 Technology Individual Contributors who are strong at their craft and have proven themselves worthy are often rewarded via a promotion to a Leadership Position. It can be an exciting yet unnerving transition for many who may think they are NOT "Leadership Material". However, in my tech recruiting experience I have seen many tech people without natural born leadership traits acquire these skills and improve over time with practice indeed go on to be very successful and effective leaders. So as a Organization looking inside your "own house" for your next Tech Leader, how do you identify those people that have the Leadership "Chops"?
One clue might be to not necessarily look at specific Leadership skills but focus on some intangible attributes that your Tech Employees possesses that can be focused on to nurture and grow like a "plant". The intangible attributes I was thinking of all begin with the letter (I). While they won't guarantee success, embracing these five simple I's can help a new leader make a smoother transition into their new role. Those are (Integrity, Inclusion, Independence, Involvement, Influence). I'll briefly gloss over the main points of these to give a snap shot view how to identify these. INTEGRITY To be well-respected in an organization as a leader, one must possess integrity, which serves as an integral part of one's character. A good leader should be authentic, able to walk the walk and talk the talk, and always have the best interests of the organization in mind. A leader should not make decisions that benefit them for personal or career gains and jeopardize the greater interest of the company. Being honest, making fair decisions and doing the right thing for the organization is expected from a quality leader. Therefore your HR Leaders and whomever else is involved in the promotion process should look to identify people in your organization who have demonstrated this intangible. One example might be someone who has taken a step back to their own personal success to make decisions that took them out of the "lime light" to help the overall team project succeed. INCLUSION A true leader should be inclusive of partners, peers and stakeholders in all major initiatives. Making decisions and doing things with a "lone wolf" mentality does not work in large enterprises. In fact it alienates people pushing them to not trust you and gain support of your partners, which, by extension, is critical to the success of any program. A good leader should include others in general discussions in order to ensure there is a certain level of diversity of thought and to help capture knowledge. Being inclusive is the key to winning the trust and confidence of one's team and partners. Final decision making authority is on the leader, but including others to weigh in on various options is extremely important for building allies and having success in any type of leadership position. INDEPENDENCE Nobody likes a leader who micromanages. Most people, especially in the tech sector, desire to work with a certain level of independence in order to achieve creative satisfaction. Money is not always the primary motivating factor to attract and retain top talent. As a leader, one should empower his or her team and give the necessary independence to do their job effectively. This way leaders can groom their teams for the next level of leadership by empowering them to make the right decisions for the company and avoid decision paralysis by eliminating themselves as leaders as the center of dependency for every decision. INVOLVEMENT As a leader, one must be involved enough to know the macro-level details happening in and around the team. Being involved and having the data ready to share with upper management always helps with building up credibility. It also ensures the concept of “trust but verify” is fully leveraged in the organization because the leader is giving independence to their delegates while at the same time keeping a tab on the work to ensure things follow the right path for the desired outcome. INFLUENCE Influence is a must have trait for every leader to be successful and command the respect they need in order to get things done. I believe of the five traits listed here, having Influential skills is the most critical tool a leader can possess to get your employees to follow in your path to get the necessary things done on a project. Most Leaders think you have to lead by showing an authoritarian style or managing by fear and intimidation to get your employees to respond. Sure that may work temporarily in the short-term, but all that does is eventually de-motivate your employees with toxic results to follow. When it comes to getting your employees to go above and beyond going the "extra mile" to get a critical project done. It has been proven time and time again that positive persuasion always wins out over intimidation. The key to building your influence as a leader is to showcase integrity via building trust and showing empathy to your employees on what is required for them to get the job done. SUMMARY In summary before you go outside of your organization to recruit your next "Superstar Leader", take a look at your current staff under the 5I microscope. Steve Rosen Tech Recruiter/Career Strategy Consultant Aug 19, 2019,07:15am EDT|2,605 views The Five I's Of Effective Leadership For Technology Managers Parthasarathi ChakrabortyForbes Councils Member Forbes Technology CouncilCOUNCIL POST| Membership (fee-based) Innovation POST WRITTEN BY Parthasarathi Chakraborty Director of network and infrastructure security architecture at Bank of Montreal. The best technologists are often rewarded with a managerial promotion. It can be an exciting yet unnerving transition for many who may think they are not natural leaders. However, I believe leadership traits can be acquired and improved over time with practice, and one does not have to be born with leadership qualities. It is indeed an irony that the skills that got a top technologist a well-deserved promotion won’t be necessarily helping them to succeed in their new role. They will have to learn new skills for the leadership job. So how do they learn the needed skills for success, and what’s the quickest way to master those skills? There are way too many leadership concepts, articles and books available around us. Is it possible to read and master all those concepts before accepting the new role? The answer is unequivocally no; rather, it has to be a continual learning process. But even then, you don’t have to read or master every leadership principle to become successful. PROMOTED Resisting the desire to evade change will be heavily tested in the new role. Getting out of one's comfort zone and being at ease with uncomfortable things will be required to achieve success. It may sound daunting, but being a levelheaded person with a rational thought process who can learn to apply some common sense in decision-making can make one shine as a leader. I thought it would be helpful to focus on several words that begin with the letter "I" that a leader who's transitioning from a technical contributor to a leadership position would be wise to keep in mind. While they won't guarantee success, embracing these five simple I's can help a new leader make a smoother transition into their new role. Integrity It all begins with integrity. To be well-respected in an organization as a leader, one must possess integrity, which serves as an integral part of one's character. A good leader should be authentic, able to walk the walk and talk the talk, and always have the best interests of the organization in mind. A leader should not make decisions that benefit them for personal or career gains and jeopardize the greater interest of the company. Being honest, making fair decisions and doing the right thing for the organization is expected from a quality leader. Inclusion Inclusion is not only restricted to bringing in diverse talent in the workforce when recruiting; rather, it should resonate in the day-to-day aspects of leadership as well. A true leader should be inclusive of partners, peers and stakeholders in all major initiatives. Doing things in a siloed fashion does not work in large enterprises -- nor does it win the trust and support of partners, which, by extension, is critical to the success of any program. A good leader should include others in general discussions in order to ensure there is a certain level of diversity of thought and to help capture tribal knowledge. Being inclusive is the key to winning the trust and confidence of one's team and partners. Final decision-making authority is on the leader, but including others to weigh in on various options is extremely important for building allies and having success in any type of leadership position. Independence Nobody likes a leader who micromanages. Most people, especially in the tech sector, desire to work with a certain level of independence in order to achieve creative satisfaction. Money is not always the primary motivating factor to attract and retain top talent. As a leader, one should empower his or her team and give the necessary independence to do their job effectively. This way leaders can groom their teams for the next level of leadership by empowering them to make the right decisions for the company and avoid decision paralysis by eliminating themselves as leaders as the center of dependency for every decision. Involvement As a leader, one must be involved enough to know the macro-level details happening in and around the team. Being involved and having the data ready to share with upper management always helps with building up credibility. It also ensures the concept of “trust but verify” is fully leveraged in the organization because the leader is giving independence to their delegates while at the same time keeping a tab on the work to ensure things follow the right path for the desired outcome. Influence This is a must-have trait for every leader. At the very least, a good leader should aspire to have the power of influence to earn respect from the team. Showing authority or other intimidating approaches don’t necessarily work with employees. When it comes to getting work done that requires employees to go above and beyond a role’s defined expectation, influential leaders can help motivate in order to get the job done as opposed to folks who follow an authoritarian style. Displaying integrity, building up trust and having a sense of empathy can certainly help in establishing one's influence over a team. Once a certain level of influence is established, a team should have full confidence that the leader is doing the right thing for the organization.
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 Dear Recruiter,
QUESTION? "As a newer Manager over the last couple years and giving Employee Reviews I don't feel I've done a good job at. The employees don't seem to be engaged or energized by them. We discuss the year in review and what they need to improve on but the conversations are definitely one-sided. Is there a better format for a Employee Review and what should it consist of?" ANSWER Great question, Employee Reviews are a fantastic opportunity for an organization to gain valuable insight into their employees' psyche. This is an opportunity to gauge your employees' happiness not only with their job, but your company on a macro level. Another important thing you can find out is what their career passions are so you can properly groom them. I know Managers don't like to hear that their employees want to do something else other then the job they are in especially if they are good at it. But is it not better to learn that so you can find a way to keep them in the organization rather then lose them to to another company, even a competitor and find out why they left the hardway? So here are my recommendations of what a Employee Review should look like:
 Dear Recruiter, When I interview candidates I understand there are questions I am not allowed to ask? What are some of those and how do I find out the information I need in order to make a hiring decision on a candidate? That is a great question! HR Laws are constantly changing to prevent discrimination for job applicants. However the key is to have the questions that can be equally asked to every person applying that won't show bias. Here are some of the common ones that are absolute "NO NO" to ask and can be deemed discrimination:
The key to any question asked by an employer for a job interview is making sure it doesn't single out anyone and is asked equally without judgement to any person applying. Now lets look at the legal and fair way to ask the questions above without discrimination.
Dear Recruiter,
My name is Sandy and I work as a Market Coordinator for a small law firm just outside of St. Louis. Doing marketing for a Law Firm, my job lacks the flexibility for me to be creative so I'm on the hunt for a new one. That has been a struggle as I apply and apply for jobs online with no luck at all. I barely get any interviews. Dear Recruiter Help! What am I doing wrong? Sandy first of all thank you for writing in and sharing your question. I'm sure there are a lot of marketing people that are in your situation so they will appreciate you asking the question. So I get similar questions to these a lot and the common theme to the frustration people have is applying to jobs online. Look I get it, companies require applicants to apply online to get hired. But let me let you and the rest of the reading audience in on a secret Sandy, you don't have to apply to the job right away you can apply anytime. What does that mean exactly? Well once a company has interest in you as a candidate and they want to set you up for an interview, at that point you can officially apply to the job which they will direct you to do. The misnomer is that in order to be considered initially for a job you have to apply for it online, not true. There are other ways to be considered for a job other than directly applying to it online which is what I will cover. Still the most effective way to get your "foot in the door" to be interviewed and considered for a job is network with someone working there to advocate for you or connecting directly with the hiring manager. The other way to find not only marketing jobs but any jobs is to have them notice you and approach you. This way jobs you are not aware of will have a way of finding and reaching out to you. As a Marketing person Sandy you have the advantage of having the skills to market yourself in Social Media as a way to get Hiring Manager to notice you that other people may not have. Here is a quick list of things I would recommend you do and this can all be done on Linkedin which is still the top Professional Social Media Platform.
Sandy I hope that helps. Thank you for writing in and good luck on your search! Best Wishes, Dear Recruiter  I know if you are a company of any size right now especially smaller in nature its natural to panic during an unprecedented crisis like the one we are going through with Covid-19. Therefore the first defense mechanism to set in is "button down the hatches" and stop all hiring. Then the next move an organization contemplates is work force reductions and who is expendable. I'm here to tell all the Business Owners and Leadership before you do anything, take a deep breath, pause and reset your mental thoughts. Reacting out of panic is the worse thing you can do!
Now if you are a small business that is barely surviving "living paycheck to paycheck" that is a different story. However the focus of my message is to smaller Emerging Technology Firms who were doing well before this crisis "blindsided" all of us. My message specifically to these firms who have a great technology product or service is step up your recruiting efforts to find the talent you need going forward, and PLEASE PLEASE consider NOT laying off any personnel. How companies react or DO NOT React is being judged by candidates that may consider working for your organization in the future. I urge you to explore other alternatives to get by for a few months if at all possible. People are your best assets in a crisis, your Employees are your best assets! Your organization invested a lot of time to find and train these people, to panic and let them go will harm your ROI in the long-term. Especially when this crisis passes and business gets back to thriving, you will realize how much you needed them and not having them is impacting business. RECRUITING vs. HIRING Now when I speak about step up your Recruiting Efforts that doesn't mean necessarily hiring. Recruiting and hiring are very different functions, let me explain difference. Hiring is actually adding people to your staff where you are paying them salary and taking on the cost of benefits and training. Not much more needs to be said beyond that. Now recruiting, that is a completely different story! Recruiting can be as little or as intense as you want it to be. The main goal is to engage your audience which is a company's Hiring Profile Avatar on some level. Again this doesn't have to be a full fledged recruiting effort that you would normally conduct when you are actively hiring. It can be as little as reaching out to a handful of candidates on a weekly basis in your niche space that your business normally hires for to say hello and introduce yourself. Let them know what your business does and that you would love to have an open dialogue to get to know them and network. Mention that your company is always on the search for talent with their skill set and even though you are not hiring now, you hope to be in the near future and want to make the connection. You can be even more passive then that if you like. Maybe you send out videos or blogs on some interesting projects your firm has done in groups on Social Media where your candidates hangout. RECRUITING IS A GREAT WAY TO BRAND YOUR ORGANIZATION DURING A CRISIS By not "letting up on the gas pedal" with your recruiting efforts during a crisis says a lot about your company to the outside world from a branding perspective. When you are staying active talking to candidates and letting them know about the passion behind the work you are doing, and you plan to continue doing this work past the crisis this will create positive energy and a sense of good will for people about your brand. It shows that your company is strong and refuses to be defined and handicapped by the crisis. More important, your company creates a positive brand image to the outside world that your organization is forward thinking and a place that has big plans for its future.
The Power of a Positive Workplace Culture — for Full-Timers and Contingent Workers
"Devoting time to your total workforce helps you grow and scale by attracting, developing, and retaining top talent, who are in turn more productive and loyal. When your people — whether internal and full-time or external and project-based — feel valued and supported, they will ardently share your vision and work hard to help your business succeed. More and more, employees and contingent workers alike are looking for positive workplace cultures. People today want to make a positive impact on their companies and their communities. An emphasis on corporate social responsibility, volunteering, and health and well-being is key. So, where do you start in creating a positive work culture? Well, start by listening to your people. What do they need to succeed in their roles? What do they look for in leadership? how do they want to grow and engage with your company in the future?" James Lee, COO of SAP EMPLOYEE REVIEWS ARE AN OPPORTUNITY NOT A OBLIGATION I know a lot of managers dread the labor and time intensive activity of the Employee Review process but this really is a great opportunity for the organization on many levels!
Questions That Are a NO NO To Ask Candidates During a Interview Here is a list of questions that a Company can get in trouble for asking a candidate on a interview and some of these are not so obvious.
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