From Lattes to Leaders: Creating the Perfect Mix for Success
The Leadership Latte: Finding the Perfect Blend
I pulled up to the speaker and eagerly said, “May I please have a Grande Iced Latte with 2 pumps vanilla, salted caramel cream cold foam, and caramel drizzle?” It was a warm 85-degree day, and I was looking forward to a tasty drink to keep me company while I sat in endless traffic on my way to the next destination.
The employee’s friendly tone and quick service made the interaction pleasant. As they handed me the drink through the drive-thru window, they smiled and wished me well. I smiled back, thanked them, and pulled out onto the main road.
At almost $8.00, this isn’t the cheapest way to have coffee, but when it’s made correctly, it’s oh-so-delicious. That’s the hard part—getting it made correctly. There are seven of this branch’s coffee shop within 25 minutes of where I live, and it’s a toss-up whether any of them will make it right. Balancing the milk, espresso, syrup, and cold foam seems like throwing a dart at a dartboard while blindfolded.
I took one sip and knew immediately: this wasn’t what I ordered. With a sigh, I placed the drink back into the holder. I didn’t have time to turn around, and even if I did, it likely wouldn’t be made any better the second time. I accepted it as it was and hoped for better luck next time.
Leadership: The Latte Analogy
Hiring for leadership is a lot like my coffee experience. You start with a “recipe” and a vision of the perfect candidate. You know the qualities and skills they should bring to the table. Hiring teams take that recipe and do their best to assess whether the candidate in front of them has all the right “ingredients.” Despite the detailed list and best efforts, there’s always a chance something won’t be quite right.
Why?
Because no human being is perfect. No one will fit every part of a role precisely, even if they seem perfect in the interview. Just like the perfect latte, a perfect leader has to be created. It takes three essential elements to bring everything together.
Creating the Perfect Leadership Recipe
Leadership Development
Just as a barista needs training to balance the ingredients in your favorite latte, leaders need ongoing and intentional development to reach their full potential. Great leadership happens in stages:
Know Yourself: Leaders must identify their own tendencies, predispositions, and areas for growth.
Lead Yourself: With self-awareness, leaders can take intentional steps to maximize their personal growth and effectiveness.
Know Others: Great leaders invest the same energy into understanding their teams, identifying skills, strengths, and opportunities for success.
Lead Others: These insights come together to empower leaders to guide their teams and create a winning culture.
2. Business Systems Development
Even the best barista can’t make a perfect latte without a well-functioning espresso machine and organized tools. Similarly, great leaders can only succeed in organizations with solid systems in place. Business systems provide the structure needed to support both leaders and employees:
Talent Acquisition: Recruiting, interviewing, and hiring the right candidates.
Job Descriptions and Performance Metrics: Developing clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) or Objectives and Key Results (OKRs).
Risk Mitigation: Ensuring employee handbooks, policies, and compliance practices are up to date.
Operational Structure: Defining departmental responsibilities and scopes.
Workforce and Succession Planning: Preparing for future growth and leadership transitions.
Career Development Paths: Providing employees with clear paths for advancement.
Performance Management: Supporting employees while holding them accountable.
3. Training and Knowledge Management
Finally, just as a barista needs clear recipes and training to make consistent drinks, organizations need structured training and knowledge systems to ensure employees have the tools they need to thrive. This includes:
Identifying the essential knowledge and skills required for each role.
Developing a structured training approach for every employee, every role, every time.
Maintaining clear systems for knowledge management to ensure employees know what to learn, how to learn it, and who can help.
A Final Sip
In the end, it isn’t just about having all the ingredients—ice, syrup, espresso, milk, cold foam, and caramel. It’s about getting the mix just right. The same is true for your leadership team. Great leaders are built through the right blend of development, systems, and training.
If your company feels like you’re missing the perfect balance of ingredients, let’s talk. Together, we can create a leadership recipe that’s just right for your team. And if you’re an employee who wants to be the change you’d like to see, I’d love to help you take the first step.
