Rethinking Leadership Selection

Did you know that those most eager to lead might actually be the worst at it? Have you ever worked with a leader who’s always eager to step up, but when they get the role, things fall apart? We often think that leadership is about willingness and eagerness, but recent research shows the opposite—leaders chosen for their desire to lead often perform worse than those randomly selected. In this episode, we break down these surprising insights with Professor David Deming at Harvard Kennedy School. David shares why effective leadership is about having the right skills, not just wanting the role. We dive into key traits like overconfidence, emotional intelligence (EQ), and economic decision-making, and how they play critical roles in leadership success. You’ll learn why overconfidence can backfire and prevent leaders from truly understanding their team. Plus, we discuss how randomly selected managers often outperform eager volunteers and why organizations need to rethink how they develop and choose strong leaders—it’s not just about who raises their hand.

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