Quality of leadership largely determines whether an organization rises, falls, or remains stagnant. But leaders do not magically descend from some higher realm — they are cultivated over time through experience, training, and perseverance. Indeed, nearly every company contains its share of potential leaders, and it is the responsibility of current leaders to identify and foster future leadership or else risk leaving a major hole in the organization upon leaving.
Of course, not every worker is destined to be (or interested in being) a leader. Investing in these individuals is not a waste of time, but the lion’s share of leadership development resources are better spent on those who display leadership potential. With that in mind, let’s go over how to spot future leaders at your organization.
How to Find a Future Leader
Ask Yourself: Who Goes the Extra Mile?
When seeking the future leaders of your company, a good place to start is by looking at results. Consider who in your organization consistently goes above and beyond expectations. Employees that are highly results-driven prove their enthusiasm and skill, and team members that come up with new, innovative ideas drive the company’s efforts into new territories. Pay close attention to these people in your company who keep the enterprise moving forward with passion, as they already exhibit strong leadership qualities.
Weigh Both Potential and Performance
Performance is undoubtedly a key indicator when spotting future leaders, but it is not the end-all-be-all. Indeed, you may have employees who work extremely hard but don’t exude much leadership potential. “Leadership potential” is a somewhat ambiguous metric, of course, and therefore more difficult to pick apart than hard data. Still, pay attention to those with specific leadership skills, such as strong communication, team-building aptitude, a desire to grow and learn, creativity, etc. Even if they’re not your top performers in terms of your bottom line, they might be perfect fits for various leadership roles in the future, helping those top performers reach new heights.
Shake Up the Structure
One helpful way to get a beat on future leaders is by stirring the pot a bit — namely, rotating job duties and/or assigning new roles to people every now and again. In doing so, some individuals will take full advantage of the opportunity, learning new skills and pushing themselves beyond their perceived limits. Others may wish to stay in their comfort zone and/or buckle under the pressure. Those in the former category just might be your future leaders. Job rotation is a powerful exercise for succession planning, as it can help you determine which candidates could adapt and take on new roles when necessary.
Ask Yourself: Who Is Asking Questions?
While not everyone who asks questions is bound to be a leader, all future leaders ask questions. This spirit of inquiry is directly related to strong communication and therefore strong leadership. So, keep an eye on those who take the time to clarify concepts, inquire about specifics, seek solutions to ongoing problems, and ask seemingly simple questions that others might be too timid to ask.
Train Your Eye for Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence, or “EQ,” is one of the most important qualities of a good leader. Those who can listen to the concerns and suggestions of others and act accordingly strengthen the company’s culture, encourage employee buy-in, promote teamwork, and improve the organization’s reputation and operations as a whole. When looking for EQ in future leaders, look for individuals who display empathy, self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, and strong social skills.
Ask Yourself: Who Is Invested in the Organization?
Lastly, even if you’ve found a handful of candidates who meet the above criteria, you have to consider whether or not they’re in it for the long-haul. Those who show strong leadership potential are in high-demand, after all, and many businesses spend significant resources training future managers only to have them exit the organization shortly after. While you can’t force any of your leaders to stay, though, investing in their growth is a crucial way to retain your top talent. And those who routinely express their interest in the company’s future and their role in it are top contenders for future leaders. In short, if a potential leader is invested in your organization, you must invest in their development.
Developing future leaders in your company starts with identifying the best candidates. And once you know what to look for, you may be pleasantly surprised at how many people in your organization could become leaders down the line.At Leadership Resources, our purpose is making the impossible possible through people. We aim to do so by helping individuals develop patterns of success that will decrease stress levels and maximize productivity. Contact us here to learn more about what we do and how it can help your business succeed and grow at times like these when you need it most.
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The business landscape has been rapidly evolving since the advent of high-speed internet, video conference platforms, and other technologies. And as the world economy becomes more connected, companies face new challenges and opportunities when it comes to hiring and retaining talent, developing future leaders, keeping teams together, and streamlining operations. The Entrepreneurial Operation System (EOS)® aims to help businesses and individuals achieve their goals amidst an ever-changing world with a complete set of simple concepts and practical tools aimed at strengthening the vision, cohesiveness, and overall health of teams.
The Benefits of Implementing EOS for Your Business
1. Keeping Teams on the Same Page Even When Separated Physically
When working remotely, leaders must employ specific team management methods to keep everyone on track. Without a solid framework, coherent goals, or established processes, this can be a major challenge. This is where Traction®, one of the Six Key Components™ outlined in the EOS Model™, comes into play. Traction focuses on taking tangible steps to execute shared goals via regular meetings at specific intervals. In other words, the principles of Traction negate the importance of physical distance — as long as everyone can clearly communicate, the company’s vision can be realized.
2. Maintaining Accountability Remotely
Traction (and all of EOS) is also about accountability and performance management. Again, physical separation can make it difficult for team members to keep tabs on one another. But by implementing the EOS Process® virtually for your business, you can maintain accountability in your teams no matter where they may be. For instance, a virtual Focus Day™ is designated to give your leaders tools to clarify roles and priorities within your organization, as well as resolve lingering issues and improve communication overall. Leaders then use what they have learned over the next 30 days to track tangible improvement.
3. Cultivating an Adaptable Company Culture
Organizations must retain some flexibility to respond and adapt to whatever changes occur in the world and within their industry. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic suddenly forced several businesses to shift their operations partially or completely online. No one knows when or even if things will return to the way they were prior to this global event. The “Quarterly Pulsing” of the EOS Process, which refer to sessions every 90 days to evaluate performance, reset priorities, resolve issues, etc., help create a dynamic, adaptable company culture that is strong enough to weather major external changes but also willing and able to change itself to benefit the organization as a whole.
4. Entering a Global Network of Entrepreneurs
Effective leadership development takes place both within an organization and outside of it. To truly grow as a leader, one must venture outside of their company and experience different places and opportunities, meet new people, and build a network of like-minded individuals. One of the distinct advantages of implementing EOS for your business is that it opens you up a global network of entrepreneurs. Normally, EOS hosts in-person conferences for people to meet and mingle. Of course, during these unprecedented times, these physical meetings are not viable. As a result, EOS has increased its output of webinars and even changed their conference to a virtual one so leaders around the globe can still share ideas and grow together without being in the same location.
If your organization has been struggling to reach its short- and long-term goals, implementing EOS can help get you back on course. And now, as businesses are encouraged to operate remotely if possible, the tools and principles of EOS are especially worth investing in to keep your people on the same page, your business ahead of the curve, and continuing to develop your leaders.
At Leadership Resources, our purpose is making the impossible possible through people. We aim to do so by helping individuals develop patterns of success that will decrease stress levels and maximize productivity. Contact us here to learn more about what we do and how we can help your business succeed and grow.
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As businesses grow, decision-makers might struggle to steer their organization in the right direction. The path forward isn’t always clear, and some team members might not be on board with where things are headed. These difficult crossroads present an opportunity to revitalize the company’s vision, goals, and entire planning process. Powering ahead without taking a step back to examine the bigger picture can be disastrous.
If you operate a business in Lincoln, Nebraska and find your organization in similar straits, you can benefit greatly from adopting the Entrepreneurial Operation System (EOS)®. EOS is a proven process that helps businesses achieve their short- and long-term goals and improve their company culture via simple concepts and practical tools. Let’s go over how EOS can transform your Lincoln, NE business’ goal-setting and future planning strategies.
The Benefits of EOS
Creating Clarity
Without a clear idea of where your business is heading and why, you and your team will get stuck spinning your wheels rather than making meaningful progress. The EOS Model™ lists Vision as one of its Six Key Components™ for good reason, describing it as, “getting everyone in your organization 100% on the same page with where you’re going, and how you plan to get there.”
This component is at the heart of every activity your business undergoes within the EOS Process®. For instance, the initial 90 Minute Meeting, which is led by your Professional or Certified EOS Implementer®, is designed in part to create team buy-in regarding EOS. Then, Focus Day™ and Vision-Building Days™ deal with setting priorities, establishing and clarifying your vision, and devising a practical marketing strategy that covers shorter- and longer-term outlooks.
Increasing Accountability
The best-laid plans are ultimately meaningless if not executed upon. Using EOS, your business won’t just come up with strategic plans but also ensures that your people are actively doing their part to reach every goal and achieve your vision. This is where another one of the Six Key Components, Traction®, comes into play: “instilling focus, discipline, and accountability throughout the company so that everyone executes on that vision—every day.”
The Quarterly Sessions built into the EOS Process are focused on performance management and addressing any and all issues that stand in the way of progress. The Annual Sessions are meant to improve team management methods and re-establish and/or adjust the company’s vision moving forward based on the past year’s results.
Dynamic Planning and Developing Leaders
The world is constantly changing, including Lincoln Nebraska and your business itself. It doesn’t make sense to lock your organization into a static plan that doesn’t account for sudden developments in the business landscape or within your walls. You need a strong but flexible strategy instead. The Quarterly and Annual Sessions mentioned above ensure that your organization stays on its toes and recalibrates according to whatever external or internal changes might come. Additionally, if you want your business to continue thriving, you must focus on developing future leaders to take on important roles and move it forward. EOS prioritizes and promotes leadership development and health as well.
In order for your enterprise to grow, you must know where it’s headed, figure out how to get there, and act accordingly (which might mean charting a new course every now and again). The Entrepreneurial Operating System helps you clarify your vision, keep everyone accountable, and adapt in a changing environment.
At Leadership Resources, our purpose is making the impossible possible through people. We aim to do so by helping individuals develop patterns of success that will decrease stress levels and maximize productivity. Contact us here to learn more about what we do and how we can help your business succeed and grow.
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