Selecting the right people is first step toward building a healthy culture.
There is probably nothing more important to the future of an organization than to select the right people for positions of authority.
by Paul Ericksen for Industry Week
Not only will such individuals need to successfully oversee tactical day-to-day activity; they will also have to provide strategic direction and leadership. The overall makeup of an individual selected for a leadership role communicates—both internally and externally—an awful lot about the culture that the organization is trying to create.
Below, I’ve listed the Top 10 criteria I consider in reviewing candidates for leadership positions. Before I detail them, however, let me start by saying that there is no substitute for doing a significant amount of background research. Although this is traditionally accomplished through one-on-one candidate interviews, I’ve found it is often more revealing to touch base with their peers, previous direct reports and—in the case of purchasing positions—suppliers they have worked with in order to gain an individual’s true measure.
Most people who are being considered for leadership positions can point to a long track record of significant accomplishment. What I’m also looking for—and have found to be an important differentiator between candidates—is finding out how they achieved their accomplishments since this correlates strongly with the culture issue cited above.
The following are listed in no special order.
1. Promotes teamwork
Establishing a philosophy of team is important to organizational productivity. Executives need to be good at promoting teamwork and setting an example of it. I avoid putting people into leadership positions that stress their own importance above the contributions of others since, in the long run, this is a major organizational de-motivator and also a sign of having too much ego. In addition, showboater and grandstander -type individuals tend to distract from what should be the main issue: organization success.
2. Asks for input
In a similar vein, leaders who don’t ask for and take input from employees don’t produce optimal results. Those who ask for and thoughtfully entertain the input of those who work for them are not weak—they are strong. When bosses listen, employees tend take ownership which—by the way—is strongly correlated with organizational success. By definition, leaders who think they can best figure everything out for themselves are called tyrants. Most people I know don’t want to work for a leader who just wants them to follow his or her orders.