preparing for your succession, excerpt from John Maxwell book

1. IDENTIFYING
POTENTIAL LEADERS

2. INTRODUCTION
• One of the primary responsibilities of a successful
leader is to identify potential leaders.
• It is not always an easy job but critical for the
organization.

5. SELECTING THE RIGHT
PLAYERS
• Selecting the right players for the organization is
vital.
• If you select well, the benefits grow tremendously.
• If you select poorly, the problems are multiplied and
seem endless.
• Hiring needs to be done strategically.
• Always look to hire the best people possible.

6. A LEADER’S KEY
QUESTION
Am I raising up
potential leaders?
Grow a leader-
grow the
organization
It takes a leader to
know a leader,
grow a leader and
show a leader.
There is no
success without a
successor.

7. IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL
LEADERS
1. Start the process of looking for leaders with
inventory of your organization – Maxwell’s Five
A’s
2. Assess leadership qualities of potential leaders.
3. Regard hiring as a priority.

8. MAXWELL’S FIVE A’ s
ASSESSMENT OF NEEDS
What is needed?
ASSETS ON HAND
Who are the people already in the organization who are
available?
ABILITY OF CANDIDATES
Who is able?
ATTITUDE OF CANDIDATES
Who is willing?
ACCOMPLISHMENT OF CANDIDATES
Who get things done?

9. ASSESS LEADERSHIP QUALITIES
OF POTENTIAL LEADERS
• Done by rating potential leaders on 25 questions on
a scale of 1-5.
• When assessing a potential leader, pay more
attention to the quality of the person as addressed
by the characteristics than to the specific score.

10. ASSESS LEADERSHIP QUALITIES OF
POTENTIAL LEADERS
0 1 2 3 4
1 The person has influence.
2. The person has self-discipline.
3. The person has a good track record.
4. The person has strong people skills.
5. The person has the ability to solve problems.
6. The person does not accept the status quo.
7. The person sees the big picture.
8. The person has the ability to handle stress.
9. The person displays a positive spirit.
10. The person understands people.
11. The person is free of personal problems.
12. The person is willing to take responsibility.
13. The person is free from anger.

11. ASSESS LEADERSHIP QUALITIES OF
POTENTIAL LEADERS
0 1 2 3 4
14. The person is willing to make changes.
15. The person has integrity.
16. The person is growing closer to God.
17. The person has the ability to see what needs to be
done next.
18. The person is accepted as a leader by others.
19. The person has the ability and desire to keep
learning.
20. The person has a manner that draws people.
21. The person has a good self-image.
22. The person has a willingness to serve others.
23. The person has the ability to bounce back when
problems arise.
24. The person has the ability to develop other leaders.
25. The person takes initiative.
TOTAL SCORE

12. ASSESS LEADERSHIP QUALITIES OF
POTENTIAL LEADERS
SCORE RATING REMARKS
90-100 Great leader Should be mentoring other good and
great leaders
80-89 Good leader Must keep growing and keep
mentoring others
70-79 Emerging leader Focus on growth and begin mentoring
others
60-69 Bursting with
potential
Excellent person to be developed.
Below 60 Needs growth May not be ready to be mentored as a
leader

13. LAW OF DIMINISHING
EXPERTISE
• Leaders tend to hire people
whose ability and expertise are
beneath their own. As a result,
when organizations grow and
more people are hired, the
number of people with low
expertise far exceeds the
leaders who have great
expertise.
I. Martin
Jacknis

14. REGARD HIRING AS A
PRIORITY
i. Make hiring the responsibility of a highly
developed leader.
ii. Hire the most highly developed leaders you can
get.
“If each of us hires people who are smaller than
we are, we shall become a company of dwarfs.
But if each of us hires people who are bigger
then we are, we will become a company of
giants.”

15. QUALITIES TO LOOK FOR IN A
LEADER
• Character
• Influence
• Positive Attitude
• Excellent People Skills
• Evident Gifts
• Proven Track Record
• Confidence
• Self-discipline
• Effective Communication Skills
• Discontent with the Status Quo

16. CHARACTER
• Good character : honesty , integrity , self-discipline,
dependability, perseverance , conscientiousness and a
strong work ethics.
• Warning signs to poor character: failing to take
responsibility for their actions, unfulfilled obligations and
failing to meet deadlines.
• Character flaws cannot be ignored.They will
eventually make a leader ineffective.
• You can tell much about a person’s ability to lead others
from how well he manages his own life.

17. • It means a person knows he is going somewhere ,
and he / is able to persuade others to go with him.
• Look for people who are followed by other good
people, not mediocres one , as well as people who
follow good role models.
INFLUENCE

18. POSITIVE ATTITUDE
• Look for people with a no-limit mindset , who are willing
to try anything , who always think positive , and are not
restricted by self-imposed limitations.
• Attitude sets the tone, not only for the leader with the
attitude, but also for the people following him.

19. EXCELLENT PEOPLE SKILLS
• Look for people who have genuine concern for others ,
who understand people and strives to interact well with
others,

20. EVIDENT GIFTS
• We need to objectively assess people’s combination of
gifts and level of gifting , as well as how to develop those
gifts.
NEVER BE
Redirect to a suitable
placement
COULD BE
Encourage self-discipline
SHOULD BE
Provide training
MUST BE
Provide opportunity
WANNA BE
LEADERS

21. PROVEN TRACK RECORD
• Always check a person’s past performance.
• A good leader always has a proven track record –it
means they have learned from past mistakes and gone
on to make an impact.

22. CONFIDENCE
• People are naturally attracted to people with confidence.
• Look for people who believe in themselves in whatever
the circumstances and able to instill confidence in his
people.

23. SELF-DISCIPLINE
• Disciplined people know how to manage 2 things : their
emotions and their time.
• A leader who decides not to allow other people’s actions
to dictate his reactions experiences an empowering
freedom.
• Disciplined people are always growing, always striving
for improvement, and they maximize the use of their
time.

24. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
SKILLS
• Without the ability to communicate , a leader cannot
effectively cast his vision and call his people to act on
that vision.
• Communicating effectively means having a genuine
concern for the people they talk to ,ability to focus on the
other person , skill to communicate with all kinds of
people , able to maintain eye contact and always having
a warm smile ready.

25. DISCONTENT WITH THE
STATUS QUO
• “Great leaders are never satisfied with current levels of
performance. They constantly strive for higher and higher
levels of achievement.” They move beyond the status
quo themselves, and they ask the same of those around
them.”
Donna Harrison
• Look for people who are not willing to be satisfied with
the status quo , willing to be different and take risks.