Lucky Break ... Pay It Forward.

In my work, I have had the opportunity to listen to hundreds of people share their career journey stories. I hear a common theme: Literally all leaders credit a former boss or senior colleague for giving them that “lucky break” by nudging them into stretch roles which helped get them to where they are today.

Is anyone ever 100 percent ready to take on a new role? 

A foundation of relevant skills and experiences is important, but these skills are the easy qualifications to identify, the easy boxes to check off. Consider this:  if candidates for a job have already “been there/done that,” how long do you expect them to be truly engaged and motivated in a position that does not challenge them?

In my experience, great leaders identify emerging talent who bring the intangibles, something beyond the core skills. They find those people who have the right characteristics to succeed. What are those characteristics? Research conducted by the venerable non-profit Center for Creative Leadership identifies 10 core leadership traits:  honesty, ability to delegate, communication, sense of humor, confidence, commitment, positive attitude, creativity, ability to inspire, and intuition.

Who took a chance on you, believed in you, pushed you to get where you are today?  As a thank you to them, guide talent on your team towards stretch roles to develop tomorrow’s leaders.