Google knows great leaders

"Great companies are built by great leaders. That's why the ability to identify and attract talented people is almost as critical as the ability to develop talented people." says Jeff Haden in his latest article for Inc. Magazine 

But since leadership is more art than science, how can you objectively determine if someone is a great leader?

That's a good question - one Google has spent considerable time and effort trying to answer. It only makes sense that one of the most analytical companies in the world puts some of its analytical horsepower into determining how great teams are built and led.

So here are the 13 questions Google uses to know whether someone is a great leader in 5 minutes or fewer

1- My manager gives me actionable feedback that helps me improve my performance
2- My manager does not "micromanage" (get involved in details that should be handled at other levels)
3 - My manager shows consideration for me as a person
4 - The actions of my manager show that he/she values the perspective I bring to the team, even if it is different from his/her own
5 - My manager keeps the team focused on our priority results/deliverables
6 - My manager regularly shares relevant information from his/her manager and senior leaders
7 - My manager has had a meaningful discussion with me about career development in the past six months
8 - My manager communicates clear goals for our team
9 - My manager has the technical expertise (e.g., coding in Tech, selling in Global Business, accounting in Finance) required to effectively manage me
10 - I would recommend my manager to other Googlers
11 - I am satisfied with my manager's overall performance as a manager
12 - What would you recommend your manager keep doing?
13 - What would you have your manager change?

Interestingly, Neil Crofts notes the words "Manager" & "Leader" are used interchangeably whereas " Leadership is fundamentally the skill of creating change and management is fundamentally the skill of creating reliability." =
"Whilst many of the questions could refer equally to leadership but there are a couple we could add if it were really about leadership.

For example:

1 - Does your leader have a clear and inspiring vision which they navigate the team towards?

2 - Does your leader help you to be the best version of yourself?

3 - Does your leader help the team successfully influence key stakeholders?

4 - Does your leader support diverse and challenging ideas and creativity?

5 - Does your leader help you challenge orthodoxies?

6 - Does your leader encourage experimentation and accept the inevitable failures as learning experiences?

7 - Does your leader foster a culture of psychological safety?"

So what do you think? Let us know!

Source: https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/heres-how-google-knows-in-less-than-5-minutes-if-someone-is-a-great-leader.html?cid=sf01003