Potential Fit: Let’s Rethink How Leaders Are Identified

In response to the rapidly evolving world of work, many organizations are undergoing some form of business transformation. Achieving success in implementing these significant and sometimes ongoing changes requires exceptional leadership. The question then arises: how can organizations ensure that their leaders are capable of meeting the demands of today’s dynamic work environment?

The answer lies in understanding the specific contexts that leaders need to excel within the work environment. Unfortunately, most organizations have no formal way of defining the context of a leader's role or the qualities that are likely to be most effective in this context. Consequently, individuals who may be a strong fit are often overlooked, while others who are ill-suited for these roles are appointed. Therefore, successful succession planning must go beyond merely considering an individual’s past performance and accomplishments. Adopting a traditional approach to identifying leaders may be counterproductive and limit the potential consideration of many who could otherwise be great leaders.

Most organizations have no formal way of defining the context of a leader's role or the qualities that are likely to be most effective in this context.

Why potential fit is the new key to identifying leaders

Rethinking how leaders are identified is essential to fully leveraging one’s leadership talent pool at scale. By using potential fit to leader contexts, organizations can identify individuals who may not come from a more traditional career path, but who possess the necessary potential to become great leaders. In fact, SHL research shows that succession planning decisions become 4x more accurate when context is considered.

To implement this approach, organizations can use assessments and tools to identify an individual's potential fit to different leadership contexts (such as leading a cross-cultural team or managing a broad portfolio of products). By incorporating potential fit-to-leader contexts into leadership identification, organizations can tap into a wider pool of talent and create a more diverse and inclusive leadership team.

Succession planning decisions become 4x more accurate when context is considered.

Over the years, IBM has evolved from a technology company to a “problem-solving company”. So, it is no surprise that this same growth mindset is being applied to the way IBM identifies talent for its critical leadership roles. Like so many organizations, IBM was searching for a way to cast a wider, more objective net to the identification of possible internal candidates, with the aspirational goal of surfacing hidden gems, and partnered with SHL to use potential fit to leader contexts as a way to fully leverage their leadership talent pool at scale.

We will help IBM bring this story to life in a live session at the Gartner ReimagineHR Conference on Oct. 25, 12:00-12:30 PM ET in the Swan Ballroom 10.

If you are going to the Gartner ReimagineHR Conference in Orlando, FL (October 23-25), join the SHL team to learn about how we can power your people strategies and maximize returns on your talent investments. For complete conference details and to learn about everything SHL has planned for the conference, please visit the Gartner ReimagineHR Conference page.