Working World - Organizational

By: Barbara Bowes
Date: October 3, 2009

The NDP leadership campaign is heating up to be quite a newsworthy topic, with candidates moving around the province enticing grassroots members to support them. Still, for those not involved, there is some wonderment as to why the fuss, especially since they don't get to vote at this level of the process. But just a minute here, while many people won't have a chance to vote in this leadership race, at some point in the very near future, all of us will be voting for the leadership of our province. So, I truly believe we should be paying more attention to this leadership race than not.

The issue here is making a choice about what kind of leader is needed/wanted at the "premier" level of an entire province. We can't just make a decision based on good persona, the ability to talk a mile a minute, or the ability to garner more support from a multitude of interest groups. And we shouldn't be making our decision based on who can sell more memberships or who can raise the most money. And finally, no decision as big as a senior leadership position such as a premier who is the chief executive officer (CEO) of our province, or any CEO position for that matter, should force people into a rush of judgment.

As you know from experience, there are plenty of examples of both national and local leaders who, in spite of having incredible skills, a proven track record, personal ambition or significant accomplishments, inevitably fail as executives in their new senior leadership roles. So it is important to ask yourself a number of questions and to find out the answers. Then, determine if the answers are in line with what you feel is important in such a senior type of leadership role. Perhaps the following questions will stimulate your imagination and help you to assess the candidates.

What exactly is the role of an individual at the "premier" level?

A leader at the "premier" level is working in the most complex environment possible where not only local and provincial issues arrive on their desk every hour of every day, but also national and international problems. They must be able to grasp the issues quickly, differentiate among these multiple priorities and direct them to an internal leader who can investigate, provide background and make recommendations for consideration. He (and someday, hopefully a she!), must be very strategic, a person who can inspire followers to support their future vision and then can keep all the people "flying in the same direction." Look for examples of this type of experience.

Is it important to have had experience in a number of government portfolios?

In the business world, the more broad the experience the better and I am certain the same applies to government. I would anticipate that the more an individual knows about the workings of government, the more effective they would be in making things happen. After all, government is not known for doing things quickly. In the business world, there is a saying that "culture always wins." So in other words, someone who knows where the taboos and landmines are will be able to make things happen faster. Ask yourself which portfolios are important to you and what the impact of experience in this area would have on province-wide leadership. If the leader is just going to be one person in a crowd, he will have trouble leading both the bureaucratic and the party troops.

How do I cut through the public relations blizzard to find the real person?

I know that often people feel a politician doesn't say anything of worth. While that might appear to be the case, we must remember that everything someone does at this level is magnified to the highest level and is often taken out of context. As a result, these individuals are very careful in what they say. At the same time, when you do meet and/or hear a candidate speak, ask yourself, are they genuine? Can they talk to you and not "at" you? Do you experience a feeling of comfort or intimidation? When you read some of their literature, look for words and thoughts that match yours and then look for examples and experience to match. A good candidate makes certain that they "walk the talk" or in other words, they do what they say they will do. Do you get a good sense of trust, integrity and honesty?

Why is the ability to manage people relationships so important? What should I look for?

A leader at the "premier" level needs to get work done through relationships because the organization is so big and complicated. There are just so many vested interests both inside and outside the organization that it can literally boggle your mind. And in this current leadership race, the successful candidate will also have to "mend fences" with the other leadership candidates who will, of course, not be happy with their lack of success. Leaders at this level require a strong sense of sociability, a drive to communicate and an affinity for a collaborative negotiation style. Watch for how the candidates speak about each other, how they speak about winning and losing. Are you seeing a professional approach or one that signals insecurity or selfishness rather than a focus on what is good for the province? Finally, check to see if you are hearing rumblings of interpersonal conflicts as this usually means problems ahead.

With ethics being so important to leadership, how do I check this out when assessing a candidate?

Senior leaders, particularly at the "premier" level, operate within a highly politicized environment which creates many issues and requires them to navigate between multiple organizational and social boundaries. The leader must have a strong ability to manoeuvre among all of the competing stakeholder interests and make decisions based on a strong evaluation of the implications of both the problem and the solution. In this case, go back to the issue of experience. Ask yourself if there have been any scandals or issues raised in the media with relation to your candidate's ethics. What decisions are you aware of that appeared to be hastily made without proper assessment and consideration for the good of the people?

Unfortunately, it seems that every day we are confronted by high-profile examples of severe breaches of leadership integrity and trust. Investors have been misled, company credentials are disputed and personal/professional relationships are inappropriately intermingled in decision making. And don't think for a moment that government leaders have not been immune. As a result, in my view, it is important that every citizen pay close attention to this leadership selection process because someday, in the not-too-distant future, we will all have to make a choice for our next leader.

Barbara J. Bowes is president of Legacy Bowes Group a leading HR and executive search firm. She is also author of three books and host of the weekly BowesKnows radio show on CJOB 68. She can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .