The Five “Golden Rules” For Hiring a Strong Leader
The right executive, with the right leadership skills, can go a long way in propelling your company forward, just as the wrong executive with poor leadership skills can spell disaster for any organization. When it comes to hiring new executives, it is essential to look beyond just qualifications and highlights on a resume, and into how this person acts as a leader. This hunt to track down the right type of leader for your organization can be a challenge, but it is important for recruiters to keep these five “golden rules” of hiring strong leaders in mind during the search process. With these guidelines in place, it can be easy to shift through the sea of potential executives to find the right leader for any company.
- Every Leader Should Have Confidence
This is the first and most important rule when it comes to hiring a strong leader, and it is often the easiest trait to spot in a potential candidate. If a candidate comes in to interview and does not exude confidence, they are not leadership material. Executives who are nervous, fidgety, can’t sit still, mumble and who don’t make eye contact are not confident leaders. After all, if they don’t have the confidence to nail an interview, how will they have the poise and confidence to lead your team? - Every Leader Should Do What is Right For Their Team
When looking for a leader, it is important that you get a feel for how this individual would act in hypothetical situations. However, as you listen to their answers, it is not about whether they would act in a way that you would, but more about how they approach handling tough obstacles. A selfless, dedicated leader will always do what is best for their team. The good of the team always needs to come first. This is the mentality that every good leader should have and it is an essential trait to have in any strong executive. - Every Leader Should Be a Teacher
By rule, every leader should also be a teacher. Leaders are responsible for showing others the way and for not only leading by example but leading by passing down their knowledge to others. If a candidate’s described leadership style does not involve showing and teaching others how to act or do their job, then this is not the right candidate to lead a company. Leaders who have no interest in teaching others tend to be self-serving and often do not have the team-centered mindset of putting the needs of the company before their own. - Every Leader Should Be a Source of Inspiration
Truly great leaders are a source of inspiration to everyone around them. Powerful leaders do more than just bark out orders, they inspire others to want to do better and achieve their goals. This is a trait that many executives don’t have and while it is rare it is also essential in any good leader. If you do not feel as though a potential candidate has an inspiring personality and cannot feel their inspirational attitude upon meeting them, chances are they don’t have this special ‘X factor.’ It can take a while to find a truly inspirational candidate but a leader with this trait will inspire everyone in your company to do better, try harder and work with more enthusiasm - Every Leader Should Have Humility
One of the golden rules of strong leadership is to never forget where you came from. Strong leaders are not only confident in their own abilities but are cognizant of where they came from and where they started. This is an important trait to have, particularly with leaders who will be working together with lower-level employees. Find a leader who never lost sight of where they came from, where they started and what it was like to work in a junior position. These are leaders who not only won’t let their ego get in the way but individuals who will be able to relate to their team members on a more personal level, even with their senior position.