Leaders waste so much time, energy, and effort evaluating team members. They are making a critical topic much more complicated than it needs to be.
As a leader, your workday often unfolds like a round of golf — you start with the best intentions, but
Where managers make mistakes is leaving the talent on their team solely up to an internal or external recruiter. Remember, leaders must be ultimately responsible for recruiting and coaching. Being philosophically aligned with recruiters about gaps in the team and the attributes required to be successful must be communicated regularly.
Many traits, skills, and abilities often go undetected and are essential for long-term success. There is one that many of the best leaders like Caroll look for in the evaluation process that stands above the rest. This trait is what I call, “Competitive to the Core.” It’s a combination of natural god-given talent and developed skill.
Leaders don’t always hire the right people. In fact, research suggests that only 50% of hires are successful.
The truth is that most professionals don’t lack talent, they lack confidence. Said differently, you don’t have a talent gap; you have a confidence gap.
When you lack focus, you’re going to grow resentful. You will be frustrated with failing to meet unrealistic expectations of yourself and others.
Essentially, the “natural born leader” is a bit of a myth. Instead, leadership is something that you can develop and grow through strengthening a specific set of skills.
