Employees who are assertive, confident, vocal and eager to take charge often are identified by companies as leadership material. But just because someone is enthusiastic about leading, it does not mean he or she is ready to lead. Conversely, a person who has reservations about stepping into leadership may be viewed as not being ambitious or ready to take on the role, which is not always the case.
When an employee seems reluctant to be a leader, instead of assuming his or her hesitation is a red flag, it is crucial to learn about the source of the hesitation.
Harvard Business Review shares the following questions leaders can use to help determine whether a hesitant high-potential employee is ready to lead.
- What is driving the reluctance? Potential leaders could hesitate because they doubt their ability or skills; are unclear about certain aspects of the work; are not sure whether the benefits will outweigh the trade-offs; or they fundamentally do not want to lead. The first three can be addressed by asking candidates to describe what attracts them to the role, what makes them hesitate and what they believe they would have to give up. This helps you understand the source of hesitation.
- Does the candidate clearly understand the role’s expectations? Have you explained the role’s scope, accountability and support to ensure the employee’s reluctance is not caused by lack of information?
- Does the leadership position align with the candidate’s personal values and goals? It is important the employee’s aspirations align with the role’s expectations. Take time to explore this candidly.
- Does the candidate show readiness to navigate complexity? Leadership can be complicated, and the work often is less straightforward. The employee may not be completely comfortable with that but should be willing and curious to explore it rather than avoid it.
- Is the candidate curious and coachable? When a candidate is curious about growth and development in a leadership role but also realizes he or she needs coaching to achieve it, it demonstrates self-awareness and is a good sign for successful leadership.
- Can the candidate identify the gaps between current knowledge/skills and the requirements of the leadership position? Is there clear awareness of learning opportunities? If the candidate is overconfident and cannot recognize his or her potential weaknesses, it is a red flag.
- Has the candidate proved to be a good team player? Evidence of effective collaboration can be a crucial sign of leadership potential. Do you have examples of the candidate supporting, sharing credit or managing conflict as part of a team?
After asking these questions, senior leaders often will conclude the employee is reluctant but ready; the employee has potential but is not yet ready; or the employee fully understands the role but does not want it because it does not align with his or her goals.
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