What do you do if you're faced with a candidate who lacks experience in leading teams?

Absolutely, intrinsic qualities can be gold dust in identifying leadership potential. Focusing on traits like emotional intelligence and adaptability isn't just smart—it's future-proofing your team. Investing in these raw talents can yield leaders who are not only capable but also revolutionary in their approach.

Focus on transferable skills and potential. Look for strong communication, problem-solving, and adaptability demonstrated in past experiences. Emphasize the importance of mentorship and training opportunities within your organization to support their development as a leader. Explore their motivation and willingness to learn to gauge if they can grow into a leadership role.

Leadership is an attitude, which derives from inherent skills. People incarnate as leaders in different situations- sometimes when they are challenged, and at other times when they find a comfort zone. What is important is to assess what kind of leader a person can be and then support them to become that leader. Instead of looking for a standard set of qualities, a leadership coach can partner to build on strengths and to find blind spots and limiting areas, enabling budding leaders to realize their potential.

To start, it's important to assess if you need this person to have leadership skills to lead a team. If the role does not require this immediately, there are plenty of tools and resources to coach a person up to lead teams. If you do need this person to lead a team immediately, I recommend finding a candidate who is a better fit for the immediate needs of the role. The other option is to provide this person w/leadership support (an advisor) to play that role in tandem with them.

Is team leadership a "Must Have" for this position? If YES, the write that into the job posting. If NO, then you have some slack; you can word it as "preferred but not required". If YES, then your options are more limited with an inexperienced candidate. Is the candidate who lacks experience leading teams an internal candidate? If YES then the easy solution is professional development so they are ready to interview for the next opportunity. If the candidate is external, and the job posting clearly states that supervisory experience is required, then pass on the candidate who lacks that essential skill.

When faced with a candidate lacking team leadership experience, focus on core skills that indicate leadership potential. Communication, problem-solving, and decision-making are foundational to leadership. Recognize their abilities and emphasize how they translate to leadership competencies. Encourage the candidate to draw parallels between their current skills and the tasks they'd face as a leader, bridging the gap between existing capabilities and their aspirations.

INVEST IN TRAINING the core skills. Its the organization's responsibility to build leaders. Dont leave it to chance. Situational Leadership is a great training can teach effective team management to any new or even experienced leader.

This presumes the “candidate” is applying for a people leadership role. What are the core values of the company and competencies celebrated in the best leaders in this company’s business? Does the candidate have transferable or exemplified skills? Is this person being groomed for leadership because they’re a good SME or because they connect well, have a strategic mindset, and executive presence. For someone new to people leadership I recommend gifting them John Maxwell’s 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and if you give them the job - the second book they should have on their shelf is The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins. They also may have some core skills that are good, but to be great - partner them with a business coach and a mentor.

Core skills are the major skills where a candidate have strong hold. For example, a technical IT Recruiter will have to see Node.Js and React.Js as a core skills in MERN Stack developer. Lacking in any side either node or react will be result in rejection of that candidate.

Pairing them with a mentor who has extensive team leadership experience can be highly beneficial. This mentorship will guide the new leader through the learning curve, helping them gain confidence in their new role. Also show trust in their potential and openly communicate your belief in their success. When people feel supported and believed in, they are more likely to thrive.

With more eyes around a person, she can be more aware but I would also insist that the person does it's own feedback to increase self awareness.

I agree with the advice to be paired with a mentor. A heart-to-heart conversation with their manager or skip-level is also an important step. The mentor may provide advice and help the candidate craft the leadership journey, but often, it's the manager and skip-level that will enable leadership opportunities to be actualized.

Mentorship Pairing: Just as a tour guide leads travelers through unfamiliar terrain, a mentor can navigate the candidate through the complexities of leadership. They provide valuable insights and direction, ensuring the candidate doesn't get lost or overwhelmed. With their mentor's guidance, the candidate can explore different leadership scenarios, much like exploring new destinations. The mentor serves as a compass, helping them navigate challenges and discover new paths to success. By setting clear goals and expectations, the mentor creates a structured learning environment, much like a well-organized tour itinerary. This ensures that the candidate's leadership journey is purposeful and rewarding

Practical Experience: Hands-on experience is the forge where leadership skills are honed. It's like a blacksmith's workshop where raw talent is shaped into powerful tools Just as a blacksmith works the metal, you must provide opportunities for your candidate to lead small projects or teams. This hands-on approach allows them to apply their skills in a real-world context, much like hammering molten metal into shape. Encourage them to shadow current leaders or take on leadership roles in low-risk situations. This is akin to giving them their own workstation in the workshop, where they can experiment with different techniques And just as a blacksmith's apprentice learns from the master, ensure your candidate receives constructive feedback

Hands-on experience is the key to developing as a leader! Be willing to listen to your manager, team, and peers' feedback. What resonates? What's working well? What do you think you could improve? Remember that we are all learning! Learn by observing other leaders and then dig deeper into the behaviors that lead to their success. A helpful exercise is to notice the leader's actions and the team's reactions, reflecting on: What would you have done in that situation? Why do you think the leader chose to act in a particular way?

Leadership skills are best developed "in the trenches", but the candidate must be interested in developing this skill. If the candidate is interested, try splitting leadership duties or ownership of a task. Conduct regular check ins with the candidate and the team/task owners to monitor progress, solicit feedback and give notes.

Before even assigning a small project, give your emerging leaders the responsibility of facilitating meetings. Meetings a wonderful place to learn facilitative leadership. It also inculcates organization skills and a mindset of service to others. As their skills in facilitating meetings grows, you can coach and nurture leadership skills with feedback directly after the meeting for maximum impact.

For Continuous Learning: Encourage your candidate to see learning as a journey, not a destination. Just as a ship constantly adjusts its course to navigate changing seas, they must continuously adapt and grow to meet the challenges of leadership. Encourage them to engage in workshops, seminars, and other educational opportunities focused on leadership. These are like navigational tools, helping them chart a course through the complexities of leadership. Remind them that the best leaders are lifelong learners. Just as a seasoned captain never stops studying the stars, they must never stop seeking knowledge and growth. In the ever-changing sea of leadership, continuous learning is the compass that guides them to success.

I highly recommend the book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" By @Stephen R. Covey. Be it a seasoned leader or an aspiring this book has changed lives. Encourage learning. Its my encouragement to you.

Encourage participation in workshops, seminars, and online courses to continuously enhance leadership skills. Emphasize the importance of self-improvement and staying updated with industry trends.

Trusting the "chosen one" and the process is a good start! The new leader propably already has good enough skills to start with and the skills will improve along the way. Being present when meeting people, listening and being curious, courage to be open that you are new as a leader and don't know it all (which helps to deepen connection and belonging among team members) and the ability to encourage people to reach goals - these skills are quite basic and yet these will help anybody to get the ball rolling. Coaching is one tool for the leader to clarify what learning is needed. Coach can also be important person to boost enthusiasm and hope!

In my opinion, feedback is a priceless gift in the leadership development journey, especially for candidates lacking experience. Concrete and open feedback is crucial as it sheds light on our blind spots and areas for improvement. Don't hesitate to seek feedback from superiors, peers, mentors, and team members. Listen attentively to truly understand and learn from the feedback provided. Implementing changes based on feedback is key to personal and professional growth. Welcome feedback as a tool for continuous improvement and watch your leadership skills thrive.

?Esto es clave! Nadie nace sabiendo y en algún momento se tendrá que tirar a la piscina. Es importante que practique con su equipo y que contraste aprendizajes y experiencias contigo. Muy clave en este tipo de feedback es dar seguridad sobre lo que ha funcionado al tiempo que desafiar para ir más allá e identificar cosas concretas que pueda hacer diferente. Por ejemplo: si te cuenta una reunión con sus colaboradores que ha ido bien, le escuchas, reafirmas y al mismo tiempo le preguntas, "?qué hubiera pasado si en lugar de hablar tú el primero hubieras escuchado antes a tu equipo?"

Establish a feedback mechanism where the candidate receives constructive feedback from peers, supervisors, and team members. Encourage reflection and improvement based on feedback received.

Im Kontext von Leadership Executive Coaching f?rdert das Feedforward-Konzept die Führungsentwicklung durch zukunftsorientierte, ressourcenaktivierende Rückmeldungen. Es ermutigt zu proaktivem Verhalten, st?rkt Selbstwirksamkeit und unterstützt das Verst?ndnis systemischer Dynamiken. Durch Feedforward wird der Fokus auf das Potenzial für zukünftige Verbesserungen und die Nutzung bestehender St?rken gelegt, was zu kontinuierlicher Selbstverbesserung und effektiverer Führung führt.

It was said in another post above about the importance of training. What else to consider is the absolute strategic advantage of business coaching. It should not just be for executives or your high potentials. Business Coaching is a foundational must-have for leaders. I would also encourage your prospective candidate to read the books Everyone Deserves a Great Manager by Scott Miller and The 5 Levels of Leadership by John Maxwell. As the hiring leader - I would also suggest to invest some time talking through why the candidate wants to be a people leader. Sometimes people think their career has to be linear and to grow you move from SME to manager. However the skills to lead and serve people are different than tactical execution of tasks.

??70:20:5 Rule ?? A reminder for hiring managers: ??There is no perfect candidate Everyone comes with #strengths, #development areas and #weakness. ???70% of time use the employee's strength for the role ???20% of time develop the employee ???5% of time (not more) work on the weakness - low passion, low ability Leading teams can be taught and developed if the candidate has at least the following: ?? leadership and management capabilities ?? believe in power of collaboration and teams in terms of going further than just going fast by himself or herself ?? character traits of love, gratitude, perseverance, hope, joy, courage, etc. ?? F.A.T. ???faithful to process ???available ???teachable

I'm going to name a BIG elephant in the room and say sometimes folks that don't have experience leading teams aren't the right people to lead teams. We often promote folks that are good at their IC job to leadership roles, without providing the right training, mentorship, or apprenticeship and expect them to succeed. I will often say, ASK THE PERSON FIRST, if they actually want to lead a team as part of their career growth or do they want to become a SME in their current IC role. If they don't, help them be successful as an IC. And secondly, if they do want to lead others, get them resources and support to BE SUCCESSFUL. Allow them to lead projects as an IC, teach them frameworks, and best practices to easily transition into management.

Creating a culture of continuous learning and feedback is essential not only for new leaders but for the entire organization. By fostering an environment where growth and improvement are celebrated, you empower everyone to reach their full potential and contribute to the success of the team. Remember, leadership development is not just about individual growth; it's about cultivating a community of leaders who support and inspire each other to excel.

In my view, lacking experience is not an issue, but lacking attitude is. Sharing you some tips for assessing a candidate with no team leader experience, based on the provided reference and my knowledge as a leadership coach: Growth Mindset: Look for candidates who are eager to learn and develop their skills. Adaptability: Can they adjust to new situations and challenges? Emotional Intelligence: Is the candidate self-aware and can they manage their emotions? These soft skills show a potential for leadership that can be nurtured through coaching and mentorship. Hope it helps.