Leadership development isn’t just about developing leadership skills. This week I read the Korn Ferry Institute’s report, “Who wants to be CEO?” It’s worth reading in full, but here’s the summary.
“In addition to experience and ability, the drive to become CEO matters when selecting a company’s chief executive.”
When it comes to leadership, ability is important, but so is the willingness to lead. Good leadership development should address both.
We do a decent job of developing leadership abilities
We don’t have much trouble figuring out if a man or woman can the next job closer to the top of the org chart. Their performance in their first leadership job tells us if they enjoy helping others succeed and if they’re willing to be judged on their team’s performance. If they bring those things to the party, we can help them develop the skills they need. Willingness is another matter.
Not everyone wants to lead
Some people prefer to develop deep professional skills. They’re less interested in moving up than they are in drilling down.
Some people are satisfied where they are
Some people who once wanted to move up have found a spot where the challenges match their ambition. They’re making enough money, doing interesting work, and working with people they like. They’ve evaluated what a move up would mean and decided they’re just fine where they are.
Confidence can be a factor
Some otherwise qualified people lack confidence that they can do the next job up. In my experience that usually comes down to one or two specific things they know they will have to do that make them severely uncomfortable. Building competence in a safe environment can build that confidence. Coaching coupled with short developmental assignments is a good way to achieve that.
Leadership development is about ability and willingness, both competence and confidence.
