Choose leaders carefully: Firms live or die by the people promoted
Layoffs, hiring freezes, restructurings — those are the harsh realities of the current business environment. Despite this, there are still plenty of opportunities.
Now, more than ever, an organization’s choice about whom to promote into a senior leadership role, or how to advance people on a more technical path, is critical. High performers must still be attracted, retained, groomed and promoted.
But organizations still struggle with finding the right people to be leaders and sometimes promote someone who is good in a technical role but won’t make a good leader. To overcome these challenges, organizations need to understand what makes a good leader. And that starts with understanding leadership competency.
Leadership competency comes from many things, including skills, knowledge, experience, attitudes, values and beliefs.
A competent leader puts these components into action, matching the right practices and applying knowledge and experience appropriately to the situation at hand. A truly competent leader applies these actions and wisdom in a manner expected or valued by the situation, the observers and the surrounding community.
Therefore, organizations should promote people who have proven they can adjust their actions and approaches to varying situations, while still exemplifying a predictable and exemplary values framework that is in-sync with community expectations.
Challenging status quo
New leaders will likely have to challenge the status quo and take initiative amidst people who previously were peers, or lead others in an initiative in response to a major threat that takes everyone into uncharted territory. Blocks to asserting leadership in this kind of situation include:
• more tangible rewards to staying in the old model
• current leaders putting roadblocks in the way
• a lack of role models to emulate
• a lack of clarity as to what will be required for success
• an inability to turn theory into practice
• intimidation from others who aspire to the leadership role
• public exposure of the leaders’ faults and failures.
There is no single recipe for effective leadership for all situations. Every organization and challenge requires a somewhat different approach to finessing the leadership actions required by each context. While a lot can be learned from other people’s successes and failures, their actions can’t simply be replicated for a different situation.
The ability to assess situations in a systems or big-picture manner, then exert the courage to act while adjusting for the new environment, are key leadership traits.
As Woody Allen has been quoted as saying, “80 per cent of success comes from just showing up.” But leading change effectively doesn’t happen just by showing up. It takes a different effort, beyond the status quo, to make change happen. It takes extra inspiration to be innovative with a new product or service. It requires an extra measure of passion and commitment to implement a new strategic plan and achieve a bold new, sustainable vision.
Therefore, good leaders need an “unreasonable commitment” to following through on their initiatives and motivating team members towards achieving clear goals.
Avoid promoting too fast
High performers and fast-risers are often dynamic and confident individuals. It is tempting for organizations to move them along quickly to the next challenge as soon as they prove themselves. However, it is important to give high performers enough time in one role to try something, receive feedback and have the chance to adapt further and see improvement in their judgment. This usually takes about two business cycles.
Fast-tracking high potentials more quickly than this can hurt both the individual and the organization, as people end up being promoted beyond their competence.
Excellent employee but not a leader?
Leadership isn’t for everyone. That doesn’t mean senior technical or professional people shouldn’t be valued and promoted as well.
A good organizational design will have a pay and performance system that allows for increased recognition, remuneration and promotion of high-performing and high-potential professionals. This might mean providing high performers with more opportunities to lead innovation processes, to mentor and work with other technical individuals in improving their abilities, or to provide consulting and advice in recognized areas of expertise.
