Finding a leader...or building a team?

 

 

For too long selecting a leader was essentially ‘who’s next in line’.  The attitude was that if you were good at doing your job you should be good at leading others in the same department or division.  Unsurprisingly, this rather cavalier method often led to disastrous results.

In my opinion the search for leaders and, by extension, for team members should follow the “Principle of Three C’s”.  These C’s are listed in order of importance.

C1 is character.

A leader must be one whose moral, ethical and legal ‘compass’ is properly aligned to integrity.  After all, this individual sets the standards and expectations for everyone in their scope of supervision.  And depending upon the level of responsibility associated with the role, this person may also be demonstrating those standards internally to others outside their direct scope and externally to clients and suppliers. Someone lacking character will not attract others who have it.  Furthermore someone lacking character will not be supported by those whom they expect to influence.  In short, an absence of character will directly lead to failure, sooner than later!

C2 is chemistry.

Leaders seldom accomplish something by themselves.  Rather they rely on the collective efforts of all the team members.  If there are members whose attitudes and behavior are disruptive to the overall chemistry of the team, it will be a constant uphill battle to accomplish the goals set out. I’m not suggesting a team of clones, but there must be a collective understanding that every member is there to contribute to the overall good by maximizing their own contributions.  Think of it like a rowing crew of 8.  When everyone is pulling in the same direction the boat literally flies across the surface of the water.  But when one oar is disengaged, the boat struggles to stay on course.  Success is a function of the sum of the efforts and chemistry – the shared belief in the values and the objective- makes this possible.

C3 is competence.

Many believe that this should be the most important.  I believe that an absence of C1 and/or C2 demonstrates a lack of competence to begin with. If we assert that an ability to ‘do’ leads naturally to an ability to ‘lead’ then we have a fundamental misunderstanding of leadership.  Clearly some functions need at least some measure of competency.  No one leads a team of lawyers without knowledge of the law.  Nor does one lead a team of medical professionals without a foundation of health care.  But does a hospital need a doctor to lead, or someone with a broad understanding of the delivery of health services.  I submit that it is the latter.

Whether selecting a leader or building a team, these principles should be your ‘North Star’ in guiding you to the best candidates.

Remember this truth... ‘Reputation is what others think of you, character is who you really are…’

Starting there sets you on a solid foundation for success!