One of the most important things for every organization to do is find as many leaders as possible. This is because the healthier your leadership pipeline is, the healthier your organization is. You can never have enough leaders.
So how do you find them? The secret to finding leaders is to first, know what you are looking for.
I am currently reading The Cubs Way: The Zen Of Building The Best Team In Baseball And Breaking The Curse by the incredible writer Tom Zerducci. It is a wonderful leadership book.
Zerducci tells the story of when Theo Epstein was hired to run the Chicago Cubs and reverse over 100 years of failure, he knew he had to first and foremost improve the team’s leadership culture. One of the first players he set his sights on was first baseman Anthony Rizzo. Epstein originally drafted Rizzo when he was with the Boston Red Sox. Epstein then traded for Rizzo who was at the time in the San Diego Padres farm system.
Cubs Vice President Jason McLeod said of Rizzo, “When you have your player who’s going to be looked upon as a leader and he’s also your best run producer, that’s the one who can take you where you want to be in the postseason.”
He went on to add, “It’s something that’s so cherished to have on a team, especially a team pushing into the postseason. Anthony has high expectations of his teammates and himself, and he makes everyone feel comfortable. He’s somebody they can go to and talk to, or just go to and have a laugh. He is someone that’s just wired that way from the time he was 17. He genuinely likes people, has a great heart, and certainly cares about his teammates.”
When considering whether to draft catcher/outfielder Kyle Schwarber or a pitcher the following season, Epstein said, “We can choose a pitcher who is going to move quickly and can help us win every fifth day, but pitchers have a really hard time leading. They can lead the starting rotation after they get established a little bit, but it’s hard for them to lead the team. We draft Kyle Schwarber, he’s on the field every day.”
After deciding to draft Schwarber, Epstein remembered, “He’s a complete impact hitter with the bat, but more than he’s the perfect player to have as a franchise player because he can be one of your best players who everybody else wants to follow because of his character. He’s a special player and a special person.”
After reading the four paragraphs above, the following are 15 Qualities To Look For When Finding A Great Leader we can glean from their comments:
- A Great Leader is one of, if not your top producer.
- A Great Leader can take you to the next level.
- A Great Leader will be someone you cherish.
- A Great Leader has high expectations of his teammates.
- A Great Leader has high expectations of himself or herself.
- A Great Leader makes everyone feel comfortable.
- A Great Leader is someone people can go to and talk to.
- A Great Leader lightens people’s load.
- A Great Leader genuinely likes people.
- A Great Leader is kind and has a great heart.
- A Great Leader cares about his or her teammates.
- A Great Leader is constantly available to their team.
- A Great Leader is someone everyone wants to follow.
- A Great Leader has high character.
- A Great Leader is a special person.
What one thing from the list above can you start doing to find more leaders for your organization?
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