The process of identifying potential leaders is neither simple nor straightforward. But then you, in all likelihood, don’t need me to tell you that.
Jeffrey Cohn, Professor of Psychology and Intelligent Systems at the University of Pittsburgh, and Jay Moran, an executive assessment and leadership development expert, posed a rather consequential question in the title of their 2011 book, Why Are We Bad at Picking Good Leaders?
“The short answer is,” claims Cohn, “We focus on all the wrong things, like a candidate’s charm, their stellar résumé or their academic credentials. None of this,” suggests Cohn, “has any bearing on leadership potential.”
Referred to as the first book on leadership selection that leaves you with a real world actionable process to improve leadership preference from among choices–no cute quotes on leadership but simply solid advice–the book defines the areas of leadership that are key to leading, no matter what field you are in.
Cohn and Moran blueprint seven key leadership attributes: integrity, empathy, emotional intelligence, vision, judgment, courage and passion. Making up one’s mind with regard to good leadership depends on an accurate gauging of these attributes.
I whole-heartily agree. All too often, assessments are based on hearsay, gossip, casual observation, and insufficient, or inaccurate, information. Very often emotion, not substantive evaluation, is the basis for much of our present day decision-making. In point of fact, many psychological scientists now assume that emotions are the dominant driver of most meaningful decisions in life.
When sizing up a candidate properly, voters should consider the full range of leadership criteria, including the various “soft” skills and characteristics, such as the aforementioned personal integrity, that is very often difficult to judge.
Sometimes people run for office for all of the wrong reasons. There are those whose raw ambition drives them to seek public office. Others have one personal gripe that they want to do something about or they are coaxed into running by those who seek ongoing access to the taxpayer’s pocket book.
Authors Melvin Sorcher and James Brant, writing in a February 2002 issue of Harvard Business Review, found that, “Many exceptional leaders are modest and display little ambition, even though on the inside they are fiercely competitive. In fact, a high degree of personal humility is far more evident among exceptional leaders than is raw ambition.”
Here are just a few of the questions Sorcher and Brant encourage you to ask when it comes to selecting leadership:
Describe the candidate’s integrity:
Do they stand firm in their opinions, or do they move with the winds of politics?
Have you ever known them to shade, color, or withhold information?
Do they frequently manipulate people and situations for their own benefit?
Describe how the candidate reasons and analyzes issues:
How well and how quickly can they assemble and integrate a diversity of information?
Are they logical, and how do they demonstrate sound judgment?
Are they prematurely decisive when they ought to be more reflective?
How well do they anticipate trends and translate them into the organization’s long-term objectives?
And allow me to throw in one of my own: Are they, in fact, willing to ask the “hard” questions?
When it comes to elections, such thorough and systematic evaluations help voters to avoid the pitfall of electing the wrong people.
Cohn and Jay Moran conclude, “The truth is that most of us like a little bit of rock star in our leaders. We respond to their magnetism, their celebrity.”
Are we not all painfully aware of this verifiable reality here in Cook County? Charisma and smooth talk just aren’t enough.
While no one expects a commissioner to be an expert in every facet of the job, the continuing demands of a county require commissioners to possess the skills necessary to address the overabundance of issues that will come before them.
To be effective and make good decisions, a commissioner needs information. Gathering information requires time. Regardless of what sources a person chooses, they can be sure that gathering reliable information, to inform their decisions, will take a good chunk of their time.
As a settled upon representative, an elected official needs to make decisions that are in the best interest of the entire county. Government is designed to serve the people, all the people: rich and poor, young and old, deep-rooted residents as well as the newcomers.
Above all, commissioners need to find ways to conduct government business more efficiently and to eliminate waste so that tax dollars are spent wisely. This inherently requires a backbone.
I suggest you look at the present slate of candidates for Cook County Commissioner through the lens of credibility, servant leadership, capacity, principles and capability.
“Choose your leaders with wisdom and forethought.” Octavia Butler, Parable of the Talents.
Former Cook County Commissioner Garry Gamble is writing this ongoing column about the various ways government works, as well as other topics. At times the column is editorial in nature.
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