Hiring Leaders not Managers

It is difficult to tell from an interview whether you are hiring a manager or a leader. Don't fool yourself in thinking that these two are one in the same. Managers arrange and rearrange things...whereas leaders provide guidance and inspiration to their teams.

For some roles, you need to hire the best manager. An example of this may be in a warehouse. If someone is not good at organizing things and has the ability to keep things functional, your warehouse would be a mess. You would constantly be looking for products and resources only to find that they were not ordered in the first place. Listen for examples on how the individual handles multiple tasks and completes jobs that impacted the bottom-line.

For other roles that require an extensive amount of people interaction, you should hire the best leader. You need a person who stayed or left an organization because of the people. If someone is good at communication and inspiration, they can help people do more than they think they can do themselves. Listen for examples on what role this individual played during a time of change. If they sat back and let it happen or just went along with it, this is not the leader you were looking for...If they took an active part in helping the organization or the people translate the change into how it connects for them, you have found your leader...

This is just one set of tips in identifying differences between managers and leaders. Decide which one you need before you start your interview process. If you need both, stay tuned for future hints and goals...