As a company leader, you may be searching for the next best thing. Who will replace you if you decide to move up in the company or move on to another career opportunity? You don’t want to leave your colleagues hanging once you choose to make a career move. Replacing yourself isn’t as challenging as you think, and we are going to share multiple ways to create future company leaders.
Don’t Look For Leaders
Here’s the thing about looking for leaders: we often choose leaders who remind us of ourselves. Choosing similar leaders can perpetuate diversity issues in the workplace. Replacements don’t need to be carbon copies. So instead of looking for “leaders,” expand your search. Everyone can be a leader if they are given enough power, information, and care. We have to stop thinking about leaders in the traditional sense because the workforce is changing, and you want leaders who can connect with a wide array of employees.
Create An Employee Mentorship Program
We’ve talked about the importance of creating employee mentorship programs before. Each company leader should be spending one-on-one time with your new employees. Mentorship programs are a fantastic way to make a connection and pour energy into your new employees. Employee retention is critical for creating an excellent workplace, and mentorship programs will keep your retention percentages high. Once you connect with your new employees, you will be able to see who has the best leadership potential.
Listen To Other Employees
It’s easy to gloss over potential future company leaders from an executive position. Other employees know who they love working with, who is always on time, and who exemplifies a perfect employee. While you may not work closely with your employees daily, their colleagues can provide a plethora of information on who the best potential leaders are. Allow your employees to nominate people for awards or committee service. Involve your employees and see who they pick without interference from the current leadership.
Allow Potential Leaders To Self-Select
What if a potential leader never gets seen by others? If this is the case, you may want to allow potential leaders to self-select. Instead of picking someone to be on a new committee, take applications. Allow potential leaders to apply and let their writing do the talking for them. If you allow potential leaders to create their path to success, you are opening up the number and type of leaders at your company.
Another way to allow leaders to self-select is by having a future leadership conference at work. Have a conference or a series of talks about leadership and see who shows up. Who is interested in learning how to lead or becoming a better leader?
Take Popularity Out Of The Equation
Last, but not least, you must find a way to take popularity out of the equation when looking for a leader. While you may not want to promote someone everyone hates, there are plenty of people who may not be considered because people don’t have any strong feelings about them. Employees that fly under the radar or are introverted may not be the first candidates for a leadership position, but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t rock at it.
Find ways to add those people in the mix through finding ways to connect with them on a deeper level. How can you get these employees to open up so they can connect with others and show their true leadership potential? Sometimes all it takes is a spark of confidence and interest to get someone excited about being a company leader.
Let’s Recap: How To Find Future Company Leaders
Finding the next batch of company leaders takes time. It’s vital as a company leader to look further than the charismatic people who make the biggest splash at your company. Leaders need to be multi-dimensional and able to connect with a wide array of people. The best future company leaders are not always the ones you see at first glance. How are you preparing to find those leaders at your company?