The British chippy taught us that anything can be deep-fried. Mars bars, pizza, even ice cream. The oil doesn’t discriminate.
But skilled chefs know better. They understand that just because the fryer accepts everything doesn’t mean everything belongs there.
Your leadership operates the same way.
You can apply your go-to response to every situation. Use the same rhetoric for different audiences. Deploy identical solutions across varied problems.
The question isn’t whether you can—it’s what you lose when you do.
When Everything Looks Like a Deep Fryer
That presentation style that worked with investors? It might fall flat with your engineering team. The management approach that motivated your sales director could crush your introverted developer.
Your standard operating procedure becomes a hammer, and every challenge starts looking like a nail.
The Cost of Consistency
Myopic responses create predictable outcomes. Your team stops bringing you complex problems because they know you’ll serve up the same solution. Innovation dies in the oil of routine.
What looks like efficiency is waste. You’re missing the nuance that separates good leaders from great ones.
Beyond the Default
The best leaders develop a repertoire. They match their response to the situation, not the situation to their comfort zone.
They ask better questions: What does this specific challenge require? What approach serves this particular person? How can I adapt without losing my core principles?
Your willingness to customize your leadership style determines whether you lead or manage by default.
