How to hire a good leader

Hiring the right leadership team is one of the single most important aspects of running an organization. Now more than ever, talent is the main strategic differentiator between you and your competition.

So, what does it take to hire great leaders?

Here are the five things that you have do to ensure that your organization recruits the best in the business:

1. Study the position
Before starting any selection system, you need to do your homework and find out the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA’s) needed for successful performance in the role. Knowing the dynamics of the workgroup that the person will lead can help you identify the candidate who is the best fit for the position.

2. Focus on vision
Do the candidate’s past achievements show any evidence of being visionary or proactive? If the candidate’s background doesn’t provide enough insight, then some creative questioning may be in order. In what direction does the candidate feel the business function needs to go? A good leader is capable of articulating a clear and compelling vision, which others can buy into. Is this candidate forward-looking and understanding of the business function well enough to develop and articulate that vision?

3. Sell your culture
When it comes to hiring great leaders, remember that the interview process is a two-way street. If you want to attract the top talent in your industry, go beyond asking questions and start thinking about how you’ll sell your company and culture. Remember, many of the best candidates may not be actively looking to move, so you may have to convince them you have the right opportunity. Provide a better sense of what sets your company apart from the pack and, more importantly, ensure that the leaders you hire are a good fit for your culture.

4. Keep in mind these three skills every leadership candidate needs

Communication: Admittedly, communication is a skill that is critical to every position in a business. However, effective communication is even more fundamental for leaders, who will only fail to lead if they cannot  effectively explain themselves.

Influence: Perhaps the most important application of the communication skill is in influencing others to complete certain tasks. Leaders must be able to convince others to follow their instructions, and those who can’t, will fail to create meaningful change.

Decision-Making: A person makes thousands of decisions every day, however, leaders make even more, and those choices impact more than themselves. Not everyone is a natural-born decision-maker, but     leaders tend to be swiftly decisive.

5. Ask the right questions

These leadership interview questions can help you assess the best management candidates for your team.

1. What is your proudest leadership moment? The candidate’s answer to this question can tell you a lot about their leadership values and management style.

2. Tell me about a time when you failed as a leader. This is a spin on asking the candidate about their greatest weakness, and helps you get a better-rounded view of the candidate.

3. How do you provide feedback for your team? Get an understanding of how your candidate handles both successful and underperforming team members.