By Lisa Martin & Betsy Jordyn

One of our children is very musical and was recently invited to participate in his elementary school choir. When driving him to his first session, he remarked, “Mom, you know the problem with choir is they let anyone in. Some people aren’t all that good and that’s a problem because we’d be much better if only the best could join.”

As a senior leader, your gut and experience tell you that this casual, off-the-cuff remark by a 12-year-old boy holds tremendous truth. The truth is that your organization, if populated with extraordinary talent, will hit the high notes and outperform others, just like a choir filled with the best range and volume of voices.

Organizations thrive when extraordinarily talented and committed people are at the helm, customers thrive when they receive stellar products and services, and employees thrive when they can enjoy their work environments. As a leader, you thrive when you are able to achieve outstanding business results and have the satisfaction that comes with delivering a job well done.

On the other hand, when less effective talent lead, the entire organization suffers. Employees suffer, business results suffer, and your company’s reputation suffers. In addition, you suffer because much of your precious time is eaten up by questions that plague you about these individuals and the consequences of their ineffectiveness.

The key question you may be asking yourself is: How can I ensure that those positioned for key roles have the right stuff?

Do You Have a Rising Star in Your Midst?

When we refer to extraordinary talent, we mean Rising Stars. A rising star is an individual with great promise, someone who outshines their peers in many ways. These Rising Stars are that great talent that helps organizations surpass the competition.

You cannot maximize your talent unless you know that people who are currently working for you or might be working for you at some point are the indeed the best choice; that some, if not many, have the attributes of a rising star. The following framework will help you evaluate your talent, from the perspective of what they can do and who they are.

Six Attributes of a Rising Star

Capacity: Does he or she demonstrate the ability to take on increasing amounts of responsibility? Can this person sort to the highest priorities and manage time well?

Consistent Contribution: Does this person have a proven track record of success? Does he or she demonstrate his or her effectiveness in delivering results in a variety of roles? Does this individual possess the technical abilities required? Does this individual possess a passion for serving customers and clients well and exceeding expectations?

Can-Do Attitude: Can this individual face challenges and opportunities with dignity and grace? Does he or she take measured risks, both in terms of running a business and finding ways to better himself or herself? Is this individual balanced at sharing his or her opinion and supporting decisions after they are made?

Communication: Can this individual develop relationships with customers and employees from all walks of life and leadership levels? Can this individual develop the required strategic alliances across organizational boundaries that are necessary to deliver the best results?

Commitment: Does this individual fit well with the company’s culture and values? Does he or she demonstrate passion for their work and working for you?

Character: Does this person possess true character as defined by “moral compass”? Character represents integrity, which means doing the right things because they are right. Character is also about trustworthiness, as in: Does what this individual says match what he or she does? Can his or her words be counted on? Character is about taking responsibility for failures, as well as for successes. Most importantly, character is about how someone treats people from all walks of life and leadership levels.

Why do you want to grow your pool of Rising Stars?

You may be wondering if it is even realistic to have only top talent in your organization. It probably is not realistic, given that the fact that Rising Stars are the best of the best because they are unique. They do stand out above the crowd. That said, it is not unrealistic to work on progressively increasing the percentage of Rising Stars at every level throughout your organization. Rising Stars are not limited to leadership and, in fact, many Rising Stars may not become leaders. The term “Rising Stars” is not synonymous with “leaders.” It is actually synonymous with “high performance.”

Whether you employ a front-line cashier, food server, performer or a custodian, you want the best. If you employ executives, you also want the best. When you increase the quality of the performance at the individual level, you increase the culture and environment of high performance in the entire organization. A high performance culture simply outperforms. Period.

The Top Line

Getting the right people into the choir and having them sing the right parts is not an easy feat to accomplish. When you obtain that goal, however, the music is a joy. And when you don’t, it sounds like fingernails on a chalkboard. The only way to ensure a solid performance is to be very cautious about who gets to join the group and play the key roles.

It’s up to you to choose the best of the best to run your organization and have a clear idea of what that means and a plan to make it a reality. Take enough time up front to evaluate those whom you have chosen to take on important roles in your organization, not just from the perspective of what they can do, but from the perspective of who they are and their potential to be the best.

© Copyright 2011. Lisa Martin and Betsy Jordyn. All rights reserved.