Andrew Marsh, chair of Vistage for the North East and Northumberland, NED for numerous businesses and charities; and successful entrepreneur, has committed to imparting his knowledge throughout 2021 to help business leaders come out of the last year with a solid view for the future
A theme that has been currently recurring, especially with many people returning to the office, is how as a leader you can spot and nurture talent in your company. Here Andrew talks through some indicators on how to spot those who are emerging leaders and options on how to invest in them to benefit your entire team’s performance.
“We never seem to have a problem spotting dead weight in a team, do we? Lack of interest, lack of performance, a high sick leave, poor timekeeping …. Easy indicators that tell you this person’s contribution isn’t the best.
“Spotting real talent though is harder, as not only does that talent have to be able to perform, they also have to be interested in their own growth, development and have ambition for you and themselves.
“To discover that potential in people we have to dedicate time to get to know them. To understand what makes them tick, what their commitment is and what their long-term career goals are. If you have a company that is in growth mode, time may be limited, but investment in this is always time well spent.
“So, is there someone in your team, at any level, that always manages to bring the best out in their teammates? Do they come up with ideas that increase productivity? Are they always focused on what returns their actions will bring? There are countless qualities that good leaders should display but there are some that are essential. They should:
-Display intellectual understanding.
-Display emotional empathy.
-Be a clear communicator.
-Work with other people’s strengths.
-Be able to stimulate conversations.
-Be inspiring and motivating to others.
-Display well-rounded skills.
-Be grounded in loyalty and commitment to the company vision.
-They shouldn’t be:
-Overbearing, bossy or manipulative.
-Quick to blame others.
-Display controlling behaviour.
-Or more interested in their own personal gain than that of the company.
“If there is truly no one in your team to change into a leader, then you need some of your people! You must get the most out of talent on offer, and the more opportunities you give talent, the more you will attract. “Once these future leadership stars are identified in your midst, first of all you need to listen to them. Ask them the right questions, book regular check in’s with them and co-create a plan for their future. If they feel they own it, they will live it. When creating that plan, what options do you have to grow them into the managing capabilities you need from your senior leadership team in the future?
“You can home grow them within the company. Dedicate time between your existing leadership team to train, coach and mentor them. I agree it is a great way of keeping consistency in the messaging of leaders during succession planning, but actually if this way is the only steppingstones provided, it can stifle the future growth, expansion and development of the organisation in the future.
“With that in mind, external courses and training should be appealing too. But how to choose, when so many industry trade bodies offer them, and every college, online courses and training companies?
“It’s really quite simple. Ask around. Ask leaders you admire and get recommendations. Ask local funding bodies (as you may also get something towards the cost of course). Look for word of mouth recommendation and endorsement. Find young stars in your area and enquire what is helping them. Put a post on LinkedIn asking for ideas and introductions.
“Through Vistage, I am currently delivering an emerging leaders cohort. And it is full of the most amazing young professionals, who not only learn from me and guest presenters but also share and teach each other. They are garnering board room skills without realising and increasing their capability with every session we hold.
“The companies who support these cohorts have heard by word of mouth about the successes enjoyed from our Emerging Leaders offering and have chosen to put faith in their young staff member and in me. That brings both great joy and great responsibility. “Other options are to look at university courses, at mentoring schemes, at retreats for young managers and to also consider taking out a membership for young professionals that fits your industry and includes a CPD element.
“Development should always be grounded in leadership skills, never be rushed and should be part of your succession planning long before it is needed. And always remember to reward the emerging leader along the way – this doesn’t always have to be with a title or renumeration. Often acknowledgement of their hard work is just as appreciated, including being nominated for awards, being given an extra day off, or being given extra responsibility showing you trust them.
“Just to close off, it is always worth remembering that poor leadership will equal a company that loses the talent they have right under their nose, and sometimes never even know it. Or they will choose a managerial team not suited for the role as they have judged on the wrong qualities such as similarities to the current leadership team. Don’t fear the talents of a potential leader, just because they are not like you! Good teams are a collection of different strengthens and characteristics.
“Strong leaders will acknowledge emerging leaders, be brave in looking for diversity and embrace the change those people can bring if guided right and invested in from an early stage.”
