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How to Spot Your Next Star Leader Today

By 
Corey Loehr
 / 
October 25, 2021
 / 
iStock 1268719270 2

In challenging times not everyone handles everything that is going on in your business environment. However, it's the star performers in your team that will. They separate themselves from the pack by having innate traits that shine through. Spotting your next star leader is going to help you in the future.Be on the lookout for these traits, as well as behaviors, and encourage them more. By building up your star performers, you are grooming your leaders of the future.Here are the traits to look for as identified in The Hartford Business Owners Handbook:

Spotting your next star leader: quality is of number one importance

As soon as you read this, you probably already recognize the employee who goes out of their way to provide quality in everything they do. Whether cleaning the facilities or working with fitness center members, they strive and deliver quality every time.For these individuals, it wouldn't matter if they had to take twice as long to do something to deliver the best quality possible; they'll do that.And there is a difference between perfectionism and quality. Here the trait we are talking about is pride in what is delivered, rather than a need to be perfect.

Skills development and continual learning are essential

These same individuals always want to learn more and better themselves in a way that they can use in the business. This trait is about learning to be of help to others, learning to fill a skills gap – because they can, learning from the point of being genuinely interested in understanding and knowing more about that topic.How many of your top performers are in this category and openly display this trait?

Fearless decision making

For these star performers, is this trait about fearlessness or the trust that individuals have in themselves. Perhaps they also feel confident that their Manager, you, has their back should the decision they did make not turn out so perfectly. Fearlessness comes from a lack of fear.The knowingness to be confident has them believe they have all of the information they need to make an informed decision and stick by it, regardless of the outcome.These individuals show initiative too by making bold decisions at times when others don't. How to spot your next star leader? A bias towards action is a clear sign of the ability to make a decision.

Desire for input

People with innate leadership abilities are often more open to feedback and input from others. They like to know how they are performing, what they can improve on, where they could have done better. Their willingness to learn and improve leads them to seek feedback from others, not simply their Manager.Listen carefully, and you may hear these individuals asking members for input and feedback too. These high performers are constantly striving to not only better themselves but also the business.

They are self-directed

Another of the key traits you will notice in your star performers is that of being self-directed. You won't see them standing around waiting to be told what to do. Instead, they see something that needs doing and will jump right in and complete it.We spoke about handling staff shortages in these changing times [include link to the earlier article that discussed this topic]; these are the team members who will step up and fill those voids. They will be the person that does tasks that need doing without needing to be told.The thing to consider when you notice this happening often is to remember to show your appreciation. These star performers won't ask for acknowledgment that they are doing a great job, and it will be welcomed by them just the same. Spotting your next star leader requires a bit of paying it forward with acknowledgement.

How to spot your next star leader: Cool under pressure

Being cool under pressure may be THE one trait you will be aware of because of its impact on the entire day of those in the situation that arises. Many people do not handle pressure well. Your star leader will, though. They will be cool-headed, organized, calm, and smiling under the most trying of circumstances. Why? Because they understand that staying calm will allow them to make rational decisions, not emotional ones. These leaders know how to get others who don't cope with pressure, to perform during stressful times.They are the ones pulling the team together due to how calm they naturally are.

Good people skills

Maybe this trait should be on the top of the list as it is perhaps the trait that will show up most often. These people skills show up both with the team in your fitness center and with any other people they come in contact with. That may be members, or contractors, or even the cleaning staff. They have a way of making everyone feel welcome and part of a community.You may notice these leaders remember names or something specific about people. It is one of the small things they do that makes a big difference.Take the time now to stop and consider specific team members. How many of them show all seven of these traits? In how many do you see five to seven of these?How can you encourage those that you see a few of these behaviors in?

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