"Looking for someone incredibly competent"

The title of this piece is a direct quote from someone at the highest level of an organization in reference to someone I worked with after the decision was made to terminate him. The statement was describing what they wanted in a replacement.

While he did not say directly that the individual was incompetent, the implication was certainly there and was, from my perspective and that of many others, correct and well-deserved. It was a situation in which someone driven by ambition took on a job for which he was unprepared, not even remotely qualified, and who was unable or unwilling to develop the necessary skills to be successful. 

Although the decision to place this individual in a very responsible position was deeply flawed, it was compounded by allowing the person to remain in the position through three changes in organizational leadership, long after it was obvious he shouldn't be there. It is an unfortunate example of not making a difficult, but necessary decision in a timely manner, and many paid the price. While I would say "shame on you" to the individual who made the original decision to place this individual into the position, equal blame goes to the successors who decided to just hold their noses and to allow it to continue. Difficult choices sometimes need to be made, and they all failed.

While I am glad that this individual is elsewhere, and hopefully where he can do no harm, I think about how devastated I would feel if one of my superiors made a similar statement about my competence.  I have a reputation for being honest and competent at what I do. One of the keys to my success was that I was always careful not to take on jobs that were clearly beyond my skills and capabilities. While having ambition may be helpful to some, It was never something that drove me. I never had a desire to be vice president of anything, and I am OK with that.
Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work with many skilled and talented leaders. Unfortunately, this individual just wasn't one of them.