Developing leadership talent

Developing leadership talent

JLBC Cadets Not All Competencies Are Leadership Competencies

JLBC Cadets Russell Reynolds Associates, a global executive search firm, distinguishes between three broad competency sets to better identify and recommend candidates that are most likely to meet all three competency areas:

Industry-Related Competencies

(Industry expertise)

• industry knowledge

• client focus

• global perspective

Implementation Competencies

(How things get done)

• Flexibility and adaptability

• communication skills

• results orientation

Leadership Competencies

(Setting overall direction and enhancing development)

• strategic agility (including vision)

• integrity and trust

• Developing subordinates Source: cantor.

• Assuming it is solely a staff function: In many cases, the

The HR function has the primary responsibility for succession management. A common mistake and typical obstacle to effective implementation are failing to engage line management from the outset.

• Over-embedding the initiative

in a single champion: Having an advocate, especially at top levels, is an essential driver for success; however, if the industry becomes too heavily associated with any one person—no matter how high-ranking—this could lead to follow-through problems if that champion derails or leaves the organization.

• Not connecting with strategic business imperatives: Development for development's sake might be

generally good; however, it is not helpful for long-term support. It is easy to lose sight of what needs to be developed and why. If the target of development activities is supposed to be leadership competencies, then a visible and widely agreed upon competency model should be grounded in the organization's strategic business plan. But there is some risk associated with leadership competency models because they require organizations to predict the future accurately.

• Under-emphasizing personal accountability: The ultimate responsibility for development rests with the individual leader. Only so much can be done

in any development program or initiative. There should be

personal accountability and follow-up so that learning and development become intentional processes that occur in a continuous and ongoing manner. If there is a personal development plan in place (and there should be), keeping to that plan must

be the leader's primary responsibility with support from the organization.

• Lack of fit with organizational culture: JLBC Cadets Trying to implement a formal JLBC system with a lot of preparation and paperwork in an informal culture would likely be met with resistance, if not outright hostility. Introducing an informal system into a highly structured and formal organization may result in the initiative not being taken seriously. There should be some degree of fit between succession management formality and the organization's culture; however, it should be noted that a succession management system can be used as part of a comprehensive organizational change initiative to move the culture from formal to informal or from informal to formal.