Great Analysts ≠ Great Leaders
One of the biggest traps I have seen in my career is companies promoting great analysts to leaders. Now, I get the thought process behind this mistake. You see someone doing amazing work, and you think to yourself… “They have done such a great job with their work so far; I bet they will continue to do a great job leading others.” That thinking is inherently flawed in several important ways, the least of which is the lack of asking the person if that is what they really want with their career. When making key decisions that will impact an organization for several years to come, like placing individuals in leadership roles, a great deal of thought must be put into the decision-making process.
The case I am trying to make is not that all analysts, especially those who are amazing, would make poor leaders. In fact, it would be false if I stated that as truth. Every great leader was once an entry-level employee who moved up the career ladder by developing new skills and performing well over the years. The mistake lies in promoting the wrong analyst into a role that does not fit their desires, skill sets, or abilities. To avoid the pitfall of moving the wrong person into a key role, especially a leadership role, there are three questions you should first consider.
What does the person you are considering want?
We have a tendency to believe that if we find something attractive, others will too. The truth is, we are right in that belief about 50 percent of the time (more or less, depending on how niche the ‘thing’ is). When it comes to moving someone into a leadership role, from their individual contributor role, we believe the higher salary, greater responsibility, and increased influence are always desirable to all people. While some of those items may sound great to you (the reader), how much of you really wants all three? Most of us would say “yes” to a higher salary, but maybe not to greater responsibility. When considering someone for a role, first understand if they would like or are willing to take on all that comes with the role. Have conversations with them. Their opinion matters more than yours in this situation because if they don’t feel like they want the role, then why give it to someone not passionate about it?
Do they have the necessary skills?
Being a great analyst does not automatically translate to being a great leader. Think about it. You are probably pretty skilled in a variety of things, but not everything. You may be a great basketball player, but are you an amazing mathematician too? And maybe you are both of those things (you NBA-playing Einstein), but you may not be a great poet. Just because someone you know is doing a great job writing code does not mean they will be a great strategic thinker too. Each role in an organization comes with a unique set of skills. Some skills overlap with other roles, but no two roles have exactly the same set of skills. When considering a person for a leadership role, or any role for that matter, you should ask yourself two things: do they have all or most of the skills needed for the role, and do you believe they can be properly trained to fill in any skill gaps they may have?
Did you properly vet them?
Say you found your person. You found someone who both wants all the things that come with the role and has all the skills necessary to theoretically do an amazing job in the role. Offer them the role, right? Not so fast. There is one final question you should ask yourself before sending over that contract. Did you properly vet them? “What do I mean by that?” you may ask. I am effectively asking if you believe they are the best fit you are going to find to do the job you need done. Is everything great, not just on paper, but also in real life? I have heard countless horror stories of hiring managers saying how they found the perfect person for the role. They had a great resume, the interview was amazing, and they were the worst decision they ever made. If you want to truly see what someone will be like, you have to test them, hear from past supervisors, and ensure their golden words can translate into diamond actions.
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Till next time,
