Improving Managerial Talent

34How to recognise potential, select and help develop effective managers

Recognising managerial potential

We can infer managers’ potential from the profile of the mental ability and Big Five personality factor scores as follows:

• Above average general mental ability and as high as possible; particularly for roles that require a high level of competence in the intellectual cluster, e.g. finance directors.
• At least low average extraversion scores and as high as possible; particularly in roles where calculated risk-taking is required, e.g. sales/marketing directors.
• Average emotional stability scores and as high as possible; particularly in roles requiring a high level of interpersonal competence, e.g. sales/marketing directors.
• Between low average ...