The Right Person, the Right Seat
How to identify the folks who are ready to start taking on those extra roles and responsibilities.
I’m being a bit hyperbolic here, but one of the less-pleasant experiences in life is meeting someone -- it could be anyone, really -- and realizing that someone somewhere along the line has done them a massive disservice. They put them in a position in which they had absolutely no reason to be there. The ultimate Peter, as it were.
We’ve all met that one person who’s phenomenal at their job. The one who keeps everything running smoothly, never misses a deadline, and who knows every system inside and out. Then that someone, somewhere, looks at them and says: “You know what? You’re great at doing this job. Let’s make you a manager of other people doing this same job. TOOOTALLY the same thing, right?”
And that’s usually where the trouble begins.
Because you see, being good at your work doesn’t automatically mean you’ll be good at managing other people who do that work. It’s a completely different skillset, and no matter what the memes might say, it’s not one that anyone is born with! It’s about task competence, sure. But it’s also about empathy, delegation, and the ability to keep calm when someone’s Slack message starts with, “Hey, do you have a sec?” 😳
What to Look For
When I’m scanning for potential leaders, whether it’s on a team I’m building or a client I’m advising, I’m not looking for the person who’s loudest in meetings or the first volunteer for projects, that doesn’t ever disqualify people -- some of us have the ADHD and need love too!
In general, what I’m looking for is a sort of “steady heat.” No flash. No noise. Just a quiet consistency that inspires confidence even though they’re not “in charge”.
Yet.
A few signs of spark to watch for on your team:
They naturally mentor. You’ll notice people go to them for help, not because they’re told to, but because they listen well and don’t make others feel stupid.
They don’t panic. Even when things go sideways, they don’t add to the chaos. (I once had a rep who, during an outage that included some internal coms, calmly got up from their desk and walked around making sure that everyone knew what the updates were and what they should be doing. That’s leadership right there)
They communicate up and down. They can distill a problem in ten seconds for leadership, or walk a new teammate through it in detail . . . and know when each approach is needed!
They are fundamentally curious. They start asking questions about why things happen, not just how to fix them.
What to Avoid
The trickier part, of course, is identifying the false positives. People who seem like they may be the perfect leaders-to-be, but they either aren’t ready or interested.
None of these should be fully disqualifying, but it’s still good to watch out for:
The Hero Complex. They want to solve everything personally but can’t or won’t delegate. These folks have a tendency to burn out and can block others from growing. Coaching can often help, but not always.
The Manager Enthusiast. They want the title but not the responsibility. You’ll hear: “I just feel like I’m already doing the job anyway.” Again, not always, but you might end up with someone who breaks their team rather than growing it.
The Rule Follower. Some argue that this is the perfect protege, until you realize that you need someone who will make judgment calls in gray areas. You need folks who are able to know what rules to preserve and which can (and should) be bent or even broken.
Leadership is an attitude, not a milestone. It’s curiosity under pressure. It’s patience with imperfection. It’s showing up when things suck.
So the next time you’re building a team or succession plan (more on that soon!), look for the people who make others better without trying to. Those are your rising stars.
See you Space Cowboy . . .