Filling a leadership position is much more than hiring someone with great experience, good education, or even the right management style and values.
Without question, past performance is the best indicator of future performance—provided it is in a similar context. For example, someone who was charged with leading a major turn-around at one organization then is hired to bring dynamic leadership to a healthy organization may bring unwanted results. The leader may come across as brash, insensitive, and making decisions before having sufficiently built relationships, gathered enough information or developed input. It could be a disaster in the making.
Experience can also indicate an appropriate fit. An entrepreneurial founder may need someone who can bring a process and systems approach to the company yet not make the company so paperwork oriented or meeting driven that it loses the zeal, creativity, and productivity it is known for.
Seeking to make sure the right leadership style and experience mesh with the client’s need is critical but exposing potential flaws is also imperative:
Ego driven (this can take many forms: unapproachable, insensitive to others, demanding all the credit, empire building)
Indecisive (insecurity, fear of making a mistake)
Cannot admit mistakes (therefore doesn’t learn from them and improve)
Unorganized (doesn’t seek help)
Can’t/won’t delegate (fearful someone else can’t do it well enough)
Stopped learning (falling behind)
Politico (favoritism verses results)
Frequent job changes (doesn’t stay long enough to make a lasting difference)
Creative overload (no focus or follow through)
Avoids conflict (problems don’t get resolved, denial, withdrawal)
The “driver” (pushes staff so hard that people feel abused and under-valued)
Hyper focused on work (people do not feel any personal connection, and begin to think, “He doesn’t care about me, just what I can do for the company”)
Poor vision caster (lack of contagious enthusiasm for where the organization needs to go, or lack of vision altogether)
Workaholic (has no sense of self-worth except for his work, no balance in life)
Anger issues (loses temper whether due to lack of self-control or for effect)
Hiring an executive without a 360 approach can potentially lead to failure.
May we help you hire the right person the first time?
© The Dingman Company 2012