New Hires and Improvements

>>Q: What are the most important considerations in hiring someone for an upper-level management position?

"Today's businesses face a world undergoing change such as we've never seen before," says Kathleen "Katie" McFadden. Formerly a senior executive with Unilever working all over the world, McFadden is now president of Naples-based Sunshine Business Solutions. "New technology, international competition, lightning information availability and new legal accountability require leaders who can make not just directional, but transformational changes to remain competitive."

McFadden looks for experience that demonstrates a person has handled diverse functions and has progressed rapidly. "Frequently managers overemphasize industry experience and only look for linear progression. Huge mistake. You're hiring a skill set and want people who have been valued by executives beyond their functional area," she says. "Simply put, intelligent people can learn."

Next, McFadden says, look for somebody who has taken risks with his or her career, somebody who doesn't get cozy with the familiar, and don't overlook somebody with an unorthodox career path. "A leader must remain on a constant learning curve. They need to be open-minded and not get stuck into believing they need to be the expert."

Requesting feedback and the ability to take it is crucial. "When teams are together a long time, they may get comfortable with each other and defer to each other. Issues don't get aired properly and often the business starts to stagnate," she says.

"Most important of all, look for great people skills," she says.

"The ability to develop and inspire people is the bow that completes the package. Good leaders remember the basic adage of leadership: Their success depends on the success of their employees and co-workers."