Future leader dynamo

FUTURE LEADER DYNAMO

LEADERSHIP FUTURES  THE EARLY SIGNS. AT GALLUS WE WORK WITH LOTS OF ORGANISATIONS AND LEADERS ACROSS A VARIETY OF SECTORS, AT VARYING STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT. Without fail, every organisation we work with sees leadership capability as its number one potential enabler and its number one risk yet, all too often, the future leader dynamo is broken and finding those capable of fulfilling complex and demanding leadership roles becomes a lottery.

FINDING, ENGAGING AND DEVELOPING SUCCESSFUL FUTURE LEADERS CAN FEEL LIKE SEARCHING FOR WILLY WONKA’S GOLDEN TICKET Talent pipelines are often selected on the basis of the sponsorship of Line Managers (who may or may not exhibit the leadership behaviours you desire) or generic assessment centres that try to evaluate ‘early career’ developing leaders against the same criteria and competency definitions used for experienced leaders.

To make matters worse, sometimes these criteria and competency definitions haven’t been revisited for some time.

the preserve of those in officially recognised leadership positions – not a great situation for any organisation with big ambitions.

Finding, engaging and developing successful future leaders can feel a bit like searching for Willy Wonka’s golden ticket.

We’re often asked ‘how can we identify senior leadership potential early in someone’s career?’ And so, we’ve put our research and experiences into the melting pot to define 15 early signs that you can rely on...

Leadership development is aimed at the wrong people at the wrong time and leadership responsibility remains

SIGN

WHAT IS IT?

HOW CAN YOU SPOT IT?

Purpose

Life and work has meaning

t There’s a sense of wanting and being able to contribute to a larger whole t Shows an interest in strategic discussions t Holds opinions on areas important to them t Determined and motivated approach t Knows what interests them and what doesn’t

Balance

Clarity

Life is not work and work is not life

t Involved in activities outside of work that demand commitment, capability & collaboration

Structured yet flexible thinking

t Speaks concisely and is able to explain complex problems and situations simply

t Knows when to place work first and when to place other commitments ahead of work demands

t Knows when their thinking is being influenced by events or people t Thinks before speaking and takes time to consider alternative perspectives to inform their own opinions t Will change opinion when presented with strong evidence

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SIGN

WHAT IS IT?

HOW CAN YOU SPOT IT?

Contextual Intelligence

Systemic awareness and impact

t Reads a system well and can identify levers that will create the effect they want to achieve t Understands that they are part of the system and can therefore influence it t Seems to have an intuitive ability to make a positive impact regardless of context

Pathfinder

Creates a path

t Positive, agile and proactive in ambiguous and changing environments t Uses available frameworks to define a path for themselves and others t Helps others to remain positive and deal with change and ambiguity

Navigate

Clears a path

t Handles complexity and prioritises to focus on the right things t Filters information to facilitate thinking, decisions and actions t Has a system of personal organisation that works and doesn’t let others down

Dynamic

Make things happen

t Makes decisions and takes action where appropriate t Demonstrates sound judgement t Creates momentum for a cause

At Cause

Accountable & responsible

t Takes accountability and responsibility for performance – good and bad t Makes efforts to improve results t When things go wrong, looks for solutions and seeks help rather than engaging in moaning, blame and conflict t Owns up to mistakes and errors of judgement (but only makes them once)

Curious

Eager to learn

t Self-aware beyond their level of experience – wants to understand how their strengths and experiences can contribute and how their development areas may create limits (and how to go beyond these) t Honest about knowledge, skills and level of experience and willing to put in the hard work to improve t Positively shares their feelings and fears with trusted others who are in a position to help

Open

Appropriately vulnerable

t Keen to learn the patterns of the system and sees learning in all activities - nothing is beneath them t Gathers informal mentors and shadows their work to gain a broader understanding t Seeks out secondments and similar opportunities to learn on the job

Positive Deviant

Challenges perceived reality

t Challenges the status quo in a positive way. Asks ‘how can we do this better?’ or ‘why do we do it this way?’ to start a conversation. t Plays with processes in a safe environment to test ideas t Demonstrates positive adaptive behaviours which elevate their performance beyond that of their peers

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FUTURE LEADER DYNAMO

SIGN

WHAT IS IT?

HOW CAN YOU SPOT IT?

Share

Collaborates confidently

t Generous with ideas, knowledge and time t Competitive approach but against personal standards and outside forces rather than peers t Shares success and passes on lessons learned from their successes and mistakes t Connects people with shared interests and problems and/or complimentary capabilities

Courage

Steps up and speaks out

t Leads and influences others well without hierarchical authority t Steps up into a vacuum and makes a positive difference t Speaks out to improve and protect t Challenges counter cultural behaviours even when it may be personally difficult to do so t Holds the fear in new situations and experiences and can identify and manage its effects

Value-able

Committed, aligned, driven and capable

t Driven to perform and will shift their knowledge, approach and even role until they find the most effective mix and can perform at their best t Adds unanticipated value and/or insight t Balances short-term results with long-term value creation; understands the trade-offs and doesn’t perform ‘at the expense of’ more important strategic ambitions or cultural pillars t Can explain how their activities create value for the organisation and seek to enhance the level of that value

Believe-able

Attracts a tribe

t Genuine, credible and trusted by others t Appears to be a leader in informal groups or micro-project/task forces t Confidence and commitment inspires others to believe and perform t Listened to and consulted for advice by peers

LEADERSHIP FUTURES FINDING AND DEVELOPING LEADERS OF THE FUTURE IS MORE ART THAN SCIENCE; IT IS RELIANT ON CONTEXT TO A DEGREE AND DEMANDS A LEVEL OF INTUITION. Luckily there are ‘tells’ that can signal potential. Some will be particular to the organisation and the environment it operates within whilst others are true across organisational and sector boundaries. These 15 ‘early signs’ are ‘tells’ that are not context specific; they indicate potential and are signals to watch, stretch, develop and evaluate those who demonstrate them.

So how does your future leader dynamo stack up – is your organisation routinely talent spotting and creating a pipeline to fuel its future success?

Gallus build sustainable, high performance environments that everybody can believe in. With particular expertise in leadership capability and alignment, organisation design, business transformation and enterprise risk management, Gallus challenge assumptions, cultivate belief and drive positive change by making performance excellence systemic.

An established business with Headquarters in Northampton, UK and offices in London, Manchester and Aberdeen, Gallus work with ambitious organisations across the world from a wide range of sectors.

Find us at www.gallusconsulting.com or call +44(0)20 3751 6345.

0203 751 6345

www.gallusconsulting.com