Pub. 13 2018-2019 Issue 1

WWW.NEBANKERS.ORG 26 Y OU FACE TOUGH CUSTOMERS AND FIERCE COMPETITION. THAT, OF COURSE, GOES WITH the territory of being a banker. However, you also face complex organizational challenges—challenges that can only be addressed on the strength of dynamic leadership, and not just leadership at the top, but leadership in every department.  Moreover, these challenges demand that you look to the development of lead- ers for the future, because the challenges of today will continue into tomorrow and be joined by new challenges yet to come. Finding and cultivating these future leaders is thus imperative. How will you go about it? Where to Put Your Focus The starting point is taking note of individuals who exhibit high potential for leadership. Unimportant is whether these individuals are performing highly in what- ever role they happen to occupy now. The reason it is a mistake to prize per- formance over potential is that some people who are exceptionally competent at their jobs lackwhat it takes to be a great leader. By elevating those who aren’t cut out to be lead- ers, you risk the creation of department or companywidemorale problems—and those can easily bring about a loss of productivity. Consider this example. On the payroll of an average-sized bank is a teller. Because he is the bank’s best teller, the president decides to promote him to a teller supervi- sor with the expectation that his excellent technical skills will translate into excellent leadership skills. He eagerly and appreciatively accepts the new responsibility. However, in practically no time at all, it becomes evident that he is incapable of inspiring subordinates to act as a cohesive, functional, efficiency-driven, cost-conscious, innovation-minded team. After a period of wishful waiting to give him a chance to “grow” into the role, top management finally realizes that pushing this individual to take on an assignment outside his area of expertise was a mistake. Now, someone in the bank is going to have to play the “bad guy” and remove an other- wise outstanding employee from his or her leadership post. The jobwill go to someone else, but who- ever gets it will be nervous about stepping into the shoes of a coworker who vacated not due to promotion but rather to demotion. Additionally, the individual who lost the position will almost certainly be LEADERS: ARE THEY BORN OR MADE? HOW TO IDENTIFY EMERGING LEADERS & TURN THEM INTO GREAT LEADERS Christine Corelli, Christine Corelli & Associates Inc.