How to identify future business leaders

With skill shortages in key sectors across Australia, businesses are now required to look internally for new leaders. Initially, it could be quite difficult to identify them as they may not have the environment to fully flourish at present.

Once executives know what to look for, businesses can begin to nurture and develop them into a key asset for the company. These are some key qualities to look out for.

Innovation

One essential asset of any future leader is innovation. As businesses know, new ideas and concepts are imperative to a company staying competitive in the market.

An employee who can examine their role and work out different paths for their department is a future leader. By providing fresh ideas and creating goals for themselves, these employees are showing that they understand the bigger picture of the business.

This could also materialise in employees wanting to take on more difficult projects and challenges in their work. Employers could offer professional development to further grow these skill sets.

Empathy

A leader still has to be a team leader. An employee that shows that they care about their work and what their colleagues are doing is a future leader.

A team is only as weak as their weakest member so if an employee is going out of their way to lift everyone else, that is a quality that needs to be recognised.

Feedback

Offering opportunities for employees to give feedback on their own progress and the business’s development is a good way to identify those with higher ambitions.

However, it is important to distinguish between an employee on an “ego trip” and someone with genuine leadership potential.

Businesses that want to nurture and identify future leaders should install HR management software that can help employers set future career and development plans for employees.