Dynamic Leader: Emperor Qin Shi Huang, founder of the first Chinese Imperial Dynasty, 260 - 210 BC |
Thursday, June 5, 2014
How to Assess Leadership in an Interview
Leadership ability is the most prized attribute
that clients look for in senior executives. Leadership effectiveness, however,
is one of the hardest things to judge in an interview. Interviewing candidates who have had Asia
careers presents a few extra challenges.
Define
“Leadership”: When you are trying to assess a candidate’s leadership
potential, you have to start with a clear picture of what “leadership” means to
you and your organization. For example, when you say “Leader,” do you mean
someone who excels at coaching employees to rise to high levels of performance
and achieve results? Or is it most important to find someone who can build
relationships and who can influence the powerful people at Headquarters to
adopt a preferred course of action?
Look
for Detailed Specifics: Once you determine what you want in a leader, it’s
easier to come up with the questions you need to ask to understand candidate
potential. The great thing about interviewing executives with Asia experience
is that they have had opportunities to do things that few executives managing
mature businesses in the West have. They have built big businesses and overcome
huge challenges. But you need to dig to find out the specifics.
Many CV’s, particularly those
from candidates whose first language is not English, may give generic job
descriptions without describing specific accomplishments. Also in Asia over the
last 15 years, many businesses have grown at astronomical rates. Executives
working in Asia may have managed businesses that grew 50% a year. You need to
find out whether it was really due to their actions or whether they just rode
the wave.
Longevity Counts: I am always impressed with an Asia candidate
who has had a successful career at one multinational. The Asia businesses of many
Western multinational businesses have gone through tremendous transformations:
from joint venture to wholly-owned, through acquisitions and integrations and
even downsizing. Surviving and thriving for a long time in an environment which
may be volatile, uncertain and complicated is a good indication of maturity and
persistence.
Ask Questions from
Different Angles: Assessing relationship-building skills is especially
difficult. If you ask a direct question like, “How would you describe your interpersonal
skills?” you may get a “canned” answer. Try
asking questions that require the candidate to take a fresh perspective: “if
your employees were here right now, how would they describe you as a boss?” “If your boss was here right now, how would
he/she describe your ability to ‘manage up’?” When the candidate considers a familiar
question from a new angle, the answers are often more interesting.
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