There’s something slightly medieval about the phrase ‘leaders are born, not made’.
Broadly speaking, it’s nonsense: as our courses show, leadership abilities are trainable! But there’s also a truth to the idea that not everyone is equally well suited to leadership, or has the desire to take a leadership role. When forced into that position, not everybody flourishes.
A leader and an employee can be exactly the same type of person, and there is an increasing demand to promote talent from within. Yet failing to identify leadership attributes in employees can stymy growth, both of the individual in question and the business as a whole. So what are these differences—and how can you recognise potential leaders in the workplace without falling into stereotypes of what leadership looks like?
Promotions with purpose
Being promoted as a reward for time served isn’t quite as prevalent as it used to be, but it’s still a popular approach to fulfilling leadership roles. If anything, the fact that fewer people now remain with one employer for five or more years means that those who do may be more likely to be promoted, even where an increase in their responsibilities isn’t necessarily the best option. We know this today as the Peter principle: the idea that employees are often promoted beyond their level of competence because of experience or success in a previous role.
While some employees can ascend to leadership on a linear track, prior experience isn’t always a measure of future success. Some aspects of leadership will be unique to a specific role or strata within the organisation, and may not be something that a person has any experience in or aptitude for, even if their previous role involved some sort of leadership or management. The result is that a talented individual is wasted in a position which they may not be good at or enjoy, or who finds themselves unprepared for a steep learning curve.
This philosophy of simply picking candidates based on perceived ability can work, but it isn’t conducive to long-term success, or the happiness and wellbeing of employees. Instead, it falls on organisations and the leaders within them to think about something that may seem innate: what constitutes a good leader, and how can you find those qualities in individuals within the workplace?
What makes a good leader?
There are a number of qualities which are naturally beneficial in leadership, though they’re not always the ones you’d think. Good communication skills are certainly valuable, but this isn’t the same as being a good talker. Lots of people consider themselves good communicators simply because they are naturally outgoing or charismatic, and there can definitely be overlap there. But good communication is as much about listening to and responding to feedback as it is about confidence and assertiveness.
A lesser-appreciated aspect of leadership is the ability to delegate. People perceive leaders as needing to be all action, getting stuck into their work and keeping themselves across everything. Application is important, but so too is knowing your limits, and where best to apply your skills. The best leaders know when to delegate tasks that others are better suited to, and how to build a talented team around you that you trust to take on these tasks.
Leaders also need a level of flexibility and adaptability. Being flexible doesn’t just mean taking on more work or more responsibilities, but being open-minded and curious. This could mean an eagerness to learn and develop new skills—something that is definitely valuable in a leader—but also to absorb new ideas, consider a variety of opinions, and be cognisant of new developments in your field, and how these are likely to influence the future of the business and industry at large.
Looking for leaders
The trick is knowing how to identify these abilities in the work environment. Very often, the first port of call when promoting from within is to look at the most senior employees. There is merit to this, as these will often be the most experienced individuals with the best sense of the business’ culture, and the most evidence from which to draw conclusions about their suitability. Conversely, sometimes junior employees might make themselves more visible by sharing their accomplishments, and being more vocal in meetings and other settings, propelling them above others who might also deserve it.
Both of these approaches can be damaging if not undertaken in the right way, as not everyone in either group will be an ideal leadership candidate. Instead, it falls on existing leaders–-supervisors, managers and others—to identify the attributes that make them good leaders in other employees. One easy metric for this is the quality of that person’s work, and how it reflects both on their knowledge of the business and their work ethic. Again, however, this only reflects their expertise in their existing role, and not necessarily their leadership prowess.
Projects or other team-based work are a good place to start when looking for evidence of leadership abilities. Look at how people mesh into a group, and the kind of role they seek to play. See if they naturally take a position of leadership in their group, communicating clearly and effectively with others to ensure the work is done properly. This might include outlining their own role, what they might need from others to do it effectively, and what they can offer others to help with their work should they need it. Performance management training can help to cement these skills, giving you the toolset to better appraise leadership performance.
The role someone takes in a project and how they manage their workload are also good indicators of leadership ability. While it’s often said that the best way to progress in a business is to ‘make yourself useful’ (either by taking on more work or learning more skills), there’s also a merit to identifying what you are best at, and where your skills are best applied. Being able to openly discuss your own strengths and weaknesses with others—and find common ground on who should undertake which tasks within a project—are signs of good communication, pragmatism, and humility.
And finally…
While recognising potential talent is only one step on the path to leadership, it is nonetheless a valuable skill to master. Overcoming the issue of talent ‘failing upwards’ means identifying the qualities that make a good leader, and finding ways to spot these in the workplace—identifying individuals that get the most out of the people around them, and have the drive and determination to keep improving.
