A company's growth depends heavily on the development of its executives and future leaders. As a top executive, you want to identify employees with leadership potential as early as possible.
But how can you tell who is likely to grow into a capable leader—and who may struggle to progress beyond their current role?
One way is to pay attention to how employees respond to three simple questions. Their answers can reveal how they think, make decisions, and take responsibility.
Let's take a closer look.
1. “What Do You Think?”
As employees move into executive positions, they are increasingly required to make decisions that affect the business.
New employees and junior staff can earn recognition by reliably carrying out the tasks assigned to them.
However, once employees have gained several years of experience and move into more senior positions, they are expected to exercise their own judgment more frequently.
For managers with direct reports, making decisions becomes part of their everyday work. And the higher they rise in the organization, the more consequential those decisions tend to become.
One essential quality of a future executive is the ability to think logically, evaluate situations, identify problems, and determine their underlying causes.
So, when a potential future leader comes to you and simply reports, “This problem has occurred,” try asking:
“What do you think?”
An employee with leadership potential should be able to form an initial view and explain it, perhaps saying:
“I think this is the underlying issue, and this is how we should approach it. What do you think?”
Rather than simply reporting problems upward, future leaders should learn to analyze situations and bring their own ideas to the table.
2. “What Do You Want to Do?”
Executives must frequently decide what actions to take.
They need to determine how to grow the business, bring their teams together, improve customer satisfaction, and address a wide range of other challenges.
In business, there is rarely just one correct answer. In most situations, several possible courses of action are available.
What matters in a future executive is having a clear position on what they believe should be done—and being able to explain why.
Simply saying, “This is how we've always done it,” does not demonstrate independent judgment. Whatever course of action they recommend, they should be able to explain why they believe it is the best choice.
So, when a potential future leader asks you, “How should we solve this problem?” try asking:
“What do you want to do?”
An employee with leadership potential should be able to come back with a recommendation supported by clear reasoning:
“I believe we should take this approach because of these reasons.”
The goal is not to expect them to have all the answers. It is to develop their ability to form their own opinions, weigh alternatives, and make reasoned recommendations.
3. “Can You Take Responsibility for Seeing It Through?”
Executives must understand their roles and responsibilities, make sound judgments, decide on a course of action, and follow through to achieve results.
One of the biggest pitfalls for an executive is becoming nothing more than a critic or commentator—someone who points out problems but does not take responsibility for solving them.
In business, everyone is expected to contribute to results. Opinions and suggestions that are not backed by action or accountability do more than fail to deliver value; they can also have a negative impact on the people around them.
So, when a potential future leader says, “That's not a good approach,” or “We can't do that right now,” try asking:
“Can you deliver results with your proposed approach—and are you willing to take responsibility for making it happen?”
An employee with leadership potential should be prepared to put forward a concrete plan and take the initiative to carry it out:
“I'd like to take responsibility for this approach. Here are the specific steps I would take to achieve the desired results.”
Future leaders need to do more than identify what is wrong. They must be willing to turn their ideas into action and take ownership of the outcome.
The three questions are simple, but they reveal three important leadership qualities:
1. Thinking independently — Can they analyze a situation and form their own opinions?
2. Making decisions — Can they recommend a course of action and explain their reasoning?
3. Taking ownership — Are they willing to act and be accountable for the results?
Of course, one answer alone does not determine whether someone will become a good executive. What matters is whether these qualities develop consistently through experience, coaching, and opportunities to take on greater responsibility.
How do you think your potential future executives would answer these three questions?
