Five Things To Think About For Five Minutes on the subject of FINDING POTENTIAL LEADERS
Every year I impress upon my student leaders the importance of finding and raising up the next generation of leaders. It's part of a leader's legacy. But finding the right kind of leader starts with knowing what to look for. Take a few moments to consider these five things:
1. The Potential Leader's Character
Just because a student is a person of character doesn't mean that he or she will make a great leader. But I've never met a great leader who wasn't a person of high character. The character of a person is the foundation that every other part of their life will flow out of. Before you start looking at what a person is capable of doing, consider carefully the kind of person they are becoming.
2. The Potential Leader's Desire
Does this person even want to be a leader? I've met many great students who had no intention of becoming a student leader. Perhaps you simply need to plant the seed and the desire will grow within them. But you can't force desire. A student in a position of student leadership who doesn't want to be there is merely a figurehead. Find the student that wants to be a leader. It has to start from the inside out.
3. The Potential Leader's Discipline
I can usually recognize a person's potential to lead by his or her ability to lead oneself. Watch to see how this person manages their time. Is this person willing to work hard in order to accomplish a goal or project? Take a look at how this person manages the 86,400 seconds that he or she is given each day. The dictionary defines self-discipline as the ability to "bring oneself under control."
4. The Potential Leader's Attitude
Determining one's attitude is the one choice a potential leader gets to make in every situation. Attitude is attributed with being one of the most powerful ingredients in a person's success. As you keep your eyes open for potential leaders, examine what type of attitude they display on a consistent basis. Attitude is contagious as well. See how the people around him or her respond.
5. The Potential Leader's Teachability
Often, we'll look for people who exhibit a high level of aptitude and ability in certain areas in order to consider them for leadership. But don't overlook a person's teachability. If a potential leader is committed to growing and developing and is open to instruction, he or she may be able to learn quickly. Watch out for people who think that they have it all figured out and don't want anyone else's help or input. They typically don't make good team players and have a hard time delegating and involving other people in their work.
The key word in each of these characteristics is potential. Like a scout for a sports team, you want to keep your eye out for people who can blossom and mature in the areas listed above. Oftentimes, we need to be able to not only see a person for who they are, but to consider the type of person he or she can become.
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Use this material in conjunction with the 5x5s worksheet.
Download the 5x5s Worksheet here.
What is 5x5s? Read more about it here.
Great stuff Tim...compelling and rich!
Posted by: The leadership guru | September 15, 2006 at 03:00 PM