The CEO and HR Director were reviewing the day’s interviews of candidates for a certain position within the company. It was an arduous task. They had narrowed the field to multiple individuals, all very talented and credentialed. They began to ask the usual questions amongst themselves, but no one candidate stood out from the rest in terms of skills and abilities.

Then the CEO asked a much more refining question: “Who fits the culture of the company?”

That narrowed the list considerably, as it became clear that some candidates would not be comfortable with their company’s values and methods of operation, while others would thrive and work well with their teams.

There remained a select few talented individuals who fit the culture of the company. Any one of them would make a great employee.

Then the HR Director asked one question that sealed the deal: “Who will lead?”

There was one outstanding candidate who had demonstrated, both on record and by referral, a distinct ability to own responsibility for his work and to inspire and lead his teams to do more and go further toward company goals. Whereas the others were great employees, this particular candidate was a great leader in whatever positions he had held in the past.

As a student, he led his basketball team to victory and was voted MVP.

In college, he assembled a group of students who dedicated their spring break to working for Habitat for Humanity.

As an intern, he led the other interns in an initiative to use technology to solve a problem that had plagued the company for years. Using automated processes, they were able to complete in seconds what previously took weeks to accomplish. This saved the company thousands of dollars.

He went on to lead in each ensuing position he held, providing real value to each organization he served.

It became clear to the CEO and the HR Director that finding the best of the best candidates and then asking that one final question: “Who will lead?” made the answer very clear.

They could hire an employee to do a job or they could hire a leader to make an impact.

The answer was easy.

Who are you hiring in your organization?

As the CEO of Strength Leader Development, Deb Ingino is a highly sought-after international executive mentor, coach, trainer and speaker. Deb is well versed in global business operations and helps business leaders and their teams to discover and leverage their strengths, so they can create highly collaborative teams that deliver great results. With a refreshingly direct style, Deb helps leaders and their teams to deliver profitable results. Connect with Deb to learn more about her mentorship and coaching programs to equip you with advanced strategies to elevate your results.