If you think your chances of getting
ahead in your current organization are
slim, you’re not alone. Sixty-three percent
of senior-level executives surveyed in
ExecuNet’s 2005 Executive Job Market
Intelligence Report reported they had little
opportunity for advancement in their
organization regardless of how well they
performed their duties. The organizational
infrastructure in which these executives,
and perhaps you as well, perform
has been far more focused on survival and
profits than on advancing top performers
up the corporate ladder.
There is a free agent culture growing
in organizations today in which employees
are looking for flexibility in their careers
and do not feel committed to one organization,
said Lauryn Franzoni, ExecuNet
vice president during Developing
Leadership Skills to Move to the Next Level,
an audio conference produced by
ExecuNet in conjunction with Leadership
Strategies newsletter. “Often, it’s the individual
manager who can be the biggest
stumbling block to a staff member’s internal
mobility,” Franzoni said.
The manager is not only preventing
that employee from advancing within the
organization, but also promoting unwanted
attrition (especially of key employees),
added Franzoni. In response, some organizations
are now creating environments
that specifically reward managers who
motivate their staff members to advance
within the company.
While managers in these particular
organizations are incented to enable environments
in which all staff members are
encouraged to grow and thrive, there is
still the natural instinct to look out for
themselves first. The main reason is obvious:
if they do a good job, they feel they
will be rewarded — and promoted.
However, noted Franzoni, that doesn’t
always happen — as suggested by the
ExecuNet report. “There is a real tug-ofwar
going on between the manager who
wants to maintain his or her own success
by keeping his team in place and the
company’s desire to promote retention of
valued employees by offering avenues for
advancement.”
Franzoni warned that middle managers
often believe if they do the technical
aspects of their jobs well, a promotion to
the executive suite will always follow;
when in fact, organizations seeking new
executive hires look far beyond technical
capability. “Top management tells us that
the technical expertise, while important,
is not nearly as important as leadership
ability. But finding candidates that possess
a combination of these skills has
proven to be a challenge.”
Seventy-seven percent of search firm
professionals recently surveyed by
ExecuNet noted that there is a shortage
of qualified executive talent in the market,
an increase from 64 percent a year
ago. It’s more important than ever to
put yourself in a position to be found
by displaying those key leadership-based
characteristics.
Show Me the Leader: Let Everyone See Your Skills
“To compete for the best jobs in your
company and to be seen as the best talent
in your industry, you’ve got to demonstrate
that you possess these traits and
skills every day,” said Franzoni.
“Demonstrating leadership qualities every
day means maintaining 100 percent
integrity in everything you do. It’s knowing
yourself and really being authoritative.
It’s being able to clearly articulate
your vision through your group, your
division, your company; being able to act
quickly, make decisions quickly and to
show your commitment.” Franzoni added
that it is important to take care of your
current team: to trust the team and be
trusted by it. You must show that you are
a leader.
And keep in mind that leadership
experience in one industry can be transferred
to another. “Skills are transferable.
A lot of us forget that things that make
you successful as a manager don’t have as
much to do with the industry in which
you find yourself or the company in
which you are applying those skills. It’s
the skills themselves that make you successful,”
commented Dave Opton,
founder and CEO of ExecuNet during
the program.
Executive recruiter David Perry, managing
director of Perry-Martel
International, concurs. “Over the course
of more than two decades, I’ve observed
that it’s far more important for a candidate
to express specific intangible core
attributes over specific industry experience,”
said Perry.
Thinking Beyond Technical: The Skills That Really Matter
Profiles of successful high-performance
people reveal that their most important
competence had little to do with
skill, brains or work experience, but
rather had a big impact on their mindset,
said Perry. “Companies want to
attract the individuals who are confident they can, if necessary, complete
a week’s worth of tasks in a day
(or even a morning),” he said.
You learn about “mindset” and a candidate’s
character by analyzing the major
events that have shaped his or her life.
Does the candidate view the glass as half
empty or half full? How much integrity
and credibility does the candidate have
among peers? Other attributes Perry says
recruiters look for in candidates include
resiliency (how does a candidate respond to
adversity?) and intellect. “We’re looking for
someone who has an enterprising thought
process. Do they come up with 100 ideas
to find the two that are highly creative and
are going to pull you forward?”
Other important attributes are market-
driving ability (can the candidate capture
and define a business strategy?) and
business knowledge (is there knowledge of
the business or business segment; is it
superficial or extensive enough to allow
them to provide superior counsel to senior
management and across all functional disciplines?).
Additional attributes recruiters
seek include emotional intelligence, persistence,
empathy and leadership.
Are You A Leader?
Perry listed seven things recruiters look
for when determining leadership qualities
of a candidate. Here’s a summary of his
checklist:
Proactive. Does the candidate possess
a forward-thinking proactive mindset?
Entrepreneurial/intrapreneurial.
Does the candidate watch dollar and
time expenses like an entrepreneur
would; as if he or she owned the
company?
Visionary capabilities. Does the candidate
have the ability to serve as a
visionary for the future of the company
and recognize the value of getting
ahead of the curve?
Passion. Is the candidate passionate
about your company or is he just looking
for another job?
Stamina. Has the candidate already
demonstrated an unrelenting spirit?
Focus on results. Has the candidate
demonstrated an ability to recruit high
quality subordinates to generate high
levels of performance?
Human capital skills. Does the candidate
have an ability to hire and fire
quickly and effectively and blend
together the intricate personalities,
quirks and talents of people?
So how do recruiters evaluate you
against these leadership-based attributes?
Recruiters must really listen to what a
candidate says and how he says it, Perry
explained. They must also analyze how
insightful a candidate’s questions about a
company are and if the candidate really
did his homework in preparing for the
interview. Also, recruiters have to determine
if a candidate’s accomplishments are
his own or are the result of an overenthusiastic
résumé writer.
Perry also pointed out characteristics
recruiters should avoid when evaluating
candidates based on superficial factors,
such as an outgoing personality, product
knowledge and corporate pedigree. None
of these characteristics ensure success.
Instead, recruiters must look for more
substantial qualities.
“All successful executives have a warrior-
like resiliency about them which
allows them to persevere no matter how
difficult the task,” said Perry. “They must
have a superior work ethic, extraordinary
stamina, and the ability to create an energy-
charged, enthusiastic work environment.
Ultimately, they must enjoy whatever
it takes to get the job done.”
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