Testosterone Types -- Part 1

Life comes in all shapes and sizes. Testosterone does too. Not all testosterone is created equally. There is a wide variety of testosterone types prowling the corridors of corporate America … distinctive types, each varying in horsepower. Needless to say, what fuels each type varies as well. That fuel could be competition. Another type might be hunger for power or thirst for glory. Let’s go exploring.

The most common type and thankfully the largest of the testosterone kingdom is Regular Grade Greg. Greg has average levels of testosterone. The desire to compete is present and certainly a respectable place on the org chart is a goal. Greg likes to be recognized by virtue of pay raises and promotions but does not generally display his ego in any kind of grand fashion. There is not talk about glory or power. He likes a compliment and compensation for a job well done. A decent working environment, a decent challenge, a decent team, a decent manager and a decent paycheck are the motivators for Regular Grade Greg. He’s the guy in the cube next to you.  He’s the guy who eats lunch with you. He’s the guy who might even seek out your opinion. He’s a good team player and can be counted on to pull his own weight. In competition, he’ll be looking to advance his position but not at the cost of bring someone else down or jeopardizing the project deliverables. Nothing extraordinary or out of line with the horsepower of this testosterone … a regular, ordinary guy … unlike … Super Sales Sam.

Super Sales Sam is definitely not your ordinary guy. This is the guy who is the consummate salesman selling … himself of course. Sam doesn’t believe that there are others who can deliver what he can deliver.  He is full of himself and likes very much to boast about it. Sam, like Greg, enjoys the compensation however he is going to make a lot more noise when his compensation is not in line with how he sees his accomplishments … and generally he sees his accomplishments as much more grand than just about everyone else. Glory is the real driver for Super Sales Sam. He loves to point at something and tell the world … or at least those that will listen …that HE made that happen and he can make it happen for you too! He sold the Steering Committee on reversing their position and approving his proposal. He cut through the ‘red tape’ and persuaded the Review Board to look passed the intrusive security requirements.  He can do the same for you and your project.  And he makes sure that you know it too. This testosterone type, though he doesn’t know it, is ignored and ridiculed by all the other types.

So how does a Regular Grade Greg and a Super Sales Sam get along ... stay tuned.