There are few characteristics all great companies have in common. One of them is a high level of leadership 
inside of the organization. Most of the hiring managers overlook the importance of this ability, however. They believe that some people lead the organization, and need the capacity, while others just follow the instructions. But is it really true?
Everyone is a leader
In fact, anytime two people meet, one leads and the other one follows; doesn’t matter if they dine in the restaurant, collaborate on a project, or just walk home from work. Therefore, if you are hiring anyone supposed to work with other people, it will be useful to ask few leadership interview questions, or practically test the ability to lead. Group interviews, model situations, and role plays are ideal instruments.
Personal level of leadership
But leadership is not only about guiding and motivating your subordinates. There is also a personal level of leadership. Just think about it. . . . It is not possible to supervise all the employees, and even the laborers are often on their own in work—they need to make a decision, make a move.
If the leadership is not developed on this bottom level, laborers will seek help, stop working, go and ask their superior what to do, anytime a simple problem occurs. Needless to say, it influences the effectiveness of work and indirectly profit as well.
The importance of leadership is even more significant if we talk about programmers, consultants, teachers, R&D employees, and other professionals who typically work alone, or with a little supervision. Those who can lead their day in work, plan a schedule well, decide what to do first, and what not to do at all; those will be able to deliver results as expected. Oppositely, people without any leadership would never do that well on these positions, even if they had great knowledge in their field of expertise.
Conclusion
Smart HR managers do not underestimate the importance of leadership. They incorporate right tools into their recruitment process, in order to assess level of leadership of each new hire. They invite coaches and experts to teach the employees about different levels of leadership, and how to apply it on a daily basis in work. They understand very well that every employee needs to be a leader sometimes and that this capacity is crucial for the success of the entire organization.
Latest posts by Glen Hughins (see all)
- Leadership: An Overlooked Quality - March 25, 2015
