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Identifying Candidates for
Leadership |
by Ravi Ahuja |
http://sexyandfunnypictures.blogspot.com/
A critical task in the succession
planning process of any organization
is identifying candidates.
Traditionally, candidates have been
identified based on past
performance. While this seems
logical, it is problematic in
practice.
Past performance always measures
success in a lower-level position.
What is needed in succession
planning is a system to identify
potential for success in a future
higher-level position. The best
predictive model I have found is the
Leadership Pipeline Model by Charan,
Drotter, and Noel.
The Leadership Pipeline provides a
model that describes the skills,
time applications, and values
required to succeed at different
levels in the organization. While
most leadership models and theories
describe characteristics of leaders
in general, the Leadership Pipeline
describes specific criteria for
success in transitioning from one
level to the next.
The Leadership Pipeline Model helps
us to see the importance of
identifying candidates for positions
throughout the entire organization.
The pipeline must be continuously
filled with leaders who have been
identified for development for the
next higher level. A pipeline clog
at one level will clearly harm
leadership development and
succession throughout the entire
organization. What is needed is a
carefully monitored system for
developing in-house talent from
front-line supervisors to CEOs.
At GE and Citicorp, two companies
using the Leadership Pipeline Model,
leadership passages from one level
to the next are seen as "turns" in
the leadership pipeline. These turns
(or passages) provide significant
developmental experiences. If these
turns are skipped the individual may
not be prepared for higher-level
leadership positions. The focus for
development should be the lack of
critical skills and values for the
next higher level, not past
performance.
I am often asked "Is it better to
recruit from outside the
organization or to develop leaders
from within?" The safe, but rather
uninsightful answer is, "It
depends."
Recruiting from outside the
organization makes sense when a
major change in corporate culture or
direction is needed. But, I would
caution about the over-dependence on
outside recruiting of leaders.
Desperate attempts to recruit
leaders from outside the
organization suggest an inadequate
leadership pipeline.
Recruiting leaders from the outside
of the organization can be very
expensive. As we all know, there is
a talent shortage in the
marketplace. This can lead to paying
high premiums (or even outright
price wars) for promising talent.
The Leadership Pipeline Model offers
a common language (terminology) and
specific criteria for what to look
for in leaders at the next higher
level. The Model provides a
description of the skills, time
applications, and values required of
leaders at each successive level.
This criteria is critical not only
for identifying candidates but also
for their subsequent development.
The key to identifying candidates
for higher levels of responsibility
is to predict their potential to
succeed in attaining and using the
skills, time applications, and
values of the next higher level.
Past performance is often a poor
predictor of future success.
Remember that the skills, time
applications, and values of each
successive level of leadership are
dramatically different.
The challenge in succession planning
and identifying candidates is making
sure people are assigned to a level
that is appropriate for them. The
challenge is complicated by the fact
that people change (hopefully for
the better) over time. An
appropriate position for someone
today may not be appropriate three
years from now.
Identifying candidates for the
organization's future leadership
positions is a critical task. Do you
have a system for identifying
candidates that considers not only
their current skills, but also their
willingness to adopt new work values
and time applications?
Article courtesy of the Article Directory
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