In my opinion, one of the top three contributors to "people problems" in organizations is poor leadership or bad bosses. As mentioned last week, I believe the top 3 contributors to be:
A - Accountability B - Bad Bosses
C - Command and Control Culture This week, we are exploring the B.
The First Part of the Problem:
Many organizations tend to promote top-performing individual contributors into management roles as the next logical step in their careers. However, being great at their job doesn't always mean they're suited to lead. In fact, some may not even desire the responsibilities of managing people but feel pressured to accept for career advancement.
Compounding this issue, we often focus on training new managers in the technical and administrative aspects of the role, neglecting the essential skills of leadership and emotional intelligence. Furthermore, they may have never had a strong role model to show them what effective leadership looks like.
The Second Part of the Problem:
Once an ineffective leader is in place, even after development efforts have been made, many organizations fail to take decisive action to remove them from the role. This ties back to another key issue I discussed last week: Accountability.
How Can We Improve the Selection of New Managers?
Assess Their Teamwork Abilities Patrick Lencioni, in The Ideal Team Player, emphasizes hiring individuals who are humble, hungry (self-motivated with a strong work ethic), and smart (emotionally intelligent). These qualities are equally critical for managers. If a candidate lacks any of these traits, they may not be the right fit for a leadership role.
Employ a Rigorous Hiring Process for External Candidates When hiring from outside the organization, assess leadership abilities through behavioral and situational interview questions. Explore their cultural fit, values, technical expertise, conflict management skills, and more. And involve people who will interact with the individual including the leader, peers, and maybe even a direct report or two. Ensure you also gather feedback from past colleagues, supervisors, and subordinates to gain a full picture of their leadership style and effectiveness.
If Promoting from Within, Consider the Following:
Provide exposure to what managing people truly entails through job shadowing or mentoring. This way, individuals can decide for themselves if the role is right for them.
Offer opportunities to lead projects or initiatives as a way to assess leadership potential before making a promotion.
Implement or enable individuals to participate in an Emerging Leaders program to prepare for future leadership roles.
Gather feedback from peers and colleagues about their interpersonal and leadership abilities.
Use structured assessments, such as leadership potential inventories or 360-degree feedback tools, to gain deeper insights into their capabilities.
By taking these steps, we can help ensure that we select managers who are not only technically proficient but also equipped with the emotional intelligence and leadership skills necessary to lead their teams effectively.
Resources to Help:
7 Habits of High-Retention Managers is a great resource to provide foundational leadership tips and information.
InfluenceHR Consulting can also help with Emerging Leader training and developing your recruiting strategy. Contact us!
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