HELPFUL HINTS IN SELECTING LEADERS
Selecting employees for supervisory, management, and leadership positions is a fascinating journey.
The same holds true if you are considering forming a business partnership.
What characteristics do you look for?
• Personality Compatibility
• Technical Expertise
• Sharing the same vision.
• Ethics
• Morality
• Mutual friends
• Capability to get along with others
• Financial Stability.
Absolutely – each one of these characteristics is worthy of exploration. Some would say these are
essential..
But gee, an individual can also be a solid performing follower with the above characteristics.
What is left out of the above listing of essentials? A question which is overlooked primarily because of the 1st two items on the list (personality – we really get along well together) and (technical expertise – they bring a essential tool kit of knowledge)? In the evaluative minds of many interviewers this combo translates, sometimes erroneously, into – leadership. The person across the table has all the attributes of a “ natural leader”. It’s so obvious, I can tell in my gut that this person is a leader – I just know it.
Ok – how do you know it? Intuition? As the well worn bromide goes – “the proof is in the pudding”.
A pertinent question for the candidate ? What is a leader ?—no, here you might received an academic or “ down to earth” descriptor . Good information but not what is needed.
The onion which needs to be peeled – is this person a Leader??
• What type, size, organization have they led?
• What quantifiable successes can they cite?
• Their demonstrated philosophy of leadership.
• When did they 1st know they were a leader? How?
• Specific examples of team building.
• Types of employees with whom they work the best/least?
• Failures as a leader.
• What leadership skills do they bring to the table?
• What characteristics are they looking for in a leader?
With mentoring and coaching leadership skills can be honed and developed. It is true that abilities can
be developed wherein and individual with no previous leadership skills can transition into a position
requiring those talents. Many of these individuals have some prior formal or informal leadership
experience.
A caveat. In many ways, leadership is a type of natural selection. Followers gravitate to those who
lead. Whether on the playground, classroom, social club, identifiable leaders and followers emerge.
The risk of hiring someone into a leadership position without a proven record, is significant. The
nuances of successful leadership are complex. They are learned overtime. This is not like learning a
software program where the variables are identified and solutions finite. Empathy, communications,
trust , delegation involve skillful interpersonal skills.
Leadership experience is a valuable teacher which can be measured in the breadth , depth, complexity
and success of involvement . Years in the “job of life” is differentiated from chronological age. Quality
of leadership is a necessary ingredient as is quantity.
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