How to Predict The Most Effective Leaders in an Organization

Keeping your organization in top running shape requires you to know who the most effective leaders are.

As your organization grows, you will need to recruit more managers. A key component of this is recognizing leadership talent early. While some people grow into leadership roles later, others have a natural knack for leadership. You will want to rely upon these people whenever possible.

Leaders Put Themselves Second

It’s not that leaders are selfless. In fact, selflessness is not a leadership quality. However, leaders know that they are part of a team. They put that team’s success above their own personal success, because they know the group success is where they sink or swim.

People Go To Leaders

Your team will tell you who the most effective leaders are without your even having to ask. Who do your team members go to when there is a problem? Who do they feel they can trust? This person is the most effective leader in the organization. He inspires the rest of the team and they view him as someone they can confide in or bring thorny problems to.

Leaders are Innovators

Leaders will tell you they’re leaders by doing something new or in a different way. The person you reprimanded for doing the wrong thing without permission might be a leader: The initiatory impulse is one that shows leadership qualities. Often times it is raw and needs to be honed. Other times, it requires little in the way of training. Who is doing things without your knowledge -- good or bad -- at your company? Keep your eye on them. They could be the next member of management.

Leaders Help Others

Every organization is a bell curve. People on one end excel, people on another end struggle. Leaders are people from the excelling end (though not necessary the most excellent employees) who take time to help the people at the struggling end. This is part of putting yourself second. A leader recognizes implicitly that his team is only as good as its weakest link. He consciously strives to strengthen that link and improve the team.

Leaders are Communicators

Leaders communicate ideas in ways other people cannot. It is a basic cornerstone of leadership. One can have all the ideas in the world, but if he can’t communicate them in a way others understand, he will never be someone others look to for leadership.

Leaders Have Integrity

A leader owns up to mistakes. A leader always acts in good faith, even when he is wrong. In short, a leader has integrity. He is someone that you can trust. A leader is someone you will, in theory, trust with executive decisions and keys to your business. What could be more important in a leader than trustworthiness and personal integrity?

Finding Leaders In Your Organization

Pay attention to your employees. Hear what they say about each other. Cutting through petty office gossip, it will be easy to see who is respected in the organization -- and who is not. A leader will be respected by his peers, as well as an excellent worker.