possibility that a leader could derail, there are three that are always most important. Covering empathy, intimacy, identity and adaptation, the markers outlined below make a useful and simple checklist at selection interviews without the use of a questionnaire. • Personal relationships : Can the person establish and maintain healthy, happy and long-term relationships with various types of people, ranging from colleagues and customers to suppliers and competitors? While nearly all researchers have demonstrated that difficulties
with interpersonal relationships are at the heart of the problem for derailing managers, it has been
suggested that these are often compounded by various self‑defeating behaviours, including being rigid, hostile, defensive, overcommitted and suspicious. • Self-awareness : Does the individual have personal insight? This is defined as the accurate appraisal and understanding of your abilities and preferences and their implications for your behaviour and impact on others. It is essentially reality testing, or a calibration against the facts of life. • Adaptability, learning and transitioning : It has frequently been observed that a derailed leader’s early career success was often responsible for their later failure because they failed to learn. At various times in a professional career, people must learn to let go of old, odd or dysfunctional assumptions and beliefs. Furthermore, they need to acquire new skills and ideas. This often means exposing oneself to learning situations that can be threatening and may involve failure. Discovering strengths and limitations Self-awareness is partly knowledge about the self: strengths and weaknesses, vulnerabilities and passions, idiosyncrasies and normalness. It can be derived in many ways. Sometimes self-insight arises from a sudden epiphany that could come in a crowded classroom, or simply from sitting on the couch. It can even occur at an appraisal. Sources of self-insight stem largely from success and failure, what others say (for example, in 360 reports) and from various tests. However, a pathological form of self-awareness can be detected in some CEOs. This is manifest in hyper-vigilant, self-obsessed individuals who are interested in nothing but themselves. Many of these people are technically described as ‘vulnerable narcissists’. It can take years to find out who you are, where you belong (in the family, organisation and community) and knowing what you can best contribute to others. Some people are lucky; they are given opportunities to test their skills and see their impact. As a result, they become more aware of their potential,
“Many ambitious, clever and determined graduates come unstuck because they did not attend to their soft skills”
what they like doing, what they are good at and how others perceive them. Do you know whether you are good in a crisis, or do you in fact cause them? Are you (really) emotionally intelligent? Why do certain types of people clearly not like you? Are you a natural at negotiation and sales? Are you aware of what stresses you and what your fundamental values are? Do most people trust you? How perceptive are you about others’ motives? Three techniques can help draw out answers and insights here. Self-testing and exploration by attempting new tasks and situations is a good place to start. People make discoveries late in life and often by chance through processes we
22 Business Impact • ISSUE 4 • 2024
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online