Donato BlandolinoIn transformation projects, it is not software or methodology that determines success. It is the personality of the people who drive change. A case for Personality First.
When two football legends stepped onto the pitch during the World Cup final’s half-time show, the reaction on social media was swift. Too slow, not what they used to be, even embarrassing to some. Most people saw two men whose best sporting years were behind them. We saw something else. And because it captures exactly what matters in every transformation, it is worth taking a second look.
Why were the two of them there in the first place?
Not to prove that they are still the best today. Nobody needed to see that any more. They were there because they had shaped football. Because millions of people associate their names with memories, of matches, of moments, of a feeling. It was not their current performance that brought them onto that stage. It was their presence and what they had built over the years. Their status was the result of personality, not their form on the day. This very distinction, between what someone is currently delivering and what they project and inspire, also determines more in companies than most people realise.
Expertise is the prerequisite, not the differentiator
In transformation projects, the technical aspects are discussed first. The right software, the appropriate budget, the sound methodology. That is understandable, because these things are measurable and can be shown in a presentation. They are also important. Expertise is the foundation. Processes provide the framework. Technology is becoming increasingly important as a tool. Yet these factors rarely determine whether a change ultimately holds.
Because, in the end, it is people who make change possible or prevent it. An ERP system does not implement itself. A restructuring does not happen on its own. A new process landscape remains on paper as long as the team is not on board. And whether they get on board depends on people, not slides.
The difference between ego and personality
It is worth making a distinction here that often becomes blurred in everyday life. People who only nurture their ego primarily want to prove that they are right. Such people can be technically brilliant and still cause a project to fail, because they create resistance where they need trust.
Those who develop their personality, by contrast, build trust, connect people and enable development. This person does not have to be the cleverest in every meeting. They have to ensure that the brightest minds in the room work together rather than against one another. In practice, this very ability often determines whether a project fails or delivers a lasting impact. Not the organisational chart, not the project plan, but whether someone can get a team behind them.
How to recognise personality in leadership
The term remains abstract unless it is tied to specific behaviour. When working with manufacturing companies, personality usually shows itself in three things.
First: Handling bad news
Leaders who want to hear about a problem while it is still small, rather than punish people for it, have problems reported to them early. Those who punish the messenger only hear about a crisis when it can no longer be resolved.
Second: Taking responsibility rather than passing it around
A leader with personality stands in front of the team when things get difficult, and steps into the background when praise is given. This is rare and has an immediate effect.
Third: Speaking the uncomfortable truth
Not loudly, not hurtfully, but clearly. Someone who stands on the shop floor and names what everyone can see but nobody says creates more movement in minutes than any concept. These three things do not appear on any CV. Yet they determine the success of an assignment.
What this means for selecting leaders
Anyone appointing people to lead a transformation should therefore shift the question. Not first: Who has the greatest methodological expertise? But: Who can get a team to come along on the journey? This does not mean that technical expertise is unimportant. It is the entry ticket. Without solid practical skills, nobody belongs in a complex project. But when two people are equally strong technically, what is harder to measure becomes the deciding factor. And what is harder to measure is usually more important.
That is precisely why we reverse the usual order at SMART iNTERIM. We do not talk about software or methods first. We talk about people. Technology is a tool. Processes are the framework. Personality makes the difference. For us, Personality First is not an advertising slogan, but the foundation of every successful transformation. Competence gets us into the game. Whether a change lasts is determined by the personality of the people driving it.
About SMART iNTERIM
SMART iNTERIM Management supports manufacturing companies through operational transformation: restructuring, plant set-up, plant relocation, turnaround and process optimisation. We come from hands-on experience, not from a distance, and take operational responsibility rather than simply making recommendations. People are always at the centre of this, because transformation is driven by people, not methods. Head office in Switzerland, branch office in Dubai.
