Pittman - An illustration that the best leaders are too often overlooked

Sam Pittman is a great example of the idea that too often guys who should be leaders are not given that opportunity and too often guys who shouldn’t be leaders are given the opportunity.

Guys like Pittman are too humble, too focused on the task at hand, too team-oriented, and are too well-adjusted and happy with their life to play the games and employ the tactics that are often necessary to advance in this world. But those are the men who should be leading.

Pittman is a hell of a leader. He’s laser focused, he’s serious, he keep things simple and doesn’t care about trying to sell anyone on what he’s doing.

People who aren’t natural leaders themselves but find themselves in a position to hire leaders often see a guy like Pittman as “not suitable” to be given a big leadership position. “He’s not polished enough. Not corporate enough. Not pretty enough. The way he talks doesn’t generate instant excitement in my feeble brain.”

I love that Pittman has found himself at Arkansas and is doing what he’s doing, but I feel a little sick he wasn’t given an opportunity like this 10+ years ago, as he was capable of achieving so much more if given the chance.