Stop promoting the wrong people

According to Gallup’s research, 82% of the time, we put the wrong person into leadership positions.

They might be seen as:

• Top performers
• Technical experts
• Senior team members

But loyalty & experience don’t automatically make you a good leader.

Before you leap into promoting someone, ask yourself these 7 questions:

#1 Are they a great coach?

Have you seen them:

• Help others grow or develop? 
• Provide support to their team members?
• Transfer their skills and learnings to others? 

Ability to do a job ≠ Ability to coach the job

#2 Are they a “WE before I” player?

Do they, by default, consider the team’s outcomes before their own? 

Or do they perform well at the expense of others?

True leaders inspire others to shine.

#3 Are they a great communicator?

Have you seen this person influence stakeholders, putting forth ideas in a compelling manner?

Sidebar: Introverts can score highly here too. 

Assess how well they communicate and whether it leads to results.

#4 Are they already leading?

Remember, you don’t need a leadership title to lead.

Do they:

• Already influence the group?
• Have others ask them for advice?

Look for signs of people leadership before promoting.

#5 Are they ethical, trustworthy and…

Aligned with the company’s values.

If this isn’t an emphatic “Yes!”.

They may not be the right person.

#6 Are they performing in their current role?

They don’t have to be the top performer.

But they need to be getting a pass mark before you consider promoting them.

#7 Do they even want the leadership role?

Managing people might not be their cup of tea.

So, remember to pause and ask yourself these questions before you charge ahead.

It’s too important to get wrong.