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When hiring your next employee, you’ll undoubtedly be looking for someone who shows the potential to lead and motivate others in the long term. No matter what role someone is hired for, they’ll be a better contribution to the team if they show a lot of leadership potential. If you’re curious about how to identify potential leaders, check out these great leadership qualities that you should keep an eye out for.

Look for Active Engagement

Good leaders care about their work on a personal level, and a high level of active engagement can be a great indicator of leadership potential. Does your candidate seem highly attentive and thoughtful during the interviewing process? Careful consideration and a genuine interest in what’s going on are indicators of ambition and personal engagement.

Taking initiative is also a good sign: If a potential employee actively asks questions and offers up useful information rather than simply waiting to respond to the actions of others, then they show leadership potential.

Consider Emotional Intelligence

Another key indicator of potential leadership is a high level of emotional intelligence. According to The Hire Talent, emotional intelligence plays a role in a leader’s ability to effectively understand and influence those around them. Furthermore, a high level of skill in this area will prevent miscommunication and dissatisfaction in the workplace.

A good leader will need to be able to appeal to their team members and motivate them to strive for success. Since a lack of interpersonal skills runs the risk of leaving employees feeling underappreciated or even manipulated, successful leadership requires emotional intelligence. People with higher levels of emotional intelligence are better at “playing well in the sandbox” so to speak, collaborating with others and working well on teams. As we move into the future with technology becoming more important, teamwork will play a much larger role in the workplace than ever before. 

Look for Multitasking and Delegation Abilities

People with a high amount of leadership potential are often also good at multitasking. Effective leadership requires a strong ability to organize multiple tasks and advance several projects simultaneously without compromising the results. 

According to Orange Blogs, along with the ability to multitask on an individual level, a solid ability to delegate is a similar indicator of a potential leader. Look for signs that the candidate is familiar with their limitations and knows how best to allocate the responsibility for tasks to others.

 You might think it’s tricky to recognize a likely leader during the early interactions of the hiring process, but there are a number of signs that can give you a clue about their potential. People who show a lot of promise as potential leaders often exhibit signs of active engagement, high emotional intelligence and a strong ability to multitask and delegate.

Though good leaders are vital within the workplace, they tend to suffer from a lot of stress. Here are ways to help your leaders limit stress so they can more fully thrive.