How to Place The Right Leaders in The Right Roles

When you expand your business, placing the right leaders in the right roles will make or break your success. As you develop your executive leadership and director roles, the question isn’t just who can fill these positions but who can excel in them.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to ensure your leadership team is built for long-term success.

1. Identify Essential Skills & Competencies: Before considering who should step into a leadership role, it is critical to define what success looks like in that position. Start by creating a success profile for that role. What outputs are necessary for the role? What skills and competencies are required to achieve those outputs? For example, suppose you’re building a multi-unit director role. In that case, the individual must oversee multiple locations, think strategically, and identify root causes of issues—not just execute daily tasks. This clearly distinguishes between a “doer” and a strategic leader.
2. Conduct a Skill Gap Analysis: Now, you must assess your current team. Where do your leaders stand regarding the skills and competencies needed for these higher-level positions? Perform a skill gap analysis to identify areas for development. For instance, if a potential leader is rated 3 out of 5 in strategic thinking but needs to be at a 4 to excel in their new role, this is where you focus your development efforts.
3. Develop a Personal Development Plan: With the skill gap analysis complete, it’s time to create personalized development plans. This isn’t just about training. It’s about providing the resources, mentorship, and experiences that will elevate your leaders to the next level. Use this time to guide them from tactical management to strategic leadership. One key transformation is shifting their mindset. They must move beyond the need to do everything themselves and start trusting others to take on tasks. This involves mastering delegation, emotional regulation, and time management.
4. Provide Opportunities for Growth: Development doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Create opportunities for your leaders to stretch their abilities. Assign them to larger projects, involve them in strategic planning sessions, and give them the chance to think on a higher level. By doing this, you prepare them for their future roles and ensure they are genuinely ready to lead.
5. Ensure the Right Fit: Ultimately, the goal is to place the right leaders in the right seats. It’s not about filling a position. Ensure the person in that role has the skills, passion, and mindset to thrive.

As you scale your business and build your legacy, remember the strength of your leadership team will determine your long-term success. By focusing on the right skills, providing targeted development, and creating growth opportunities, you can ensure that the right leaders are in place to drive your business forward.

If you’d like to explore 1:1 coaching to navigate real-life challenges to build resilient teams, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I work directly with business owners and managers to implement these strategies effectively.

Book a complimentary talent gap assessment call HERE.