A few years ago, one of our functional leaders departed and I was debating my options with a friend and advisor. I could either seek an external hire or consider a stretch promotion for an internal candidate currently leading one of the smaller teams within the function. The internal candidate was doing an excellent job leading her team and we believed she had a lot of potential. We had planned to provide her with more scope of responsibility over time but not on such an accelerated timeline. I was a bit nervous about putting her in the seat. It would be a big increase in demands and challenges.
In the discussion, my friend focused on one question: “Can she increase the sense of urgency and accountability on the team?” I’ve come back to that question many times since. While there are many important leadership qualities, that’s a good and simple summation of a key desired outcome from putting a strong leader in place.
I try to remind myself of that question whenever it comes to promotions, new hires, and role changes. I also like to reflect on whether I’m fostering those outcomes across the organization.