Do You Know Where Your Leaders Are?
We’re about to experience the largest shift in human capital this country has ever seen. It’s happening within the next year. Do you know where your leaders are?
We’re about to experience the largest shift in human capital this country has ever seen. It’s happening within the next year. Do you know where your leaders are?
Your future leaders are probably growing within your organization right now. They’re the employees who show the most drive and have strong track records of performance. They understand and can articulate the company’s vision and strategy. They’re ambitious. And because they’re ambitious, if you haven’t picked them as your future leaders yet and communicated their growth potential, they may have already turned in their letters of resignation.
They might not look like leaders now, or when they’re walking out your door, but that could be your future leaving.
CREATE LEADERS THROUGH SUCCESSION PLANNING
Maybe your future leaders aren’t leaders yet. That doesn’t mean you sit back and wait or expect a clear leader to show up when you’re ready. You should start developing your leaders now. Identify who exhibits leadership qualities:
Honesty
Confidence
Ability to delegate
Excellent communication
Sense of humor
Commitment
Creativity
These traits are identifiable no matter where an employee is in in the organization. Once you’ve identified who exhibits these characteristics, add their names to your succession plan and develop them into leaders.
Coaching and mentoring young talent needs to be part of your succession plan. Leadership-track employees on your plan probably need the most mentoring and coaching, so the sooner they’re identified the better.
RECRUITING LEADERS
If you don’t have the potential leadership candidates you’d like to put on your succession plan, hire some. Hire them before it’s time to put them in positions of power. Recruiting the best talent for lower level positions will allow you to promote from within when leadership roles open up. And promoting from within has many advantages for your organization including the lower cost of hiring and increased employee loyalty to the company.
Your organization should be actively recruiting employees at all levels to ensure you get the best of the best, not leaving it to chance for the best employees to apply when you have an opening.
ATTRACTING LEADERS
Creating and nurturing great company culture is a good way to make your organization a top destination for talented employees. Generation Y employees are looking for fun, flexible places to work where they’ll be appreciated. They want a strong and meaningful workplace culture. If you build it, they will come. And if you put them on your succession plan, they will stay.
Losing and replacing employees is expensive. Losing your future leaders is even more costly. Find tomorrow’s leaders today and develop them to lead. Programs that show your Gen Y employees that you value them and that your goals are aligned with their career goals will help you engage them, create loyalty and will make the future of your organization stronger.
Your leaders may be working in your mail room right now; you need to know they’re there. Don’t let them walk out and into another C-suite. Identify and groom them; your future depends on it.
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