06/26/2025

Hire Leaders for What They Can Do Versus What They Have Done

The next time you are filling a managerial position, ask yourself three questions

Fifty years have passed since the publication of The Peter Principle, but its rule still applies today. "In time, every post tends to be occupied by an employee who is incompetent to carry out its duties," noted Laurence Peter, the educator behind this famous work. His theory postulates that most competent people are promoted until they reach a position that is above their skill level, at which point they cease to grow.

Academic studies show that promotions are still largely a reward for past performance, and that organizations continue to assume the attributes that have made someone successful so far will continue to make them successful in the future (even if their responsibilities change). This may explain why there are still a large number of incompetent leaders.

Organizations that wish to select the best people for leadership roles therefore need to change how they evaluate candidates.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Harvard Business Review.