It is obvious that leadership is one of the most important aspects for the success of a business. However, many of the incumbent managers or executives are too casual while promoting someone to the helm. While being talented is a key factor, there are many instinctive qualities which a leader has to have in order to stir a business forward. Therefore, along with performance, there are many other attributes that should be brought into consideration.
Hiring a new manager is one thing, but there are some explicit advantages in hiring someone from within. So, how can leaders find new leaders from within their ranks?
Identity Management Needs
Before you start on your search for a new leader, assess the gaps in your management. Answer questions like what are the qualities that need to be added into the management to fortify the success of the business. Once you have a list, you can decide on a conclusive list of what to look for.
Know Your People
The obvious step is to know your employees. And ‘knowing’ employees isn’t confined to looking up their performance chart or keeping tabs on how many deals that they have closed. Choosing a new leader would mean handing over your workforce to him/her. An effective leader should know to drive employees as people rather than a bunch of computers. So, talk to ‘prospective’ leaders amongst your ranks and try to gauge how they would handle management responsibilities.
Assign Projects
Once you have identified these leaders, start assigning them small projects. See how they lead their team. Successively increase the weight of the projects and see how they cope up. Apart from the quality of the results they deliver, notice how they handle hurdles. Rebounding from failures and experience in facing obstacles are important bullets in the leaders’ skill set.
Finding leaders is not an easy task. Complexities and mirages are plenty abound this process. What makes it even more strenuous is the importance and probable consequences of a decision. So, start looking for leadership talents with care, otherwise you might end up taking hasty decisions when the business takes a shift.
