There is a point in an executive’s career when experience alone stops being the differentiator.
Most candidates being considered for senior leadership roles already have impressive résumés. They have led teams, managed through change, delivered results and built deep expertise.
The difference is often how they lead. Can they read a room before reacting? Can they challenge a team without losing its trust? Can they recognize when their own leadership style needs to change? Can they make difficult decisions while understanding the impact those decisions have on people?
Daniel Goleman’s research on emotional intelligence helped establish something many organizations have seen firsthand: the qualities that make someone technically accomplished are not always the same qualities that make someone an exceptional leader: Self-awareness. Self-regulation. Empathy. Motivation. Social skill.
These can sound like “soft skills.” At the executive level, they are anything but soft. They influence culture, retention, decision-making, communication and an organization’s ability to navigate change.
When evaluating executive talent, the question should not only be: “Can this person do the job?”
It should also be: “What happens to the organization when this person leads it?”
That is a much more important question.
Gretchen O’Brien
gobrien@kingbishop.com
(781) 890-8824
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