Future Leaders of America

A dilemma that is faced by the business community is the identification and training of current and future leaders. The best leaders are usually easy to spot. If you walk into an office and see the worker that many co-workers assemble around their desk frequently, that is usually a sign of a good leader. People naturally turn to others who they think have great ideas, can help them work through a problem, or are a valuable sounding board.

Leaders come prepared and ask good, even challenging questions. You’ll often see them win over co-workers to their point of view, sometimes handily convincing executives about a new direction. They listen to all meeting participants, often set others at ease, and may even bring relief during stressful times. Leaders are problem solvers. They see the possible ramifications of changes in strategy or why tactical moves may be necessary. They identify pitfalls before they occur. Leaders provide creative and innovative ideas and contribute their ideas willingly. They contribute but listen to the ideas of others.

Potential leaders operate well under pressure. One of the best ways to find a leader is to assign an employee a task. How do they respond? How do they go about finishing the task? Do they bring a different way of approaching the task? They think about how their assignment integrates with others on the team or voluntarily combine brainpower? They accept feedback with dignity. Future leaders will rise to the challenge. The best leaders are persuaders who make teams better, inspiring co-workers to do great work together.

Future leaders are not afraid to experiment with ideas. They examine things and refit them to create new ideas that are beneficial to a company. It can be a new marketing strategy or a time-saving idea to manage the office more efficiently. Leaders find ways to improve their company from within.

Successful leaders personally understand how innovation happens and they try to imprint their behaviors as processes and philosophies within their organization. The bottom line is that leaders of innovative companies consciously set the example by modeling innovation behaviors—and imprinting those same behaviors as processes within their organizations.

Source: “How Do I Find and Develop Leaders in My Company? | O.C. Tanner.” Corporate Team Building and Effective Leadership Skills Blog OC Tanner. Web. 29 Jan. 2013.

Dyer, Hal Gregersen and Jeff. “How Innovative Leaders Maintain Their Edge.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 05 Sept. 2012. Web. 29 Jan. 2013.