Developing Potential Leaders

The first in a series about raising awareness and sensitivity to the
needs of leadership development.

by Peter Capodice

Good leadership is key to running top-performing, effective, and financially successful businesses that attract top talent. Consistently, employees rate “poor leadership” as one of the biggest difficulties in performing their jobs. And year after year, we read of businesses in trouble due to leadership gone wrong.

Did you know it’s possible to identify potential leaders, and then develop that potential into peak effectiveness? Capodice & Associates has identified personality traits that consistently indicate leadership qualities. Some traits are obvious, such as decision-making skills and the ability to generate trust. Other traits are less intuitive, such as an acceptance of risk and the tendency to work at a fast pace. Full personality assessments can help identify the “markers” in an individual that will place them in a high-performing leadership category.

In addition to specific personality traits, there are personality types that affect a leader’s successfulness. For example, an authoritarian, blunt, take-charge leader may be less effective in a company culture of democratic decision-making and diplomatic communication. Conversely, the team-oriented manager who prefers to consider all perspectives before making a decision might fail at leadership in an organization of fast-paced, top-down management culture. And fail they do – according to the Center for Creative Leadership 40% of new executives fail in their first 18 months at a new position.

How much does poor leadership cost you? Compared to average leaders, poor leaders:

• get 10% less productivity out of direct reports
• have 25% more turnover
• take longer to fill vacant jobs of direct reports, causing overwork and stress to other direct reports.
• Source: DDI International.

When a high-performing and high-potential employee is identified, the employee should be placed in roles that give him or her the opportunity to develop those leadership traits. Good coaching and mentoring by seasoned leaders can develop these skills; feedback during high-stress management situations can help guide the emerging leader. The result is an excellent performer who can effectively guide an organization.

This newsletter introduces a topic to be explored over the next few weeks: “Developing Potential Leaders”. One of the most important initiatives in the business world is the necessity of finding the right leader with the skills to manage the organization. Within this series, we’ll explore what it means to find the right talent, develop the potential of a leader, and the role of coaching and mentoring. Through this series, we hope to raise awareness and sensitivity to the needs of leadership development.


About Capodice & Associates
From a dynamic blend of professional search talent, to the most comprehensive assessment tools on the market, Capodice & Associates gives you peace of mind knowing your next hire will be a long-term success.

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Capodice & Associates
Midtown Plaza
1243 S. Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, Florida 34239
941-906-1990 Phone
941-906-1991 Fax
www.capodice.com