Presenting to a Board Meeting recently on a potential Succession Planning Programme, I was asked to explain in greater detail a key component of my proposal which focused on what I termed 'real time leadership capability assessment'.
Having been fortunate to have had exposure to succession planning practices in a number of global organisations over the years, I had always felt that whilst a well-documented and set out development plan will certainly assist in preparing even the most experienced of managers transition into executive leadership roles, most plans did not consider the importance of exposing candidates to and observing how they react in challenging situations.
Having spent almost 20 years in the NSW Police Force, serving a number of those years as a member of a tactical unit, 'performance under pressure' was a daily practice and key leadership trait. I often marvelled and later tried to emulate the cool calm and calculating style of leadership that I witnessed from many of my commanding officers. When in the interests of 'learning' I would speak to them at a later time and ask how they had managed to remain so composed in the most stressful of situations. They often responded that they had 'developed their skills over years of observing how others have done it and exposure to similar situations'.
A very experienced and highly regarded CEO once told me that you cannot accurately assess someone's leadership capability until you have witnessed them lead a team in a stressful situation. Over a number of years, I began to realise that whilst a lot of my peers and managers could 'talk the talk' it was not until I had the opportunity to see them working in pressure situations that their 'true leadership style' became apparent.
Those that I would categorise as the 'really great' leaders have an ability to not only survive the highly stressful moments but they in fact thrive during the periods where others often fail. I have even known some leaders to actively seek out opportunities where they fully expect to be placed in situations that will constantly test their resilience. They push themselves and get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
So, what is my point? We all know that effective leadership is about a lot more than formal qualifications and courses completed. We also know that many organisations promote individuals into roles of greater responsibility, at times, before that person has fully developed their leadership toolkit. Whilst I am not necessarily opposed to this approach, I stress the importance of exposing potential leaders to situations that will allow them to gradually develop their skills in dealing with stressful and challenging environments.
In our current world of remote or hybrid work arrangements, the ability for emerging leaders and executives to learn by observing how others lead in challenging situations is problematic. Do not underestimate the importance of gradually exposing emerging leaders to critical decision-making opportunities as part of their development plan. The insights both the individual and organisation get from this could be pivotal.