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Paul was an outstanding operator in every job he did, and kept being promoted. Eventually, his company moved him up to a strategic role – but, suddenly, Paul was failing. He couldn't prioritize the key issues or find solutions to new problems. He wasn't cut out for high-level decision making. He wasn't wired for the strategic thinking his bosses required.
And according to leadership expert Linda Henman, many organizations fall into the same trap. They hire or promote the people they assume will make great strategists, without asking the right questions. As a result, the wrong candidates get the top jobs, while those who would have worked out much better are overlooked.
In this episode of Pain Points, Linda tells Paul's full story, and explains the dos and don'ts when you come to hire or promote people to decision-making roles. She suggests questions to ask, evidence to seek, and precautions to take before plunging people into jobs that they will never be able to do.
She also raises points that we all need to consider as we plot the next moves in our careers, to avoid following in Paul's footsteps!
Mindtools Resources on Strategic Thinking
The Strategy Book (Book Insight review)
Strategic Thinking for Leaders (Expert Video with John Anderson)
Strategic Leadership (Expert Interview with John Adair)
The Conscious Competence Ladder (Article)
This Week's Expert Guest
Linda Henman (Linda's personal website)
The Henman Performance Group (Linda's consultancy company)
