More Important than Recognizing Talent: Getting Out of its Way
Mike Ferguson, Fresh Ground Consulting
Leadership scholar, Warren Bennis, said that leaders are rarely the smartest person in a group, that they are more curators than creators. He said leaders “are appreciators of talent and nurturers of talent and they have the ability to recognize valuable ideas.”
I have worked with business leaders who have a near prescient ability to recognize emerging talent. They are always surrounded by bright, passionate, committed people who produce results. Their companies often have a reputation for innovation, as the leader anticipates trends as well as she anticipates talent. The working environment is high-energy, fast-paced, and always full of fresh new challenges.
Too often, this workplace is also full of fresh new faces as well because the person leading the company can recognize talent, but can’t get out of its way. She “turns and burns” her best employees at such a constant pace that other companies see her as a recruiting agency and training center.
Leaders like this tend to run their company in perpetual start-up mode and experience rapid but ultimately limited growth. It’s not enough to recognize talent. The most successful leaders also nurture talent. A talent nurturing leader is as easy to recognize as one who burns talent out. Here are just a few of the things I look for in an organization where talent is allowed to mature.
All organizations have turn-over, but in those where the leadership recognizes talent and allows it to flourish, the turn-over will be lower than the industry average, especially among key positions. When one company has produced a very large and talented pool of former employees, it’s not a sign of health. When talent is truly nurtured, it will be allowed to mature and will not be viewed as a threat.
The best business leaders do not necessarily shun the spotlight, but they do insist on sharing it. When I ask a senior executive to tell me about his company, I listen carefully to how he interprets that question. How much time does he spend talking about the accomplishments of the people who work for him, and how much time does he spend talking about “his” accomplishments, his ideas, and his vision. And one must listen beyond the language. Many entrepreneurs are in the habit of saying “my company,” but if you listen, they are actually talking about and giving credit to their team. On the other hand, some mangers are practiced at using “we,” when they clearly mean “me.”
Sharing the credit tends to occur naturally in an environment of shared responsibility. Key people are given real responsibility and authority, and the freedom to use their best judgment. Their authority is not taken away arbitrarily and they do not have to guess when they are and are not expected to use their own judgment.
In the same way that a company changes as it grows, no one leadership approach works throughout the life of an organization. The single-minded, hard-charging, fly-by-the-seat entrepreneur that is necessary to shepherd a company through start-up, gives way to a leader who extends his reach and influence through others, allowing the company to grow. This transition can occur with the same person at the helm, but they must be able to both recognize talent, and allow it to flourish, perhaps to a degree that is personally uncomfortable.