Why Can’t They Be Like Me?: A Parable of Shifting Perspectives
Claire Diaz-Ortiz and Marshall Goldsmith
100 Coaches Publishing/ An Imprint of Amplify Publishing Group (May 2026)

“Be yourself. Everyone else is taken.” Oscar Wilde

As I began to read this book, I was again reminded of Doris Kearns Goodwin’s discussion of Abraham Lincoln’s greatest strengths, one of which is indicated by the title of her book Team of Rivals. Lincoln selected several of his severest critics (e.g.) Edward Bates, Salmon P. Chase, William H. Seward, and Edwin Stanton) to serve in his cabinet.

In the Foreword to Why Can’t They Me Like Me?, this observation caught my eye: one of leadership’s greatest paradoxes is that “the very thinking that drives us to seek out carbons of ourselves is often what limits our organization’s potential for innovation, growth, and sustainable success. True leadership excellence lies not in replication but in recognition — recognition of the inimitable value that each individual brings to the table.”

This is a business fable.  The details are best revealed within the narrative, in context. It may help to reveal, however, that — in this insightful book — Claire Diaz-Ortiz and Marshall Goldsmith make su with superb use of the narrative format (i.e., setting, lead characters, conflict, plot developments, climax, and resolution) within which to provide a wealth of valuable information, insights, and counsel. They are first-rate raconteurs.

I wholly agree with them that, at all levels and in all areas throughout the given enterprise, leaders should insist on being told what they need to know, not what they may want to hear. Years ago, GE’s then chairman and CEO, Jack Welch, told an SVP, “You and I almost always seem to agree. One of us is redundant.” There is much of value to be learned from Hans Christian Andersen’s fable, “The Emperor’s New Clothes.”

Presumably Diaz-Ortiz and Goldsmith are familiar with Judgement Calls, co-authored by Tom Davenport and Brook Manville who take on the fundamental issues of how organizations are applying judgement, collaboration, and participatory decision-making into their organizations. Davenport and Manville present their argument in the form of stories surrounding major decisions at the organizational, cultural and individual level. Their approach is ideal for capturing the qualitative difference in making group judgments. The authors see this as the fourth era of thinking about organizational decision making and one in which the importance of judgement is acknowledged.

Davenport and Brook Manville see four major trends in play for exercising organizational judgment. First is the recognition that none of us is as smart as all of us. The second is that you need to tap into both the wisdom and leadership of the crowd. Data and analytics remain important. Finally, that information technology is an enabler of the increased participation and analytical decision support required for organizational judgment.

I congratulate Claire Diaz-Ortiz and Marshall Goldsmith on a brilliant achievement. Bravo! They stress  that leaders must always insist on candor, especially whenever someone is “speaking to power.”  Extraordinary leaders help ordinary people to achieve extraordinary results. I cannot recall a prior time when that was more important in a workplace culture than it is today.