Picking the RIGHT leaders, just got a little easier!

The world is full of people who think that they are great leaders.  The truth is that there are not that many GREAT leaders.  In fact, if we look back in history we can find only a hand full of amazing leaders.  Some of those might include Moses, David, Jesus, Abraham Lincoln, & Winston Churchill, just to name a few. 

All of these leaders had a few things in common.  They did not really want to be a leader, and they did not really feel qualified to be in their position.  Power and leadership was thrust onto each of these individuals, they did not inherit it. 

Why do we continually promote those individuals in our companies and organizations that ask for the position instead of finding the best leader?  As leaders we need to start watching our people, I mean actually watching them.  Who is the one that others already follow?  Who is the one that does not need the credit for every idea? Who is the one that does not complain or give up when they are faced with a tough task?  Aren’t those the ones that we want in leadership positions?  When they see an issue they do not have to ask for permission to go fix the problem, they go out handle the situation and do not ever say a word. 

These people do not usually register high on management’s radar because they get the job done.  In fact, most managers think that they don’t do anything all day long because they don’t have to tell their boss everything that they do.  In turn, their boss doesn’t realize what an asset they are until they leave the company or transfer to a different division.  Then all of a sudden, the boss is overwhelmed with problems that they never encountered before.  You know why they never encountered all of those problems in the past.  Their “lazy” employee took care of all of those problems and never said a word.  They just did it.

Most of the great leaders feel that they are not qualified to be in leadership when they are first invited into a mentor position.  Did you know that Moses argued with God saying that he was not qualified to lead the Israelites out of Egypt?  He even bartered with God saying that he was not eloquent with words, he convinced him to allow Arron to be the one who speaks to the Israelites and Pharaoh.  Moses was convinced that he was not the person for the job.  It turns out that he was exactly what the Israelites needed. Not only did he get them out of Egypt but also lead them through the desert for 40 years.

How often do you find a young person in your company that you know would be a great leader but you don’t insist that they take a leadership role?  I have seen this repeatedly, we promote the one who’s been there the longest, and not who is best suited for the position.  All too often, we miss out on the opportunity to have a great leader because we are too set in our ways.  If you don’t live in the city you aren’t qualified, if you haven’t been here x years, you aren’t old enough, you are too old, you have tattoos, if you haven’t been in management before.  All of these are horrible reasons not to allow someone to progress. 

Here is what I am asking of all you who read this, don’t judge a book by its cover.  Look for the leaders that already exists in your organization.  Look for the one who others reach out to daily for advice on all kinds of situations.  Those are the ones who will benefit the organization the most.  They already have a following of people that truly trust their advice.  Don’t hire strictly based on previous experience, hire on personality and attitude.  The best leaders are the ones that you find and then have to convince to take the role.  They will be awesome in the position because of their humility. 

Take time to step out of your comfort zone and look for a GREAT leader for your organization.