HELPFUL HINTS IN SELECTING LEADERS

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.

Leadership Without A Compass

The spectacle of a captain less mega oil tanker aimlessly adrift in the Arctic’s environmentally
sensitive waters with millions of gallons of crude oil spewing forth into the pristine backwaters is almost unthinkable. Who can forget the images of oil coated waterfowl fighting for their lives after the Exxon Valdez spillage?
A few survived: strength, luck, and help from human care providers.
The parallel with leaderless leaders? Leaderless leaders?
While coaching management and owner teams, it has been a surprising discovery to find the number lacking a designated or even de facto captain. This void occurs within a partnership where neither party wants to assume responsibility for the executive roles. Other times, a legacy owner simply doesn’t want to lead the firm which has been handed down from a relative: or a husband/wife team grow a boot strap business and suddenly find they have a growing employee base, demanding customers, and supplier issues – but neither wants to be the CEO.
A surprising number of small and midsized firms have these “ leadership vacuums”. There is no acting, in charge president, or senior partner. The decision making buck stops – no where. Decisions are made in a collaborative mode. Translated, decisions are delayed or deferred. In the case of partnerships, both individuals may become masters of decision making avoidance.
They claim not to want to offend their partner while not wanting to face the human and financial concerns of running a successful enterprise: “ let me sell, or track costs, or run a project” , I’m comfortable with that “ is the familiar refrain I hear.
In the course of coaching dozens of “leaders” over the past decade, I have identified a consistently missing element present in these operationally challenged firms. There is an absence of leader generated, employee informed VISIONS. As with the aimless direction of the captain less tanker, the visionless leader and their company lack direction, purpose, and the defined drivers essential to capturing the opportunities of the future.
Consequently employees do not buy into the entreaties of management, have generally low morale, and see their work as “just a job”. The firm reacts to the whims of the marketplace rather than controlling its destiny. Survival rather than success become the mantra. Visionless, like walking in the dark of night without a destination or purpose.
Company captains who have defined who their firm is: where they are aimed, and in what time frame, describe the process as “ someone turned on the lights”. Suddenly and with enthusiasm there is a direction, a purpose, an raison d’etre. Imagine ! Now they can now stand up in front of employees and stakeholders and complete the mantra of a Big Ten University which is WE ARE ………………… Employees now have that brisk walk in their step all going in the same direction: The GPS voice is telling the same message to EVERYONE in the firm: in 2 years we will be the best at what we do.

A leader's compass

Building Bench Strength in Your Organization

Looking beyond the challenges of getting the product out the door “today” is a ” ho-hum”, what else is new can be one of those yawning, we’ve heard this before topics. Yes, we have previously heard about future planning, strategic planning, and the need for “bench strength”.

Let’s be realistic: whether it is product quoting: month end financial closings: or employee performance evaluations: these need to be done in a timely manner. Along with all the other responsibilities of our staff certain key functions must be performed and performed well.

As long as these functions are performed well, life is like the proverbial box of chocolates. Yes, life is good.

Now let’s disrupt this well oiled machine a bit. We have invested time, money and resources into training and motivating a key employee. They have learned our culture: been indoctrinated about our sales philosophy: are skilled in the use of computer systems: and developed a rapport with distributors and key internal management personnel. Given the nature or our services, a significant amount of proprietary information is shared with this individual.

Slowly, inexorably, we begin to question whether this employee is a good fit. The employee says they don’t want to be a manager. Essentially they want to be a technical person, work 8-5 and go home. Also, they become entrenched in their own methodology and are resistant to senior management ideas for change and improvements.

One of the challenges – this manager has kept her knowledge and expertise close at hand. Part of her strategy has been to become ” irreplaceable” by being the expert: the reservoir of critical information and systems.

Yes, your assumption is correct. Communications with direct reports, and executive management become more strained. The cocoon gets wrapped tighter as she shares less and less. This adds up to management becoming more critical of her performance.

An important by product is the non development of bench strength. This manager has not delegated or trained her subordinates. Upper management is so involved with their responsibilities that they don’t know the tsunami hits until a major debacle, or a series of blunders occurs.

Now you are between a rock and a hard place. Do you terminate the employee – oh my, this leaves the question – who is going to do her work, we are already overwhelmed? Do we retain the nonperforming employee which flies in the face of your philosophy of employee excellence?

Observations and Recommendations:

· When the person you are employing is different than the individual you interviewed: intervene early and often.

· Establish short term, measurable goals.. with the employee.. and follow up early and often

· Establish, and formalize succession plans. What is to be delegated. The substance of the handoffs. Corrective action. Follow up early and often

· Utilize constructive confrontation techniques. Avoidance is a carcinoma which permeates relationships. Follow up early and often.

· Look in the mirror – are you part of the problem? Conduct self analysis early and often.

· Conduct 360 analysis on a yearly basis. What is the candid, confidential evaluation of peers, direct reports, and customers when it comes to your employee’s performance, management skills, development of staff, and delegation?

· Avoid the temptation to say you are too busy to plan, evaluate and communicate. The consequences of nonperformance actually create more work for you in the end.. and can be translated into dollars lost due to inefficiencies and negative employee morale. Follow up early and often,

· In the end, swallow hard and answer the question – Is it worth retaining the employee?

Providing coaching and training services to small and midsized firms including on line assessment tools. Utilizing international and domestic expertise to give clients unique insights. Interested in developing managerial skills designed to have an organization of excellence? Developing Contact us: RLh & ASSOCIATES: PH 262-903-1602: Email info@rlhassociates.com Developing future winners