At Work Newswire

By D. Quinn Mills

Leaders are undoubtedly the key to the success of any organization, and consequently recruiting them is among the most important tasks of an organization. How can we make sure we get the leadership recruitment process and outcome right? What should we look for in future leaders?

We should look for certain key qualities in a management candidate, and for evidence that he or she has already demonstrated those qualities to a substantial degree in some aspect of his or her life.

What are the key qualities to look for? They are those found in leaders in any organization: decisiveness, conviction, integrity, adaptability, emotional toughness and emotional resonance, commitment, intelligence, emotional sensitivity, and imagination.

This is a long list, and yet it provides a guide for the qualities you should look for in recruiting future leaders. It is possible to assess candidates for these qualities as they go through the recruitment process, from resume screening to interviewing.

Looking for leadership qualities

A brief review of these qualities, and suggestions on what specifics to look for, should prove helpful

Decisiveness. An effective leader must be able to make decisions on time and correctly. Decisiveness in big things can often be shown in small matters––does the person quickly decide about meeting times and places, or is even a small decision about such things difficult for him or her? Decision-making effectiveness is hard to measure. An applicant’s prior employers and associates can be asked about her or his decision-making ability, but reliability of responses is often suspect. Most other kinds of evidence can be equally uncertain. So the probation period of a new manager on a job is the time in which his or her decision-making capability and decisiveness—and leadership capability—can be measured.

Conviction. A leader must have conviction about what he or she is doing. Does a person we’re considering hiring believe in what we’re doing? Conviction has to be demonstrated in the actual situation. If we merely ask a person about his or her convictions, the person may mislead us or respond as they think we want them to. We can sometimes tell from a person’s personality if he or she is a positive person in his or her attitudes, and likely, therefore, to have sincere convictions.

Integrity. A leader must have integrity. Without it, her or she can’t be trusted. This is a difficult quality to assess during recruitment, but there are some signals to consider. Is the candidate’s resume accurate, or are there exaggerations of responsibility? If there multiple interviews in the process (now very common), does the candidate change their story or answer depending on who is interviewing? On a more positive note, are there signs in the candidate’s background that they take integrity seriously?

Adaptability. In all most all instances a leader must be adaptable so that he or she can master changing circumstances. Adaptability can be assessed in many ways. Has the candidate had to deal with a job loss or other significant changes in their life? Have they led an organizational change effort in the past? How did the applicant handle any changes in the recruitment process (being asked to alter the interview schedule, etc.)?

Emotional toughness and resonance. A leader must have tenacity and courage in the face of difficulty—what behaviorists call emotional toughness. A leader must not break down in front of the people he or she is leading when things get rough. If a person isn’t tough, others won’t follow him or her. A candidate for a leadership position can be asked about times in which she or he demonstrated courage, and people who offer recommendations can be asked about evidence of emotional toughness. At the same time, a leader should be able to understand and empathize with the feelings of others—this quality behaviorists call emotional resonance. In difficult times, the leader should know that his followers are frightened; in good times that they are complacent. He should feel what they feel, and if necessary, be able to counter inappropriate feelings. Emotional resonance can not be measured, but it can be observed in a structured setting.

Commitment. A leader must show commitment to what he is doing, and be able to persuade others to make commitments as well. Here is where past involvement can be scrutinized: has the candidate shown a long-term commitment to charities, hobbies, or activities? Has the candidate held leadership roles in any of these groups or activities?

Intelligence. A leader needs intelligence enough to understand his mission and to be able to help others understand it. Applied intelligence can be measured by school grades and by tests, so it is one of the easiest qualities of leadership to identify.

Imagination. In some instances in which a leader operates with independence, he or she must be able to have enough imagination to resolve problems and change directions in the accomplishment of a mission. Imagination is not easy to ascertain; there are some formal tests and puzzles that give insight into how a person thinks and if there is novelty in his or her approach to challenges. Again, looking at the candidate’s work and school history may prove helpful.

It makes sense to look for these qualities not only when an organization is recruiting for future leadership, but also when it is assessing its management team for leadership development. Few candidates or managers will possess all of these qualities naturally, but many of them can be developed and enhanced through training, experience on the job, and exposure to new challenges.

D. Quinn Mills, the Alfred J. Weatherhead Jr. Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School (emeritus), consults with major corporations in the U.S. and globally. He has written extensively on leadership, strategy, and management issues.

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Copyright © 2007 D. Quinn Mills

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