I am often approached by leaders looking to get promoted.
“what characteristics do you look for when hiring for the top positions in your organization?”
Stairway to Promotion
So, I run down my list.
- unwavering integrity
- confident humility
- passionate vision
- strong track record of results
- teamwork down, up, and sideways
- energetic creativity
- change leadership
- zealousness for employee development
Which then leads to the next question.
“How do I become better positioned for a leadership role?”
Again I have a list (all subjects for future posts)
- Develop a gaggle of fantastic mentors
- Look at leaders you admire, and learn those skills
- Pay even closer attention to leaders who annoy you, and figure out why
- Take lateral moves that make you an all-terrain player
- Volunteer for special projects
- Talk to people who are doing your dream job, learn what it takes, and express interest
But that’s just me.
The other day I was sitting in a leadership development meeting (this time, being developed) and those same questions came up. What are the things peopled need to work on to get promoted?
HR began their list of advice Similar to that above.
Then, one of the most senior leaders in the meeting stood up and said.
“I hear all that But at the end of the day if you are looking to work for me,
I want to know 2 things:
- What are your results?
- What do your people say about you?
Hmmm, that’s pretty clear.
And in fact, all the other things I chat about are all means to one of those ends.
Kind-of like an elevator speech, see (Glass Elevators: Why Elevator Speeches Matter.)
Next time, maybe I will use those (or maybe not, depends if I am in an elevator).
Great post. I like the layers of comples to simple
What matters most with any new hire are the things you can’t see. The behaviors, values, talents, and emotional intelligence.
I do job benchmarks for clients which says “What would the job want?” Lots of posts at my blog page if interested to learn more.
p.s. I found about your blog after reading a comment you made at Leadership Freak.
I love this list and truly believe that the impression and Mark you leave on the people you manage and develop speaks volumes….results always matter but if you are truly making a difference with your people in a positive way….results will be there!
Bev, Thanks so much. I so agree. I always do my homework before hiring a leader. It’s so important to know HOW they are getting those results.