Feb
3
Spotting a New Leader
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Spotting a New Leader by Fred Smith provides insight into some of the traits to look for when identifying future leaders, which he describes the following 10 signs of leadership potential.
- Leadership in the past. "The best predictor of the future is the past."
- The capacity to create or catch vision. "When I talk to people about the future, I want their eyes to light up. I want them to ask the right questions about what I’m talking about…… A person who doesn’t feel the thrill of challenge is not a potential leader."
- A constructive spirit of discontent. "Some people would call this criticism, but there’s a big difference in being constructively discontent and being critical. If somebody says, ‘There’s got to be a better way to do this,’ I see if there’s leadership potential by asking, ‘Have you ever thought about what that better way might be?’ If he says no, he is being critical, not constructive. But if he says yes, a constructive spirit of discontent challenges him. That’s the unscratchable itch. It is always in the leader. People locked in the status quo are not leaders."
- Practical ideas. "Highly original people are often not good leaders because they are unable to judge their output; they need somebody else to say, ‘This will work’ or ‘This won’t.’"
- A willingness to take responsibility. "Carrying responsibility doesn’t intimidate me, because the joy of accomplishment—the vicarious feeling of contributing to other people—is what leadership is all about."
- A completion factor. "Dale Carnegie used to say, ‘I know men in the ranks who will not stay in the ranks. Why? Because they have the ability to get things done.’ In the military, it is called ‘completed staff work.’ With potential leaders, when the work comes in, it’s complete. The half-cooked meal isn’t good enough."
- Mental toughness. "No one can lead without being criticized or without facing discouragement. A potential leader needs a mental toughness. I don’t want a mean leader; I want a tough-minded leader who sees things as they are and will pay the price… Leadership creates a certain separation from one’s peers. The separation comes from carrying responsibility that only you can carry."
- Peer respect. Peer respect doesn’t reveal ability, but it can show character and personality…. Maxey Jarmen used to say, ‘It isn’t important that people like you. It’s important that they respect you. They may like you but not follow you. If they respect you, they’ll follow you, even if perhaps they don’t like you.’"
- Family respect. "I also look at the family of a potential leader: Do they respect him or her?"
- A quality that makes people listen to them. "Potential leaders have a ‘holding court’ quality about them. When they speak, people listen. Other people may talk a great deal, but nobody listens to them. They’re making a speech; they’re not giving leadership. I take notice of people to whom others listen."
We all need to become better at spotting future leaders and this list is a great start. As leaders we need to be on the constant look out for people who have leadership potential. Part of a leaders legacy is to ensure that there are leaders who have been mentored and have caught our vision and this starts with spotting leadership potential.
Technorati Tags: Leadership, Management, Leadership Development, Future, Development, Mentor, Coach, Legacy
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5 Responses to “Spotting a New Leader”
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George.
This is a great find. I am a huge fan of Fred Smith and his work. He is a tremendous man. This article was especially timely as we are beginning to select new student leaders on our campus. I added my own twist to this list at the studentlinc blog. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. All the best!
I’d have to add one more, George. That would be “Joy in helping others succeed.” Every great leader I’ve seen in any field brings that to the party.
[...] now is the time to figure it out. The Practice of Leadership has ten ways to assist in Spotting a New Leader. Here is one of [...]
I agree with Wally.. a passion and love for help others develop and grow is critical…!
[...] How can you spot a person with leadership potential? “The capacity to create or catch vision. “When I talk to people about the future, I want their eyes to light up. I want them to ask the right questions about what I’m talking about…… A person who doesn’t feel the thrill of challenge is not a potential leader.” (via the practice of leadership) [...]