Eight Ways to Find the Key to Success
Misguided leaders think plans and programs are solutions.
People are always the key to success. People are solutions. Programs, systems, plans, and projects are dead words on paper until people give them life.
Spend most of your time developing the team.
Successful leaders go further than developing the current team. They constantly identify, recruit, develop, and integrate new talent.
Your future rides on those who haven’t joined the team yet. Current team members generate gradual growth; new talent exponential.
New talent:
- Sizzles in the pan? A flash in the pan is just that, a flash. High potentials stick to tasks and complete projects. Start small and see how they do.
- Receives instruction. High potentials don’t simply listen to instruction, they seek it, embrace it, and grow. I like a little cockiness, but, know-it-alls aren’t new talent.
- Asks questions.
- Challenges current practices and levels of achievement. Don’t resent their intrusions. They aren’t new talent if they’re content with how things are.
- Organizational mission and vision ignites their passion. Watch their expressions when they talk the dream.
- Is motivated from the inside out, not the outside in.
- Wants to make a difference. New opportunities excite new talent.
- Fights to make it better.
Tip: Give those who haven’t performed a chance. See if they rise up. When they do, fuel their success.
Warning: Current team members are the biggest obstacle to integrating new talent when they’re stuck in their thinking and don’t want others to outshine them.
Tip: Look for people who are under-utilized and/or over-qualified.
Warning: Don’t be seduced by the attractive, smart, skilled, or socially appealing. Look for character before window dressing. Potential is a matter of heart first, talent second.
How do you spot new talent? What do you look for?
Kinda off again.
Wannabes who THINK they are Leaders think stupid stuff Dan like in your opening line.
Leaders are too busy LEADING to have such nonsense floating around in their heads.
Then the new talent thingy. Off again.
Napolean Hill said it clearly long long long ago and it was true then and true right now.
It is not anything new we need but a better application of what we already have.
Now new ideas from the people one has already are cool IF they chose people who believe what they believe, created the environment where trust emerged…..then an honest evaluation can be done objectively with no one taking things personally when the problems are identified. The important part is choosing the right people based on what they believe. Get that part wrong, danger Will Robinson!!!
Right on with people being the key to success. What else could be, horses? I mean as human beings we are and always be in the people bness!
The warning off too. Established team members or newbies, don’t matter one tiny bit.
What matters is the people on the team having open minds or closed minds.
Closed minded people in a fearful environment are going to be on guard to protect themselves.
It to me, in my opinion, does not make anyone wrong if they do not see it my way….in my experience it is closemindedness that is the problem not if someone is new and really good looking. Noticed the crack on the attractive above in the warning!!! Lol.
Hey we really good looking folks have it easier so I get the slight. Hehe.
Anyway, time for the Pats to have an epic comeback!!!
SP back to da game!!!!
Thanks Scott. Always a pleasure being off. 🙂
I’m quite certain I don’t buy-in to the “we don’t need anything new” statement. I can’t imagine being in a world of that type. Besides, we cannot control what others do or think or how they act and therefore we must be prepared with a strategy for The New. Maybe I’m misreading the comment above but it seems that a world without change is a world without improvement.
What do I look for when hiring?
When I was doing the hiring I owned a private primary school. I looked for potential teachers who saw parents as their allies not their enemies. I looked for teachers who would put the needs of the students first, who weren’t afraid to step beyond the curriculum if their students warranted that.
I looked for caring first. Good listeners were the best. I liked if they thought to say to parents, “Tell me about your child,” and listened to the responses before the teachers rattled off their own expectations for students.
I looked for people who had good things to say about other team members. Teachers who can find the good in co-workers can also discover talents in students, even the most challenging ones.
Dauna
Thanks Dauna.
I love your approach. It’s odd that those of us who serve others can come to resent the people we serve. I’ve seen it since I coached a Little League team where coaches were mad at parents.
The people we serve aren’t the enemy, even when they don’t do the things we want. 🙂
I want to earn a spot on your team.
Dan,
You are SO one of my team. What an honor to have you there.
Dauna
Dan,
Thanks.
Your blog reminds me of the importance of remaining flexible and truly listening to the ideas of orhers. Your reader’s comments give your work perspective that I might not have without reading those comments. Your work has made my life and business better.
David
Thanks David. I’m with you. The comments are useful for my journey, too.
Thanks for the good word.
I was always told to be a good manager, the first thing you need to do is hire your replacement. That is the crux of a good team leader, if they are too busy protecting their “turf”, you need to find a new team to play with.
I like #4 for what new talent does: “Challenges current practices and levels of achievement. Don’t resent their intrusions.”
To find new talent I would probably poll former peers of a potential new hire to see how they had shaken up the status quo previously. If it wasn’t tactful I could probably mentor the tact in provided it wasn’t rooted in bad ego. There’s a VP that hires sales folks for Groupon in Asian that uses transparent peer networks (e.g. LinkedIn) in a similar way to root out the “unhealthy” aggression (he wants givers not takers).
Thanks James. Love the idea of asking past peers how the candidate shook things up!! Thats gooood!!
I wonder if current team members offer only gradual growth because they have been worn down by ineffective managers who are looking for a shiny object (“new” talent).
🙂 It’s always possible. I feel a bit of sting in your comment. I see a warning not to neglect the current team while chasing new toys.
The introverted thinkers often will not come at you with their personal horns tooting their credentials. Introverted people have a natural ability to generate motivation from within. Many of the “Eight Ways to Find the Key to Success” are natural introverted qualities.
I love number 3! NEVER stop asking questions
Reblogged this on Sunday School on Steroids-The Seminary Experience.
Talent is never enough because what is needed is not yet attached and that is God.