ModernBusiness March 2016 14 MODERN HR & RECRUITMENT R ecruiters who recognise and understand common leadership derailers, can access a far greater talent pool for their clients. Quickly and accurately developing a sound assessment 12 ways your candidate quality is being derailed By Corrinne Armour of each candidate’s strengths and weaknesses minimises the risk of making a placement that fails. Leadership derailers result from positive intentions (what is happening on the inside) being expressed in less than ideal behaviour (what we see on the outside). In Developing Direct Reports: Taking the guesswork out of leading leaders, my co-authors and I outline 12 globally recognised leadership derailers. Staller – analysis paralysis Taking too long to take action; perceived as blockers to progress; missing deadlines or opportunities. Know-it-all – closed to other ideas Reluctant to consider new ideas or input from others. Controller – command and control Highly directive; stifling initiative and innovation. Guardian – inability to innovate Prefers the status quo: reluctant to change, low focus on innovation. Cyclone – bull at a gate In a hurry to achieve results; leaving a wake of destruction and disengagement. Micromanager – management on a leash Excessive supervision: perceived as stifling and untrusting. Doer – can’t delegate Hording work and responsibility to the detriment of themselves and their team. Poker face – showing no emotion Non-expressive communication style: direct verbal communicator; frustrated by inference and reading between the lines. Avoider – conflict averse Reluctant to face tough conversations and situations: creating challenging team dynamics. People burner – poor people skills Prioritisation of task accomplishment over people and relationships. Fence-sitter – indecisive leader Unclear leadership and direction: creating bottle necks in progress and frustration for others. Tactician – poor strategic thinker Reactive to daily pressures, buried in the day- to-day; unable to hold the broader, strategic view. 1 7 2 8 3 9 4 10 5 11 6 12
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ModernBusiness March 201614
MODERN HR & RECRUITMENT
Recruiters who recognise and understand common leadership derailers, can
access a far greater talent pool for their clients. Quickly and accurately developing a sound assessment
12 ways your candidate quality is being derailedBy Corrinne Armour
of each candidate’s strengths and weaknesses minimises the risk of making a placement that fails. Leadership derailers result from positive intentions (what is happening on the inside) being expressed in less
than ideal behaviour (what we see on the outside). In Developing Direct Reports: Taking the guesswork out of leading leaders, my co-authors and I outline 12 globally recognised leadership derailers.
Staller – analysis paralysis Taking too long to take action; perceived as
blockers to progress; missing deadlines or opportunities.
Know-it-all – closed to other ideasReluctant to consider new ideas or input from
others.
Controller – command and control Highly directive; stifling initiative and
innovation.
Guardian – inability to innovate Prefers the status quo: reluctant to change,
low focus on innovation.
Cyclone – bull at a gate In a hurry to achieve results; leaving a wake of destruction and disengagement.
Micromanager – management on a leash Excessive supervision: perceived as stifling
and untrusting.
Doer – can’t delegate Hording work and responsibility to the detriment of themselves and their team.
Poker face – showing no emotion Non-expressive communication style: direct
verbal communicator; frustrated by inference and reading between the lines.
Avoider – conflict averse Reluctant to face tough conversations and situations: creating challenging team
dynamics.
People burner – poor people skills Prioritisation of task accomplishment over
people and relationships.
Fence-sitter – indecisive leader Unclear leadership and direction: creating bottle
necks in progress and frustration for others.
Tactician – poor strategic thinker Reactive to daily pressures, buried in the day-
to-day; unable to hold the broader, strategic view.
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4 10
5 11
6 12
ModernBusinessMarch 2016 15
MODERN HR & RECRUITMENT
Dealing with leadership derailersMost candidates will be guilty of at least one derailer. Derailers may be obvious during the interview process, or they may appear in reference checks. Rather than dropping a potential candidate, follow these steps to determine if they are, in fact, suitable:
1 Seek to understand the candidate’s intention behind their derailing behaviour: are they trying to be ‘supportive’ but are received as ‘suffocating’?
2 Does the behaviour have a positive intention? (eg supportive). Question the candidate around their self-awareness to determine their coachability.
3 If they are coachable and willing to be supported by their new line manager, put them forward with an indicative development plan.
This process ensures you are exploring every avenue to find the right fit and increase your pool of candidates. You will better your reputation with clients through insightful advice and commentary on what’s required to help the candidate
Corrinne Armour is a leadership speaker, trainer and coach who helps leaders and teams get out of their own way and achieve their objectives. She is co-author of Developing Direct Reports: Taking the guesswork out of leading leaders. Contact her at [email protected].
hit the ground running. This is more than just hiring for skills and experience – it’s hiring for attitude and potential. You’ll also reduce the risk of losing the candidate during probation.
People burner: A derailer in actionJeffrey was a gifted project manager with a strong reputation for completing projects within time and budget. After years of contract positions, he was ready for a change of pace. He joined a community organisation in a leadership role, where he could develop longer-term relationships and ‘give back’ to the community. The organisation wanted his project leadership skills and delivery focus as they introduced a project focus to their way of operation. However, after six weeks of prioritising completing projects over building relationships, his team was ready to mutiny and key stakeholders refused to work with him. Jeffrey burned people and relationships. Had the recruiter recognised this derailer, and advised the hiring manager to make an informed decision to develop Jeffrey, he could have been supported in this new role from day one.
Using the 12 derailers to advantageUnderstanding leadership derailers can become the reason your clients come to you. Hiring people is always a risk, but hiring them with good advice, strong insight, and a support plan reduces that risk. Ensure a win/win for all by assisting the hiring manger to provide real-time coaching and performance feedback that acknowledges, elevates and leverages inside intentions, and develops the candidate in the workplace.
ModernBusiness March 201614
MODERN HR & RECRUITMENT
Recruiters who recognise and understand common leadership derailers, can
access a far greater talent pool for their clients. Quickly and accurately developing a sound assessment
12 ways your candidate quality is being derailedBy Corrinne Armour
of each candidate’s strengths and weaknesses minimises the risk of making a placement that fails. Leadership derailers result from positive intentions (what is happening on the inside) being expressed in less
than ideal behaviour (what we see on the outside). In Developing Direct Reports: Taking the guesswork out of leading leaders, my co-authors and I outline 12 globally recognised leadership derailers.
Staller – analysis paralysis Taking too long to take action; perceived as
blockers to progress; missing deadlines or opportunities.
Know-it-all – closed to other ideasReluctant to consider new ideas or input from
others.
Controller – command and control Highly directive; stifling initiative and
innovation.
Guardian – inability to innovate Prefers the status quo: reluctant to change,
low focus on innovation.
Cyclone – bull at a gate In a hurry to achieve results; leaving a wake of destruction and disengagement.
Micromanager – management on a leash Excessive supervision: perceived as stifling
and untrusting.
Doer – can’t delegate Hording work and responsibility to the detriment of themselves and their team.
Poker face – showing no emotion Non-expressive communication style: direct
verbal communicator; frustrated by inference and reading between the lines.
Avoider – conflict averse Reluctant to face tough conversations and situations: creating challenging team
dynamics.
People burner – poor people skills Prioritisation of task accomplishment over
people and relationships.
Fence-sitter – indecisive leader Unclear leadership and direction: creating bottle
necks in progress and frustration for others.
Tactician – poor strategic thinker Reactive to daily pressures, buried in the day-
to-day; unable to hold the broader, strategic view.
1 7
2 8
3 9
4 10
5 11
6 12
ModernBusinessMarch 2016 15
MODERN HR & RECRUITMENT
Dealing with leadership derailersMost candidates will be guilty of at least one derailer. Derailers may be obvious during the interview process, or they may appear in reference checks. Rather than dropping a potential candidate, follow these steps to determine if they are, in fact, suitable:
1 Seek to understand the candidate’s intention behind their derailing behaviour: are they trying to be ‘supportive’ but are received as ‘suffocating’?
2 Does the behaviour have a positive intention? (eg supportive). Question the candidate around their self-awareness to determine their coachability.
3 If they are coachable and willing to be supported by their new line manager, put them forward with an indicative development plan.
This process ensures you are exploring every avenue to find the right fit and increase your pool of candidates. You will better your reputation with clients through insightful advice and commentary on what’s required to help the candidate
Corrinne Armour is a leadership speaker, trainer and coach who helps leaders and teams get out of their own way and achieve their objectives. She is co-author of Developing Direct Reports: Taking the guesswork out of leading leaders. Contact her at [email protected].
hit the ground running. This is more than just hiring for skills and experience – it’s hiring for attitude and potential. You’ll also reduce the risk of losing the candidate during probation.
People burner: A derailer in actionJeffrey was a gifted project manager with a strong reputation for completing projects within time and budget. After years of contract positions, he was ready for a change of pace. He joined a community organisation in a leadership role, where he could develop longer-term relationships and ‘give back’ to the community. The organisation wanted his project leadership skills and delivery focus as they introduced a project focus to their way of operation. However, after six weeks of prioritising completing projects over building relationships, his team was ready to mutiny and key stakeholders refused to work with him. Jeffrey burned people and relationships. Had the recruiter recognised this derailer, and advised the hiring manager to make an informed decision to develop Jeffrey, he could have been supported in this new role from day one.
Using the 12 derailers to advantageUnderstanding leadership derailers can become the reason your clients come to you. Hiring people is always a risk, but hiring them with good advice, strong insight, and a support plan reduces that risk. Ensure a win/win for all by assisting the hiring manger to provide real-time coaching and performance feedback that acknowledges, elevates and leverages inside intentions, and develops the candidate in the workplace.
What inspired you to start your business? What are your goals and values?Through almost 20 years of leadership roles in corporate Australia, I saw the impact of good (and bad) leadership on organisations, team morale and individuals. Living and working in a jungle refugee camp in Thailand, I experienced first hand, the massive impact poor leadership has on whole communities.
I have always enjoyed developing the people in my team, and so it was a natural progression to refocus my energy and attention on supporting leadership development of others.My values are potency, integrity, sustainability, lightness, and community.
What was the driving force behind your decision to specialise in this area of business?My belief in the importance of fearless leadership, and my commitment to developing that in myself and others. Fearless Leadership allows individuals to reach their career potential; it enables teams to get unstuck and fulfil their goals. Fearless Leadership ensures that organisational missions are achieved.
What types of customers do you help? What experience do you have helping small business customers?I help leaders and teams (including SMEs)get out of their own way. Clients come to me when they:• Need to lead a significant change and make it stick• Want to harness the full capacity of their leadership team to achieve objectives• Know they need to develop leadership more effectively
Getting to KnowCorrinne Armour
What are the main reasons that someone would choose you to help grow/develop/improve their business?The three key reasons someone would choose me to help develop their business are:• Fearless Leadership – I can have the conversations that need to be had in ways that build and not bruise relationships.• Results focussed – Working with me, clients get outcomes (and have fun along the way).• Real world – My work is grounded in the competing realities of the workplace and the challenges of being a leader.
Do you service other sectors as well?Yes – I have clients in corporate, government, and in the community sector.
What challenges did you face in setting up your business?Once I made the decision to leave the corporate world, my biggest challenge was choosing a business name (which was Extraordinary Future). I was worried if this was such a hard thing to do, how would I cope with all the other decisions I would need to make along the way! Ironically, in mid 2015 I stopped using ‘Extraordinary Future’ and began trading under my own name as that is where I have the strongest brand recognition.
It’s probably also worth pointing out that I am not running under a ‘business model’ but rather a ‘practice model’. There is no intention to build the business and sell it for lotto-like sums.
What types of services do you offer?I help leaders and teams get out of their own way by embracing fearless leadership. This includes training
and team development, keynote speaking and mentoring.
Do you provide services nationally and internationally?Yes. I have clients around Australia and in US, SE Asia and Europe.
What achievement are you most proud of in recent times?Publishing my latest book ‘Developing Direct Reports: Taking the guesswork out of leading leaders’. Written for leaders who lead leaders, this practical handbook offers proven strategies for developing leadership in others, on the job. I am proud of it because of the impact it is already having in helping people increase leadership effectiveness, and also because it was a collaboration with two colleagues (who also work independently and run practice models) and we have learnt a lot together.
What would you say to someone looking for a business consultant and what advice would you give them?Focus on what you are good at, and hire in the best consultant you can to support you in areas that aren’t your strengths. A good consultant will deliver a return on investment beyond what you would imagine possible.Find someone who challenges your thinking – if what you are doing now was working, you wouldn’t need help! You don’t need to like a consultant (you probably have plenty of people in your social circle who you like – you aren’t buying more friends). You do need to trust and respect them. If you find yourself self-censoring, then you are working with the wrong person.
ModernBusinessFebruary 2016 17
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
ModernBusiness February 201616
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
What inspired you to start your business? What are your goals and values?Through almost 20 years of leadership roles in corporate Australia, I saw the impact of good (and bad) leadership on organisations, team morale and individuals. Living and working in a jungle refugee camp in Thailand, I experienced first hand, the massive impact poor leadership has on whole communities.
I have always enjoyed developing the people in my team, and so it was a natural progression to refocus my energy and attention on supporting leadership development of others.My values are potency, integrity, sustainability, lightness, and community.
What was the driving force behind your decision to specialise in this area of business?My belief in the importance of fearless leadership, and my commitment to developing that in myself and others. Fearless Leadership allows individuals to reach their career potential; it enables teams to get unstuck and fulfil their goals. Fearless Leadership ensures that organisational missions are achieved.
What types of customers do you help? What experience do you have helping small business customers?I help leaders and teams (including SMEs)get out of their own way. Clients come to me when they:• Need to lead a significant change and make it stick• Want to harness the full capacity of their leadership team to achieve objectives• Know they need to develop leadership more effectively
Getting to KnowCorrinne Armour
What are the main reasons that someone would choose you to help grow/develop/improve their business?The three key reasons someone would choose me to help develop their business are:• Fearless Leadership – I can have the conversations that need to be had in ways that build and not bruise relationships.• Results focussed – Working with me, clients get outcomes (and have fun along the way).• Real world – My work is grounded in the competing realities of the workplace and the challenges of being a leader.
Do you service other sectors as well?Yes – I have clients in corporate, government, and in the community sector.
What challenges did you face in setting up your business?Once I made the decision to leave the corporate world, my biggest challenge was choosing a business name (which was Extraordinary Future). I was worried if this was such a hard thing to do, how would I cope with all the other decisions I would need to make along the way! Ironically, in mid 2015 I stopped using ‘Extraordinary Future’ and began trading under my own name as that is where I have the strongest brand recognition.
It’s probably also worth pointing out that I am not running under a ‘business model’ but rather a ‘practice model’. There is no intention to build the business and sell it for lotto-like sums.
What types of services do you offer?I help leaders and teams get out of their own way by embracing fearless leadership. This includes training
and team development, keynote speaking and mentoring.
Do you provide services nationally and internationally?Yes. I have clients around Australia and in US, SE Asia and Europe.
What achievement are you most proud of in recent times?Publishing my latest book ‘Developing Direct Reports: Taking the guesswork out of leading leaders’. Written for leaders who lead leaders, this practical handbook offers proven strategies for developing leadership in others, on the job. I am proud of it because of the impact it is already having in helping people increase leadership effectiveness, and also because it was a collaboration with two colleagues (who also work independently and run practice models) and we have learnt a lot together.
What would you say to someone looking for a business consultant and what advice would you give them?Focus on what you are good at, and hire in the best consultant you can to support you in areas that aren’t your strengths. A good consultant will deliver a return on investment beyond what you would imagine possible.Find someone who challenges your thinking – if what you are doing now was working, you wouldn’t need help! You don’t need to like a consultant (you probably have plenty of people in your social circle who you like – you aren’t buying more friends). You do need to trust and respect them. If you find yourself self-censoring, then you are working with the wrong person.
