character Before Competence

The inherent nature and characteristics of a person matter deeply — yet many organisations overlook this while selecting leaders.

I strongly believe in developing talent. But development delivers the best returns when it builds on natural strengths and helps overcome one or two critical shortcomings that may limit true potential.

In moments of crisis, character becomes the natural driver of behaviour. Training helps immensely, but no amount of training can substitute basic courage. Once courage exists, training reveals its brilliance.

That is why roles must align not only with knowledge and skills, but also with inherent characteristics.

I still remember a powerful line from my T&D professor at TISS, Sharu Rangnekar: “Houses that hate dogs try teaching their cats to bark.” A cat may learn to bark — but when danger arrives, it will still not respond like a dog. Nature designed it differently.

The same happens in organisations. Candidates may possess excellent qualifications and training, yet fail because their intrinsic nature does not match the demands of the role.

Remember: A cheetah may be the fastest runner on land, but it will still lose in water. Capability succeeds best in the environment it is naturally designed for.