Are You Picking the Right Leaders?
The Idea in Brief
You know that tapping the right individuals for leadership positions is an essential executive task. But too often, the wrong people are selected. Why? Executives often evaluate candidates based on gossip, hearsay, and casual observation. They also fall prey to the halo effect: overvaluing certain attributes (raw ambition, operational proficiency) while undervaluing others (ability to inspire, willingness to take risks).
The cost? The wrong people ascend their corporate ladder – and the company falters. To escape this scenario, compile a balanced picture of each candidate. Learn which skills to ignore and use a radical group evaluation process to discover the real gems among your candidates.
The Idea in Practice
Overvalued Skills: The surprising truth about certain overvalued skills:
| Being a Team Player |
Managing by consensus is valuable – it helps divisions or groups run smoothly. |
Consensus managers often can’t make decisions and assemble teams too much like themselves. Most exceptional leaders aren’t team players. They’re independent thinkers, assemble diverse teams and embrace others more experienced and smarter than they. |
| Hands-on |
Coaching Leaders develop others through close mentoring relationships. |
Excellent leaders select strong people, delegate fully to them, and give them opportunities to grow through experience and their own mistakes. |
| Operational Proficiency |
Leaders are skilled implementers and problem solvers. |
Operationally proficient individuals’ reliance on policies and procedures can alienate others and stifle innovation. Top leaders thrive in ill-defined, complex situations and see opportunity in confusion. |
| Dynamic Public Speaking |
Stand-up presentation skills are vital. |
Excellent leaders also possess strong one-on-one skills – to engage and inspire others in public and private. |
| Raw Ambition |
Ideal candidates show strong ambition. |
Exceptional leaders display modesty – while being fiercely competitive on the inside. |
| Similarity and Familiarity |
Candidates too different from the hiring executive won’t “fit in”. |
Candidates different in race, gender, or socioeconomic or cultural background – or who haven’t held comparable positions at similar companies – may make brilliant leaders. |
Peeling the Leadership Onion
Use this group evaluation process to generate a more complete, balanced view of candidates. You’ll identify stellar leaders who have concrete competencies and softer skills.
- Assemble a group – including the candidate’s current and former bosses and other executives who have worked with him – to discuss his history in light of a wide range of leadership criteria – e.g. ability to assemble top-notch staff, strategic thinking and integrity.
- An internal executive or consultant directs the group’s discussion by asking carefully crafted questions (e.g. “How quickly can the candidate integrate diverse information?”). The leader focuses discussion on observed behaviours only, elicits evidence behind opinions, encourages participants to add information and question each other – and notes emerging patterns. As if peeling an onion’s layers, each question delves more deeply than the last.
- Use responses to predict the candidate’s performance in a position of greater responsibility (“If she were to fail, what would you predict might be the most likely reason?”). Also, determine her development priorities (e.g. “She needs to manage a geographically dispersed organisation”).
The ultimate goal of peeling the onion? Use candid, confidential and comprehensive information to identify and develop top leaders.
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