How Will My Success Be Molded?
Those who are closest to me will determine the
level of my success.
Good leaders realize the significance of
surrounding themselves with talented people. That’s why leaders repeatedly ask
me, “How can I be sure to hire the right person?”
I have never discovered a foolproof hiring
practice, but I do know finding a great hire goes hand in hand with identifying
potential leaders.
Over the course of this article I’ll explore
eleven questions I use to spot a potential leader.
Before I begin, I’d like to give credit to my
mentor and friend Brig Hart. Several of these questions were developed from my
conversations with him.
1. When looking for a leader, do I see a
constructive spirit of discontent?
Constructive discontent is a leader’s
unscratchable itch. It’s the trait making a leader averse to average and
opposed to the status quo. Potential leaders possessing constructive discontent
will question existing systems and push for improvements. They perceive
problems and come up with solutions.
As Kouzes and Posner say, leaders have a
pioneering instinct. They are not afraid to step out into the unknown. They are
willing to take risks, innovate, and experiment in order to find new and better
ways to operate.
2. Do they offer practical ideas?
Highly original thinkers can have problems
leading when they are unable to judge their ideas realistically. Brainstorming
is not a helpful practice in leadership unless useful ideas are generated.
In the words of John Galsworthy, “Idealism
increases in direct proportion to one’s distance from the problem.” Potential
leaders have the rare ability to translate idealistic goals into realistic and
workable actions. Leaders are not frozen when obstacles disrupt the perfect
plan. They have the flexibility and fortitude to account for resistance to
the ideal.
3. When they speak, who listens?
Potential leaders have a “holding court” quality
about them. Their words carry weight. What they say is valuable and inspires
action. When watching groups of people interact, in a matter of five minutes, I
can pick the leader every time. When it comes time for the group to make a
decision, all eyes focus upon the person with the greatest influence.
The extent of a person’s influence speaks volumes
about their potential in leadership. Here are seven key areas to evaluate the
level of influence in a possible hire:
Character Who they are.
Relationships Who they know.
Knowledge What they know.
Passion How strongly they feel.
Experience Where they’ve been.
Past Successes What they’ve done.
Ability What they can do.
4. Do others respect them?
Respect is vital for leadership, yet it can be
difficult to discern in young leaders who have not fully developed. Peer
respect doesn’t reveal ability, but it shows character. I’ll conclude this
edition with the following acronym on respect. I have found it to be a helpful
device to evaluate the respectability of emerging leaders.
R
|
Respects their
coworkers and exhibits self-respect. Instead of asking for respect, they give
it and earn it.
|
E
|
Exceeds the expectations
of others. Naturally sets the bar higher than anybody else sets it for them.
|
S
|
Stands firm on
convictions and values.
|
P
|
Possesses maturity well
beyond their years and shows self-confidence.
|
E
|
Experiences a healthy
family life.
|
C
|
Contributes to the
success of others.
|
T
|
Thinks ahead of others.
Potential leaders are marked by their ability to outpace the thinking of
those around them.
|
Your inner circle will prop you up or pull you
down as a leader. You cannot afford to place the wrong people by your side. An
unethical or divisive leader can be poison to the bloodstream of an entire
organization. That’s why I’m a firm believer in making a comprehensive
evaluation of a potential hire. Here are questions 5-11 that I ask when
choosing potential leaders:
5. Can they create or catch a vision?
I have a subset of four questions I try to answer
when evaluating a potential leader’s ability to catch or cast a vision:
Are they able to become a part of someone else’s
vision before they demand that others follow their vision? I watch emerging
leaders to see if they can catch a vision before I determine whether or not
they can create a vision. I look for potential leaders who are willing to
follow before they lead. I want to see if they can serve before they empower.
Do they add value to the vision given to them? In
other words, do they have the creativity to take a vision and make it better?
Rather than blindly implementing the vision of another leader, potential
leaders are able to improve upon the vision and make enhancements to it.
Do they show a high level of commitment to the
vision? After they buy into the vision, I want to know if they will pay the
price to make the dream a reality. Potential leaders are willing to take
responsibility for the vision.
Are they passionate about the vision? A person
can accept a vision and take steps toward its fulfillment, but I am searching
for an added dimension of excitement and energy. I want a person with a
contagious passion for the vision; someone with an infectious enjoyment who
spreads the vision to others.
6. Do they show a willingness to take
responsibility?
In my opinion, The Statue of Liberty should have
a sister-statue—The Statue of Responsibility. People are quick to defend
against infringements upon their freedom, but slow to take responsibility for
their actions. Benjamin Franklin said, “I never knew a man that was good at
making excuses who was good at anything else.” Avoid choosing employees who are
unwilling to take ownership or averse to responsibility. It’s easier to go from
failure to success than from excuses to success.
7. Do they finish the job?
The bookends of success are initiative and
closure.
If you cannot initiate, you cannot make things
happen.
If you cannot close, things that could happen
never will.
Take notice of the projects you delegate to a
potential leader. Do the jobs get completed 100 percent, or do they end up back
at your desk demanding time and attention? The answer will tell you a lot about
the leadership ability of the potential leader.
8. Are they emotionally strong?
No one can lead without being criticized or
facing discouragement. A potential leader needs mental toughness. I don’t want
a mean leader, but I do want a tough-minded leader who confronts reality and pays
the price of success.
9. Do they possess strong people skills?
Leaders with people skills will be more enjoyable
to work with, and they will get more accomplished. Be wary of hiring a
potential leader without friendliness, tact, or team spirit.
Observe whether the potential leader motivates or
manipulates others. Motivation is moving people for mutual advantage, and it is
a necessary leadership skill. Manipulation is moving people for personal
advantage. Manipulation is always wrong and damaging to the health of teams and
organizations.
Even without experience in a leadership position,
potential leaders are already exerting influence in some capacity. Research
their track record—both their achievements and their impact on the lives of
those nearest them. If they can lead people without having a position, they’ll
do very well when they get one. If they can’t lead people without a position,
giving them a title will not help. The leader makes the position; the position
doesn’t make the leader.
10. Will they lead others with a servant’s
heart?
Servant-leaders never pursue a mission at the
expense of their people. Rather, servant-leaders earn the loyalty and best
efforts of their people by serving the interests and investing in the
development of those they lead. A servant-leader leads to see others succeed.
Rabbi Kushner was right when he said, “The
purpose of life is not to win. The purpose of life is to grow and to share.
When you come to look back on all that you’ve done in life, you will get more
satisfaction from the pleasure you have brought into other people’s lives than
you will from the times that you outdid them and defeated them.”
11. Can they make things happen?
Some people make things happen, and others wonder
what happened. Make sure a potential leader can produce.
Kansan poet Walt Mason gives expression to the
value of a results-oriented producer in his poem, The Man Who Delivers the
Goods.
There is a man in the
world who never gets turned down,
Wherever he chances to stray.
He gets the glad hand in the populous town,
Or out where the farmers make hay;
He is greeted with pleasure on deserts of sands,
And deep in the isles of the woods;
Wherever he goes there is a welcoming hand—
He’s the man who delivers the goods.
One is too small a number to achieve greatness.
To accomplish anything of significance, you must have the right people by your
side. I trust these 11 questions will aid you as you pick potential
leaders.
These are the "Gold Nuggets" you need, how will you use them.?
