Foundational Traits vs. Accelerators: What Can and Can't Be Taught
by David Peterson
"She's a born leader." We've all heard that phrase used to describe a colleague, subordinate or boss. But can someone really come out of the gates ready to take the helm of a project, a division or even an entire organization? Probably not. But those with the right foundational traits - those they were born with, such as mental aptitude, energy level and thought focus - have a much better chance of becoming successful leaders.
Think of foundational traits like a rubber band. Leaders can stretch these
attributes, but only so far. For example, people can work to be more
independent if their natural inclination is not to be, but at a certain point, going out on a limb with their own ideas will fall beyond their comfort zones.
In contrast, accelerators are experiences and interests that help leaders grow and prepare them for new challenges. Examples of experiential accelerators include participating in rotational assignments, being part of a team responsible for critical organizational change or being responsible for high-risk situations. In terms of motivations and interests, an ideal high-potential candidate is someone who is energized by increasing challenges and responsibilities, and motivated to acquire skills and experiences necessary to succeed.
When organizations analyze key talent, it is critical they first consider
foundational or hardwired traits. If a leader lacks core foundational traits, it will be hard to acquire him or her later for a role a few levels up from the leader's current position. However, leaders who are missing some of the accelerators can actively pursue them, increasing their odds of long-term success.
Another important factor is the type of role for which a leader is being
groomed. If someone is being considered for a mid- to upper-level accounting role, it may be all right if he or she does not have a high level of independence because the function is so clear. But at the highest levels of management, in all functions, including accounting, lack of independence can become a knockout factor.
Foundational traits and accelerators are especially important for organizations looking at long-term talent investments. How people perform today is not always a good indictor of how they will do in higher positions requiring different skills and aptitudes they may not have learned at lower levels. Some things are much more difficult to learn than others. Identifying people with the necessary foundational skills is essential when their current and past roles have not tested them on skills required for a new position.
Picture two excellent hands-on managers who are receiving coaching. The first consistently delivered more than was expected of him and focused on achieving the objectives set by his superiors. The second manager delivered, too, but in a way that occasionally gave his supervisors heartburn. He challenged the direction he was given, preferring to question the status quo and pursue breakthrough ideas that had even greater impact than expected.
When it came time for the organization to choose which manager would be better for a key senior-level position, top executives were leaning toward the first manager because he was seen as a real team player. Why did the executives automatically choose the easier candidate when higher roles call for increased thought agility and the ability to make quick decisions on one's own, without being told what to do?
This isn't to say someone who defies authority is automatically a good
choice. But organizations should think about talent on a spectrum - from
someone who will only do what conforms to those who think they have all the
answers. The perfect person should behave somewhere in the middle. Giving the second manager new experiences where he has to lead highly talented teams and rely on others - an accelerator - will help him achieve the organization's long-term goals. Former GE head Jack Welch, the consummate rebel, made it to the top because the previous CEO, Reg Jones, saw beyond the rough edges and understood Welch had the foundational traits to be enormously successful as GE's competitive landscape was changing.
There is an important lesson in this for large organizations. During the tech boom of the late 1990s, several large, rapidly growing companies were
aggressively hiring talented, entrepreneurial, independent leaders. The
managers of those free-thinking individuals often asked them to toe the line and do what they were told. The majority of those entrepreneurial spirits became discouraged and left to go out on their own rather than mindlessly conform. A few years later, those companies found themselves desperately searching for strong general manager candidates because so many innovative, take-charge people had left. The point, again, is to take a longer term view of talent. Give the right people the right accelerating experiences and be willing to coach them on their journeys.
Who Has the Potential?
It isn't always apparent who has the right foundational traits to be
successful down the road. An integrated measurement approach can help. Good
assessments measure cognitive ability, behavioral predispositions, past
experiences and key motivations to get the full picture of foundational traits and accelerators. Participants are assessed based not only on their results but onwhat is necessary for the role for which they are being considered.
The Basics and Beyond
Which traits move the needle and are good predictors of future success?
Personnel Decisions International research shows seven traits affect success as managers advance in an organization. As one moves up, they need more of the following at each level:
a) Energy
b) Influence
c) Risk taking
d) Thought focus
e) Vision
And they need decreasing amounts of these traits:
f) Micromanaging
g) Passive-aggressiveness
As leaders take on more and different responsibilities in higher roles, it is clear they need increased self-management and drive to do their jobs, which are exemplified through the energy, risk taking and power to influence traits mentioned above. They also need to have a greater breadth of thinking - the vision and thought-focus traits. The decreasing tolerance of derailers such as micromanaging and passive-aggressiveness is clear as leaders move up the ladder.
Paying attention to all these traits is critical at every level, but the weight each is given depends on the level and role for which someone is being considered. A side-by-side comparison of foundational traits and accelerators for key management positions of mid-level leaders and business-unit leaders provides insight into different priorities, based on the role.
A mid-level leader's role is tactical, with interpersonal challenges at its
center, while a business-unit leader's role is more strategic and requires
responding to competitive challenges and market opportunities, as well as
aligning the business unit for maximum profits and future success. Essentially, with different roles come different priorities.
Motivations and Interests
Even when leaders have the right foundational traits and a breadth of
experiences, they may not have an interest in moving into bigger, more
time-consuming roles unless organizations can determine what would motivate
them to take on new challenges. For most leaders, money and promotion are noton the top of the list. In fact, a recently released PDI research study found high-potential, mid-level and business-unit leaders ranked compensation and advancement as the most important aspects less than 10 percent of the time.
Each leader's motivation may be different. Supervisors need to sit down
with high-potential employees and determine their specific key motivators, or they'll lose key talent.
Consider an extremely bright, efficient leader who most thought could lead just about any organization. But she repeatedly said she was happy in her current role and didn't really care about recognition or reward. However, she did care about getting bored. A couple years after the discussion began, she decided she needed a bigger playing field and made a move up. This has happened about every two years for almost 10 years.
Focus on the Future
In today's uncertain business environment, many organizations pay less
attention to developing talent and focus more tightly on current financial
challenges. However, that shortsighted approach can cost organizations dearly as they try to put the right talent in leadership positions to guide through the downturn and then prepare for growth.
[About the Author: David Peterson is senior vice president of executive
coaching for Personnel Decisions International.]
by David Peterson
"She's a born leader." We've all heard that phrase used to describe a colleague, subordinate or boss. But can someone really come out of the gates ready to take the helm of a project, a division or even an entire organization? Probably not. But those with the right foundational traits - those they were born with, such as mental aptitude, energy level and thought focus - have a much better chance of becoming successful leaders.
Think of foundational traits like a rubber band. Leaders can stretch these
attributes, but only so far. For example, people can work to be more
independent if their natural inclination is not to be, but at a certain point, going out on a limb with their own ideas will fall beyond their comfort zones.
In contrast, accelerators are experiences and interests that help leaders grow and prepare them for new challenges. Examples of experiential accelerators include participating in rotational assignments, being part of a team responsible for critical organizational change or being responsible for high-risk situations. In terms of motivations and interests, an ideal high-potential candidate is someone who is energized by increasing challenges and responsibilities, and motivated to acquire skills and experiences necessary to succeed.
When organizations analyze key talent, it is critical they first consider
foundational or hardwired traits. If a leader lacks core foundational traits, it will be hard to acquire him or her later for a role a few levels up from the leader's current position. However, leaders who are missing some of the accelerators can actively pursue them, increasing their odds of long-term success.
Another important factor is the type of role for which a leader is being
groomed. If someone is being considered for a mid- to upper-level accounting role, it may be all right if he or she does not have a high level of independence because the function is so clear. But at the highest levels of management, in all functions, including accounting, lack of independence can become a knockout factor.
Foundational traits and accelerators are especially important for organizations looking at long-term talent investments. How people perform today is not always a good indictor of how they will do in higher positions requiring different skills and aptitudes they may not have learned at lower levels. Some things are much more difficult to learn than others. Identifying people with the necessary foundational skills is essential when their current and past roles have not tested them on skills required for a new position.
Picture two excellent hands-on managers who are receiving coaching. The first consistently delivered more than was expected of him and focused on achieving the objectives set by his superiors. The second manager delivered, too, but in a way that occasionally gave his supervisors heartburn. He challenged the direction he was given, preferring to question the status quo and pursue breakthrough ideas that had even greater impact than expected.
When it came time for the organization to choose which manager would be better for a key senior-level position, top executives were leaning toward the first manager because he was seen as a real team player. Why did the executives automatically choose the easier candidate when higher roles call for increased thought agility and the ability to make quick decisions on one's own, without being told what to do?
This isn't to say someone who defies authority is automatically a good
choice. But organizations should think about talent on a spectrum - from
someone who will only do what conforms to those who think they have all the
answers. The perfect person should behave somewhere in the middle. Giving the second manager new experiences where he has to lead highly talented teams and rely on others - an accelerator - will help him achieve the organization's long-term goals. Former GE head Jack Welch, the consummate rebel, made it to the top because the previous CEO, Reg Jones, saw beyond the rough edges and understood Welch had the foundational traits to be enormously successful as GE's competitive landscape was changing.
There is an important lesson in this for large organizations. During the tech boom of the late 1990s, several large, rapidly growing companies were
aggressively hiring talented, entrepreneurial, independent leaders. The
managers of those free-thinking individuals often asked them to toe the line and do what they were told. The majority of those entrepreneurial spirits became discouraged and left to go out on their own rather than mindlessly conform. A few years later, those companies found themselves desperately searching for strong general manager candidates because so many innovative, take-charge people had left. The point, again, is to take a longer term view of talent. Give the right people the right accelerating experiences and be willing to coach them on their journeys.
Who Has the Potential?
It isn't always apparent who has the right foundational traits to be
successful down the road. An integrated measurement approach can help. Good
assessments measure cognitive ability, behavioral predispositions, past
experiences and key motivations to get the full picture of foundational traits and accelerators. Participants are assessed based not only on their results but onwhat is necessary for the role for which they are being considered.
The Basics and Beyond
Which traits move the needle and are good predictors of future success?
Personnel Decisions International research shows seven traits affect success as managers advance in an organization. As one moves up, they need more of the following at each level:
a) Energy
b) Influence
c) Risk taking
d) Thought focus
e) Vision
And they need decreasing amounts of these traits:
f) Micromanaging
g) Passive-aggressiveness
As leaders take on more and different responsibilities in higher roles, it is clear they need increased self-management and drive to do their jobs, which are exemplified through the energy, risk taking and power to influence traits mentioned above. They also need to have a greater breadth of thinking - the vision and thought-focus traits. The decreasing tolerance of derailers such as micromanaging and passive-aggressiveness is clear as leaders move up the ladder.
Paying attention to all these traits is critical at every level, but the weight each is given depends on the level and role for which someone is being considered. A side-by-side comparison of foundational traits and accelerators for key management positions of mid-level leaders and business-unit leaders provides insight into different priorities, based on the role.
A mid-level leader's role is tactical, with interpersonal challenges at its
center, while a business-unit leader's role is more strategic and requires
responding to competitive challenges and market opportunities, as well as
aligning the business unit for maximum profits and future success. Essentially, with different roles come different priorities.
Motivations and Interests
Even when leaders have the right foundational traits and a breadth of
experiences, they may not have an interest in moving into bigger, more
time-consuming roles unless organizations can determine what would motivate
them to take on new challenges. For most leaders, money and promotion are noton the top of the list. In fact, a recently released PDI research study found high-potential, mid-level and business-unit leaders ranked compensation and advancement as the most important aspects less than 10 percent of the time.
Each leader's motivation may be different. Supervisors need to sit down
with high-potential employees and determine their specific key motivators, or they'll lose key talent.
Consider an extremely bright, efficient leader who most thought could lead just about any organization. But she repeatedly said she was happy in her current role and didn't really care about recognition or reward. However, she did care about getting bored. A couple years after the discussion began, she decided she needed a bigger playing field and made a move up. This has happened about every two years for almost 10 years.
Focus on the Future
In today's uncertain business environment, many organizations pay less
attention to developing talent and focus more tightly on current financial
challenges. However, that shortsighted approach can cost organizations dearly as they try to put the right talent in leadership positions to guide through the downturn and then prepare for growth.
[About the Author: David Peterson is senior vice president of executive
coaching for Personnel Decisions International.]
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