As a business owner, one of the most important attributes you can find within your staff is leadership. Being able to find someone in your team who can take on a leadership role is very important. However, hiring a leader is a challenge – there is no one attribute that makes someone a natural fit for such a role.
If you wish to bring in the best people to the correct roles, then you should try and use the following ideas to your advantage.
A passion for a key subject matter
Sometimes, your hidden leader will be unveiled thanks to their passion for a certain subject matter. For example, you might have a member of staff who is a specialist in a certain skill your business needs. Have you recently started looking for potential business opportunities in a foreign country? Then look for a member of staff with a genuine knowledge and passion for that nations culture, language, and history.
They might be able to adapt to a leadership role in that country thanks to already understanding the nation overall.
A specialist skill you require
Another factor to focus on is staff members who show off a specialist skill. For example, you might find that your company needs someone who can better portray your message in written letters and communications.
A good way to test this would be to have your staff sit a written test or assessment. You could, for example, use a Gamsat quote generator like this: https://gradready.com.au/gamsat-quote-generator
This generates an interesting talking point. Have your most eligible staff pen a letter/essay on this randomized quote to see how fluent and fresh their writing comes across. Could they be a leader in communications down the line?
Look for natural empaths
A clear sign of someone who could be a good leader, especially when it comes to customer relations, is empathy. Someone who shows genuine empathy, who can connect with a client or customer and understand their pain, is a crucial skill in leadership.
While it is a hard ‘skill’ to spot, look for people in your workplace who tend to be sounding boards for others. They might just be naturally suited to helping out in a role of customer and staff support; they just do not realize it.
Understand your biggest flaw
Lastly, one thing to look out for is a member of staff who can solve your biggest issue as a business. For example, does your business lack presentation skills? Then the solution might already work for you. Speak with your staff: see who in your team is regarded as someone with excellent presentation skills. Many times, the biggest flaw that your company faces can be solved by someone already working for you.
The secret is to speak with your staff, to find out who they elevate to the positions of faux-authority when projects are ongoing.
Being able to speak with your staff and their colleagues to evaluate their peers is a key business skill. Being able to build a strong, secure business means being able to focus on spotting the potential of your staff at present. Not every leader has to be drafted in with a degree in business management; certain leadership roles are best filled by those who can lead by example.
