4 leadership development lessons

1. Promoting top performers

The best performers in their function are often rewarded with promotion. This appeases any hunger for career progression that the individual might have, helping to retain and engage top talent, and makes the selection process a lot easier. However the best performer isn’t always the best person for a leadership role.

“Some top performers are so results driven, results at all costs, they make poor leaders as they aren’t motivated by the team effort as well as the result,” says Sally Hopson, Customer & People Director at Pets At Home. “We need to look beyond the financials when assessing performance to see the true picture.”

An example would be within the sales function of an organisation. A top seller will go above and beyond personal targets, but may not be necessarily suited to a leadership position that requires the motivation of an entire team. Furthermore, the extra responsibility may result in a weaker sales performance.