A Tell-Tale Sign.

A tell-tale sign that someone is not ready to manage or lead is their emphasis on personalities rather than issues.

Stepping up to the job of harnessing people and systems means having the skill and discipline to identify and harness the capability of collective capacity.

Whether a sporting coach or captain, a community leader, or a boss - we must leave behind our habit of judging people’s personality. We must cease being a pundit of the politics of relationships and trading in inside information. We must think of the sum total of the people we must direct, manage, or lead.

In your next meeting, listen to the way participants talk about other people. Do they rely on inside information about individual personalities? Do they amplify their personal histories, relationships, or networks? Do they stereotype them as ‘academics’ or ‘novices’ or ‘young’ or ‘old’ or ‘of another tribe’? Do they deploy pop psychology or ‘ my sister used to work with them’? These are the traits of people who lack the confidence and wisdom to seek out the potential in others. To get to know what they can contribute to a task or goal.

These are people unfit to lead.