Click HERE to find out how, courtesy of I Advance Senior Care. More useful tips from a previous blog post on leadership:

Research has found that great managers have these talents:

  • They have high emotional intelligence.
  • They know how to motivate and inspire their team.
  • They make decisions that foster productivity over politics.
  • They are not afraid of facing adversity.
  • They keep their people accountable.
  • They build trust, open communication, and transparency with their teams.
  • They support the personal well-being and growth of each team member.

HOW DO WE FIND THEM?

Now that we’ve identified the key characteristics of rock star leaders, how do we find them?  What should we be asking during job interviews to discover if we have one sitting right in front of us?

Validated assessments that measure emotional intelligence and other personality styles are a good first step in understanding if a candidate has what it takes on paper.  There are a few companies out there who specialize in leadership recruitment for senior living communities who will recommend the right tools and administer them for you.

But then, FOCUS ON THE INTERVIEW PROCESS.  Take your time.  Conduct more than one interview, each led by a different key person on your senior management team.  Ask questions that reveal the behaviors you are seeking in candidates using the stories they tell.  Then compare notes with other interviewers and look for consensus.

Here are some example interview questions that measure the key leadership traits we identified earlier:

Tell me about a time in your role as manager:

  • You did something you didn’t agree with to support the company.
  • You motivated your team to do something they didn’t want to do.
  • You made a difficult decision in the face of adversity.
  • You dealt with a team member who was struggling to keep up.
  • You were approached by a team member with a unique idea.
  • You had to deliver bad news to your team.
  • You supported the development of one of your team members.

Look for responses that contain a great amount of detail, including references to when, who, and what. And look for consistency in the stories they tell, as this will reveal their true behavioral tendencies and whether or not they have raw leadership talent.

Do you have a rock star manager you want to tell us about?  Comment below.