5 SMART WAYS TO IDENTIFY LEADERS IN YOUR ORGANIZATION
An efficient employee can give sustainability to an organization. However, an extraordinary leader can lead their organization to progress and exemplary growth. Tim Cook, the present CEO of Apple Inc., is a perfect example of what great leaders can accomplish. In 1998 he joined Apple as a senior vice president. With their exceptional leadership skills, he was able to drive positive changes in the company, and he is taking it to the next level now as its CEO. Hence, there is no surprise why leadership is one of the most sought-after soft skills in the workplace today. Leaders in your organization will prepare your organization to embrace challenges. As long as you have great leaders on board, the future of your business will not have to fear the dark. The question is, do you invest enough in leadership development within your organization?
Before we proceed further, it is vital to highlight some business leadership statistics. Around 83 percent of employers believe the development of leadership among employees is vital. Besides, it is noteworthy that by 2025 millennials will represent three-fourths of the global workforce. But more than 60 percent of millennials feel that they lack leadership skills. These stats are important for you to ensure the continued success of your business. You should have well-defined plans for developing, identifying, and retaining employees with leadership traits. To have excellent leaders is a luxury. Make the most of it! In this blog, we have listed the most effective strategies to recognize leaders among your employees.
5 SMART WAYS TO IDENTIFY LEADERS IN YOUR ORGANIZATION
1. CREATE ENOUGH LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
The most basic yet the most impactful way is to create leadership opportunities. You can evaluate your employees’ leadership skills every day based on how they approach their tasks. But when they step into the shoes of a leader and discharge leadership duties, it will give you the real picture. Sometimes even the brightest prospects do not perform well in real situations. This is because leadership is not limited to potentials. Leadership is also about character and conviction, which are best tested in real scenarios.
Having said that, you should look to create more leadership opportunities in the workplace. In fact, in the course of doing so, you can achieve multiple objectives. When you extend leadership opportunities, it becomes a part of skill development. Hence, in addition to the identification of leaders, it will also promote skill development. The millennials will feel positive about getting chances to become better leaders. This will further enhance the levels of engagement, satisfaction, and retention among workers. Hence, creating a funnel of abundant leadership roles is a progressive idea!
2. EVALUATE FOR VITAL WORK ETHICS
Leadership should not be mainly about charm and confidence. Yes, leaders should be charming and flamboyant such that they attract people to follow in their footsteps. But incredible leaders are better known for their uncompromising work ethics. You should evaluate your workers on their adherence to the most imperative work ethics. Also, you should assess how they inspire others to be more compliant with these work ethics. To substantiate, the most significant work ethics and professional values in the workplace include the following.
Integrity
Cooperation
Discipline and dedication
Responsibility
Reliability
Productivity
Creativity
A prospective leader is the one who is forward-looking from the purview of their creativity. Moreover, discipline, productivity, and diligence are the core attributes of leading by example. To add, it is imperative for a leader to be reliable so that you can trust them with additional responsibilities. While personality defines the appeal of a leader, work ethics define the prowess of a leader.
3. LOOK FOR PROFICIENT MULTI-TASKERS
Leaders have a lot on their plate, and they manage everything in an ideal way. This is because potential leaders have enchanting multi-tasking skills. A successful leader also needs to extend support to their team while working on their share of tasks. Besides, they have to sustain their own motivation and also inspire others to keep going with greater enthusiasm. The roles and responsibilities of a leader are not limited to delivering excellence in their work. They should rather be able to lead their entire team to deliver promising results. Given that, a leader has to multi-task every day and keep working on their time management.
In fact, in the present culture of remote jobs, managing teams is a greater hassle than ever before. However, leaders glow at their best in times of challenges and crisis. While identifying leaders, you can divide your employees into two classes. The first class is of those workers who keep listing problems and cribbing about them. The second class is of those who multi-task and find the best solutions in the best interest of the organization. The second class of employees is where your interest should be. But remember, there is a difference between being a multi-tasker and being an efficient multi-tasker. Many can claim to be multi-taskers, but not everyone can get the balance right.
4. OBSERVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS
The importance of communication skills, among other soft skills in the workplace, is a proven fact. Efficient communication skills are required at all levels, irrespective of designations and verticals. But while others can thrive with decent communication proficiency, leaders have to be exceptional at it. A good leader communicates goals to others clearly and concisely. Moreover, they need to inspire others and deliver pep talks when the overall morale is low. Having said that, a potential leader is one with powerful communication skills.
Besides, a good leader should have a good command over verbal as well as non-verbal communication. They should have active listening skills so that they give everyone a chance to express their thoughts and opinions. Listening to everyone’s perspectives and then drawing conclusions is a characteristic trait of critical thinkers and leaders. Look for all these parameters when you observe the communications skills of your employees.
5. CURATE HEALTHY COMPETITION WITH BEFITTING CHALLENGES
Competition and challenges bring out the best in leaders. One innovative way to identify leaders is to create healthy competition among employees with unprecedented challenges. Then you can evaluate your employees on conviction, innovation, and collaboration in the course of their problem-solving.
Problems are inevitable in any domain of life, and the same is the case in the corporate world. By curating challenging situations in the workplace or in employee engagement activities, you can recognize people who solve problems with effectiveness and calmness. These people deserve to be your managers and top executives in the future.
CONCLUSION
To conclude, the sooner you identify potential leaders, the more beneficial it will be. You can then further groom these leaders to take the top positions in the organization in the near future. Ascertaining business continuity tomorrow has a direct correlation with the recognition of reliable leaders today. Remember, an organization is as good as its leaders. You are a fine example of it, given how you have led things with such efficacy. Hence, it will be rewarding for you to identify, develop and prepare leaders of tomorrow.