In every part of our lives, there are leaders who shape the actions and thoughts around them. From the sports field to the corporate boardroom, true leaders have the ability to motivate and influence positive outcomes moving forward.
However, with January being a typical rebuilding month for many businesses, is it possible that your next leader is already within your ranks? Leadership is a skill that develops over time and although many are born with the trait, it takes many years for it to shine though.
So how do you identify future leaders in the workplace? Here are two top tips:
1) Analyse performance
Workers who are always finishing their tasks first could be considered leaders in their chosen field – but do they actually exhibit the ability to get that type of performance out of their colleagues? To assess this, it is vital to undertake audits and appraisals with individuals through HRMS software which will give you a more accurate idea of whether they are capable of leading a team.
Attributes to watch include whether they help other members of the workforce when they are in difficulty and whether they consider the wider picture and identifying problems in the business not associated with their role.
2) Consider everyone
When a leadership role becomes available, it is important to consider all the possibilities – not just the people that applied for the job. Individuals who don't consider themselves leadership material might just be perfect!
Employees who are trusted, instil confidence or have a keen eye for responsibility, might just hold the attributes needed for leadership.
It's worth mentioning that those who are struggling might be worth a punt as well. Employees often burn out after a period of time in the same role and although they aren't performing at the same high level – you have experienced how good they can be when a new challenge assigned to them. A new role can motivate and allow someone to flourish which can only have good outcomes for the business as a whole.