Pub. 13 2018-2019 Issue 1

NEBRASKA BANKERS ASSOCIATION 27 disgruntled, having suffered the indignity of being branded a failure. Howmuch contagious bitterness he will spread through- out the company in the weeks and months ahead is difficult to predict. But spread it will, and almost surely to the detriment of the bank—perhaps even to the extent of unsettling a number of loyal customers.  The corollary of this example is the employee who excels in his job but has no desire to be a leader. He’s promoted to that position regardless. A born follower at heart, he has no clue what to do with the leadership mantle thrust upon him. Things quickly unravel and, again, someone must act as the bad guy who brings news of demotion. Hard feelings surface and, once more, the company is in trouble. Moral of these two stories: it is vitally important that you identify the right people for leadership roles—individuals who demonstrate the actual potential to serve in that capacity. Finding EmployeesWith Leadership Potential  Here is a list of questions you should be asking yourself as you scout for individuals with themakings to become an outstanding leader. Does this person: • Know how to cross-sell? • Demonstrate initiative beyond the current job position? • Proactively offer ideas and potential solutions to prob- lems (thereby showing he or she is invested in the bank’s success)? • Demonstrate accountability? • Possess interpersonal skills and work well with others? • “Make things happen” by being proactive instead of reactive? • Bend over backward to help customers and team mem- bers? • Exhibit unflinching reliability? • Think the same way you do when it comes to decision- making? • Motivate and influence others? • Appear capable of evolving into a strategic leader? • Express interest in developing or improving upon leader- ship and management skills? • Seem eager to take on more responsibility? • Most importantly, communicate clearly and concisely? Your goal in asking these questions is to select candidates for leadership development that who are most likely to deliver results. In the course of conducting your talent search, keep in mind that no rule requires you to only consider employees under the age of 40. You’ll find great potential leaders among the ranks of your Millennial employees, yes. But you’ll also find worthy candidates among the gray-haired set. Always remember that the older employee who is intimately familiar with your pro- cesses, procedures, structure, culture, and perhaps even your customers may turn out to be an ideal individual to train for a leadership role.  Also, do not overlook the significance of America being a multicultural, multiethnic society—a fact duly acknowledged by federal and state Equal Opportunity laws, which encourage you to strive for the most diverse workforce possible. So be sure to give female and minority employees careful consideration as potential leaders. They bring unique qualities and perspectives to the leadership table and enhance your ability to attract, hire, and retain top talent at all levels. Beginning the Process of Leadership Development Now that you have identified potential and emerging leaders among your employees, it is time to prepare them for positions at the top. The process of developing a leader involves 10 steps. Happily, these steps are simple. 1. Bring your emerging leaders together so they can learn from one another. Invite them to jointly explore new ways of doing business, innovate better ways of conduct- ing existing operations, cultivate stronger management/ employee relationships, and strive to deliver highest quality service to customers, to other members of the team, and to you. Challenge them to come up with ap- proaches that can be adopted companywide to better support your team. 2. Provide ongoing, repetitious training. The “one and done” approach to leadership training won’t cut it. The most effective way to provide training that continuously Leaders — continued on page 28