When planning your career, the role and organisation are just as important as the leader. In many instances, we choose a job then hope that the leader is good, bearable, ideally inspirational. Choosing a great leader can ensure you build not only your hard and soft skills, but also your confidence, brand, your future and ultimately how we perceive our success and how it is viewed in the professional market.
Richard Branson, is a great advocate for the importance of investing in people. He famously said, “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to“. This quote underscores the significance of nurturing and valuing employees, which aligns with the recent Arete Executive – Executive Search & Executive Career Coaching LinkedIn poll results:
We asked the question in a recent LinkedIn poll, “What qualities do you value most in a leader when considering a job opportunity?” Responses were,
- Empowerment: 28%
- Effective Communication: 41%
- Emotional Intelligence: 24%
- Problem-Solving Skills: 7%
These qualities are not only valued by employees but are also echoed by popular leadership and HR professionals.
Empowerment, valued by 28% of our poll participants, is a key quality that leaders should possess. Leaders who empower their employees foster an environment of growth and learning. As an employee understanding your leaders’ risk profile is imperative. None of us are perfect, but from my experience most people aim to do good work, they don’t choose to do bad work or the wrong thing. When working for a leader that empowers you, you ideally need to know that it’s ok to fail …as long as you’ve followed the agreed frameworks and methodologies within the policies of the organisation.
Effective Communication, the most valued quality in our poll, is crucial in building trust and understanding within a team. As Branson puts it, “If you look after your staff, they’ll look after your customers. It’s that simple“. Effective communication is just that. Clear, concise and reiterated clearly in many instances.
“The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” George Bernard Shaw (playwright)
In my experience, leaders think they are communicating enough, however the tell tale sign is when employees don’t understand how, what or why they should do what they do. As a result, the leader becomes frustrated with why the employee is not achieving what they should. HR is called in, discussions begin and coaching and professional development of the employee begin. (in many situations)
So, when choosing a leader through the process of a job interview, what can you ask of them? It’s tricky as you need to be respectful of the process and most leaders are in the role because they and the organisation believe they can and will do a good job. While I don’t have a background in psychology, my extensive experience has given me insight into the role of ego in leadership. Here’s a couple of respectful questions to begin the conversation.
- Can you talk me through how you lead your team – what is your meeting cadence – individually, teams, organisation?
- How would your direct reports describe your leadership style?
EQ, Emotional Intelligence was valued by 24% of our poll participants as the essential quality of their potential leader. If a leader can understand and address the needs of their team, lead with high emotional intelligence they can create a positive and supportive work environment. Leaders are responsible for setting the tone of an organisation thus why it’s up there with importance as communication and technical skills. As Sanjay Seghal wrote in a Forbes article (1), “While, previously, a leader was someone who could only drive a team of followers, today’s leaders are different. They are self-aware and care about fostering relationships rather than just giving directions. Today’s leaders are more accountable and attuned to their peers and subordinates, and they understand emotions. This understanding and empathetic approach is a direct result of emotional intelligence. When considering a leader I would like to work for, I know that I value not only their communicate style, but also their EQ – it goes hand in hand.”
When evaluating a leader in an interview process, consider how they interact with you, how they consider your questions and answers. Consider the engagement. Leadership evaluations have moved beyond the old school question and answer technique. The modern leadership job interview is a discussion between two parties – do values align? Is there a mutual respect on experience? Can the leader demonstrate that they can coach/mentor or help you solve the problems that they would be hiring you for?
Problem-Solving Skills, though valued by only 7% of our poll participants as a requirement of potential leaders, are undeniably crucial in leadership. Leaders with strong problem-solving skills can navigate challenges effectively and lead their teams towards success. We all want a leader that helps us succeed. They’ve got our back and work collaboratively with us. To determine a potential leader’s problem-solving skills before employment, it’s important to ask direct questions.
- I understand that the key deliverable of this role is…When considering your career, what has been the greatest challenge you’ve worked through as a leader and delivered on for an employer?
The question is very direct and loaded, of course. Be brave. If this is an employer of choice with a role that you are keen on, then ensure that everything aligns. If you’re genuinely seeking a leader who will enhance your career beyond just providing a job, you need to elevate your interview approach.
The quality of the leader should play a significant role when considering job opportunities. Our poll results, coupled with insights from leadership and HR professionals, highlight the importance of empowerment, effective communication, emotional intelligence, and problem-solving skills in a leader. As we navigate our careers, these insights can guide us to make informed decisions and foster our career growth. Be brave in your interviews with prospective leaders. Will they and can they add value to your career?
Choose a leader, not a job.
I’m grateful that I’ve personally had some great leaders that have made an impact on my skills and development throughout my career. If you are on a leadership journey, seek leaders to learn from, that choose to help their team always be better; leaders that want to impart their experience and wisdom, who want to foster a culture and environment of growth and collaboration. Having high performing teams obviously reflects greatly on a leader. Be brave ask the questions and demonstrate your value.
Fiona Cochran is an experienced executive search specialist, executive career coach, client services and operational leader with over 20 years’ experience within the talent advisory sector. She specialises in leading teams to identify and implement solutions for clients’ people problems. She is a Co-Founder of Arete Executive and in true Boomerang fashion has recently rejoined to work with Richard Triggs and the fabulous team of Arete Executive – Executive Search & Executive Career Coaching
Reach out to connect if you would like to discuss how Arete Executive can support your business, team or career.
