Finding talented leaders is a challenge. Keeping talented leaders long-term is seemingly impossible. So the question many organizations constantly ask is are there ways to spot a leader who can join our organization and make a positive impact for years to come?
Dinner With A Mentor
This past weekend my wife and I had the privilege of having dinner with George Manners and his wife Beth. George is a dear friend and mentor to me. He also has a unique background. George is the former Dean of Kennesaw State University’s MBA program as well as a consultant to multiple Fortune 500 companies.
Our times together are always delightful. We talk about parenting, books we are reading, things we are learning, and our faith. But each time we get together the subject of leadership always comes up. While I always show up with questions I am prepared to ask, the greatest lessons seem to come organically.
In between bites of pecan-crusted trout and broccoli, George shared with Sonya and I four ways to spot a long-term leader for your organization.
Approximately two decades ago while George was at Kennesaw State, an executive of a Fortune 10 company asked if one of his students could write a doctoral thesis on 2,154 recent hires at the company. The executive had already collected countless data on these hires but needed it properly interpreted. 70% of those hires were still with the company after ten years but he desperately wanted to know what happened with the other 30%. Why did they not make it and could the organization have done something to retain them?
I will get to the 30% shortly but what they uncovered were surprising lessons from the 70% and how they made it for so long. The following are those insights:
A Leader’s Tenure With The Organization Is Dramatically Affected By Who Hired Them
The top characteristic of those who made it a decade at the organization was who actually hired them. Long-term leaders were mainly recruited by their general manager, not human resources.
When someone saw something in them and personally invested in them, they were more likely to make it. It helps when you have a sponsor. If someone from HR looked at a general manager and said, “I’ve hired someone for your team”, they had difficulty finding long-term success.
Bottom line, it is much easier to confirm someone’s thoughts about you than to win them over or change their mind.
Qualities two through four center on how the leader came through personal or professional crisis.
They Came Through Crisis With Their INTEGRITY Intact
Ike Reighard, senior pastor of Piedmont Church, advices people facing crisis to live their story today like they want to tell it later.
When crisis enters a leader’s life (and it will), coming through it without damaging their character is a sign of a leader who will last. It is a sign of resilience, commitment, fortitude, and commitment to something greater than yourself.
They Came Through Crisis With Their OPTIMISM Intact
The crisis did not make them cynical. They maintained a positive attitude. Becoming cynical is not only the antithesis of optimism but is also a threat to your integrity. Cynicism results in reckless and harmful decisions.
They Came Through Crisis With Their BASIC BELIEF IN PEOPLE Intact
After the crisis, long-term leaders still believed the best about people. They did not allow the misguided actions of a few to taint their view of the many.
Conclusion
How do you spot a lasting leader? They have come through crisis with their integrity, optimism, and belief in people still intact. And their odds for success increase even more when they work for the person who hired them.
The 30% Who Did Not Make It
And what about the 30% who did not last ten years at IBM?
The common denominator of these employees was they had unrealistic expectations. I imagine they were disappointed in their advancement opportunities, compensation, daily activities, general manager, and overall organizational culture.
I would also guess these 30% were largely hired by HR rather than their general manager.
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