August 2023 Volume 5

OPERATIONS & MANAGEMENT

Assessing the Potential of Leadership Candidates By Melanie Williamson and Ray Harkins

support their newest leaders. Assessments can also be utilized with existing leadership to highlight areas for improvement or possibly restructuring. There are a wide range of assessments that companies can greatly benefit from utilizing during hiring and ongoing leadership development. Choosing an assessment may feel challenging if assessment utilization is new for your company. While there are many different types of leadership assessments that look at different factors for the individual, some have been studied and utilized more than others. The more an assessment is utilized, the more opportunities there are to fine tune it and determine the best applications for it. With that in mind, the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) and the Baron EQ/I Assessment are the two most widely applicable and foundational assessments to use within leadership development. The CPI Assessment puts each individual in one of four categories: implementor, innovator, supporter, or visualizer. Each category provides both positive and negative attributes because no one is all positive or all negative. All individuals have a range of attributes that can be utilized in different areas of life, business, and leadership. According to the Myers-Briggs Company, which is an assessment authority, the implementor is ambitious, organized, and efficient; the innovator is complicated, spontaneous, and funny; the supporter is patient and reserved, and the visualizer is reflective, frank, and unconventional. Within business, these categories each reveal information about the individual that can be used to determine if they would be a good fit within a leadership role. However, they do not provide a full picture of the individual’s potential and should not be used to pigeonhole an employee. The focus should be matching skills and focusing on development.

Choosing the best candidates for leadership roles can be challenging for any business. The amount of training and investment that goes into newly hired leaders is significant, so it is crucial to choose a candidate that is going to excel in the position and offer a long-term solution for the organization. Often, internal promotions are based on longevity and task knowledge. An individual who has been with the company for a long time and deeply understands the products and processes of the company seems like an ideal candidate for leadership roles. However, longevity and task knowledge do not demonstrate their ability to lead others, manage large products, or trouble shoot higher level issues. For external candidates, hiring decisions are based on resume, cover letter, interviews, and possibly references. These elements can clearly tell a lot about a candidate. Past leadership roles and project management can be demonstrated. However, there are still gaps in the knowledge that can be gleaned from these sources. Additionally, during the application and interview process, individuals present their best work and accomplishments. Which highlights what they can achieve in the workplace but does not demonstrate their shortcomings or areas where further development would be beneficial. Psychological assessments provide insight into the individual that may not be otherwise evident through the interview process. Assessments are designed to bring out information about the way the individual thinks and interacts with others on a level they may not even be aware of. Assessments are commonly used in a wide range of settings yet are still a fairly new application within business. Assessments can highlight specific areas where a candidate may need further development, which isn’t to say they aren’t the ideal candidate. But rather, to show where the company can best

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