In 2004, the Red Sox won the World Series for the first time in 86 years. It was a spectacular accomplishment, and fans from near and far celebrated enthusiastically. That year, the Red Sox roster was studded with star performers like Jason Veritek, Johnny Damon, Manny Ramirez, and more, who were a huge part of the special sauce that made the 2004 win happen.
But the magic didn’t end with the players. It was prevalent in relationships across the organization.
Who Are the Star Performers?
Star performers are always easy to spot and stand out in any type of organization. However, developing leadership programs that only focus on star performers won’t guarantee your organization’s success. Leadership potential does not correlate directly with performance alone.
What makes a future leader is specific to your firm’s culture, the industry you work within, and the greater market dynamics, among other things, and it can be difficult to identify.
Sure, a dynamic personality, confidence, dedication, and a great work ethic are some of the traits future leaders often exhibit. To find them within your own firm, look deeper at the impact people have. Those who step up without being prompted, create solutions to overcome roadblocks, and help colleagues who are struggling may not garner the most attention, but they may just be the future leaders you need.
Find a Balanced Blend
As with all personalities and work styles, there are pros and there are cons. Egos, for example, can get in the way of learning and growing. True leadership development involves nurturing a variety of traits, including the ability to listen, engage in meaningful dialogue, reassess strategies, and commit to lifelong learning.
The thoughtful, creative, problem-solving employee might do more to unify teams and discover areas of opportunity than the dynamic star performers. Having a bit of both can be the catalyst that pushes your organization ahead.
Understanding personalities, including triggers and motivators, and knowing each employee’s level of curiosity and standards is an essential tool for spotting and growing future leaders. If it isn’t apparent to you who fits into what personality categories in your company, assessments like Wiley’s Everything DiSC® can shed some light.
Extend the Impact of Leadership Development
Find those people who might not already be on your radar. Some companies run out-of-the-box leadership development programs and hope that will help find the four-leaf clovers. It makes sense to dig a little deeper than the star performers. Growing teams with the right skills, personalities, and goals to benefit your customers is key.
In a well-balanced organization, everyone understands their role and value as the entire organization works together. Leadership programs should provide growth pathways that nurture natural abilities, resulting in cohesion and productivity. Creativity, innovation, and success are sure to follow.
For more than 20 years, Liddell Consulting Group has partnered with leaders and organizations to highlight opportunities and tackle challenges, fostering leadership that elevates companies to higher levels of success. We start by thoroughly understanding your unique challenges and opportunities to ensure we align precisely with your needs. If you are interested in enhancing your leadership strategies and learning more about our tailored development programs, contact us.
Start Your Journey to Success
We’re ready, are you?
We know that every company has a unique set of challenges. Our perspective can help simplify what needs to be improved and our time-tested methods can provide clear steps toward your performance goals. Contact Liddell today.