“How do you identify emerging managers in your organization? As you look around your team, what do you observe, what catches your eye?” I asked.
Wendy spoke first, “I watch them in meetings. I look to see, when they speak, do other people listen? It’s funny; I am not listening for something brilliant to come out of their mouth. I observe others’ response to them. For a person to be a leader, someone has to follow.”
Marion was next, “I look for someone who asks questions. It’s easy for a person to just spout off, how much they know about this or that. But if someone is asking questions about purpose, why we do things, what is the impact of a process? Not dumb questions, good questions.”
Jeremy raised his hand, “I look for someone who is thinking ahead. We may be working on something right now, but this person is two or three steps ahead, laying out material, staging equipment for the next setup, even if the next setup is tomorrow.”
I am curious. How do you identify emerging managers in your organization? As you look around your team, what do you observe, what catches your eye?
Our online program, Hiring Talent 2013, kicks off January 25. Pre-registration is now open.
