Date: Feb 2009

How do 'non-leaders' obtain leadership positions?

The interesting thing about leadership is that it's more noticeable when it's missing than when it's present. Consider the people you are exposed to. How many of them stand out as leaders? Does the thought even occur to you?

Now, how many of them are poor, ineffective or even damaging managers? The less than good ones are always easy to spot. They tend to tear people down, disempower and de-motivate instead of building people up. They are usually poor communicators and micro-managers who do not allow their teams room to deliver their best endeavours.

Team members expect certain things from their leaders. They expect integrity, positive reinforcement as well as constructive criticism, support, and guidance. They also expect their leaders to believe in them and to help them realise success. The good leaders realise this.

The not so good ones - or as we will call them, the 'non-leaders' - fail to consider how they are being perceived by those around them. Too often they don't think before they act or speak. And once done or said it's a message that can’t be unsent or easily retracted.

So how does this happen? How do 'non-leaders' obtain leadership positions? There tends to be two primary routes to being promoted to positions of incompetent leadership. Firstly,  individuals are promoted beyond their level of effectiveness. This is the person who was perhaps previously very good at what they were doing.  And because of their expertise in a specific role or task they are seen as being the ‘obvious’ choice to lead their department or team.

The problem is this - if they don't have leadership skills, or can't learn them - they will not only be ineffective, they'll be damaging. And chances are they will be miserable and unhappy in the role. Having come from a position where they were perhaps respected, in control and happy to be put in a situation that is just not them – not everyone has the necessary competencies or indeed desire to be a leader – often it the attraction of more money (or perceived kudos) that takes them there.

The other group of 'non-leaders' are those who talk their way into a leadership position. They interview their way in. While good talkers, the reality is that although they know what to SAY, they don't actually know what to DO or what a leader does – This is the fake it until you make it crowd. Which under certain circumstances may be OK but it’s a risky approach to take for most business’s as the failure rate is likely to be high and of course paid for by the organisation.

Staff usually identify these imposters immediately – they instinctively know and make quick judgements. They can tell that the 'leader' is really a 'non-leader' and incapable of taking the team or department where it needs to go. This is where it gets dangerous. The employees lose faith and can become disengaged with the whole process impacting on the view of senior management, as after all “it was them that sanctioned the move”.

Staff  have the right to expect the ownership or upper management to provide them with leadership, resources and tools that will help them be successful. When the upper management or owners fail to do this, in effect they are telling their staff that they don't care about their success. It's clearly a bad message to send and it can, and has, ruined many a an otherwise good company.

The better, normally highly engaged, motivated, productive employees who want and expect good leadership will just leave. They know they deserve good leaders and will explore until they find the fit for them. Once found, they will exceed even their own expectations of themselves. The mediocre employees will learn how to function within the environment and do the bare minimum to get by (disengaged). The unproductive employees, if there are any, will continue to ‘fly’ under the radar. They'll find ways to deflect attention off  themselves and onto the 'non-leader' creating a crippled environment. Productivity suffers, morale decreases, and ultimately the customer (and the employer) is the biggest loser.

While this happens more frequently than it should, there are ways to safeguard against it. A key step is for the management team to keep their eye on the culture they have established and wish to keep in their company. Every staff member needs to fit into that vision, commit to it and come to work fully engaged in delivering all they can towards a productive days work.

When interviewing from the outside, culture becomes even more important. Bringing in someone who doesn't fit with your corporate culture can destroy your business. Go with your gut. If the candidate says all the right things, but something nags at you - you're right. Don't hire them. You know the saying - a rising tide lifts all boats. You want to hire someone who is going to raise your people up. Someone they will be able to get behind and work with. It's worth the time and effort to pick the right person.

You may want to solicit the assistance of an outside individual who knows you, your company, and your vision. They can often see things you can't because they aren't as invested in the outcome as you are. Have them sit in on the interview to observe. They will most likely pick up on things you'll miss.

You may even want the candidate to meet the staff - as a possible addition to the team. In this way you can see how they interact with the employees. You may see characteristics you hadn't noticed in the interview. Just as valuable, you'll see how your employees respond to the candidate. Staying in tune to how it 'feels' is just as important as how their resume looks.

When thinking about promoting someone, you should clearly evaluate that decision. When promoting to a leadership position, interview them carefully to determine if they will be successful. Watch them interact with their co-workers and get their co-workers involved in the decision making process. They usually have the best read on each other. Moreover, if people are honest with themselves, they will know whether they can be successful leaders. If they know it's okay to stay right where they are, they'll be honest about whether they feel it would be a good move.

You may want to give them a probationary period where you work with and coach them. In this way you have the opportunity to make sure this new 'leader' knows what your goals, beliefs, and vision are. You will see first hand what skills they have and where development is needed for the to grow successfully into the role. Both of you will have the chance to see if the position is a good fit for them. If not, allow them to resume their old position. In the end, you don't want to lose a good person because you tried something with them.

Lastly, maintain open communication with your staff. Make sure you can listen to what they have to say. Believe it or not, they are invested in your success - because it guarantees their success. When you have staff who you trust to tell you the truth, solicit their input periodically. And by all means, if you hear bad news - act on it. This will save you months and possibly years of aggravation and productivity declines. If you don't act, you may find your company on a downward slope that you can't recover from. Then, no one wins.

The good news is that with a little help many of the pit falls are avoidable and with the right staff in place doing jobs that match their level of competence and expertise. With strong and credible leaders it is as we know possible to achieve great things and overcome any challenge.

In the current climate good leadership becomes even more critical to the success of any organisation, staff need to be lead by people with vision, drive, tenacity and an ability to keep a team focused on positive outcomes despite the inevitable challenges the economic world presents.

Good Leaders make things happen, keep things happening and deliver positive outcomes.

Mike Loginov

CEO

Interim Director