Want a good leader? Don't choose the person who raises their hand first.

Thank you for reading my first newsletter, "Work Notes," where I write about leadership and behavioral change at work.

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I'll start with a simple question: what are the characteristics of a good manager?

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Through a post by professors Janka Stoker and Harry Garretsen, I came across an interesting study by five economists on this topic.

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The economists' finding is striking: people who nominate themselves for a leadership position perform worse than randomly selected candidates.

 

When a new management position becomes available, some people immediately raise their hands. This looks ambitious. They show initiative.

 

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But wanting the job is not the same as being good at the job.

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A possible explanation is too much self-confidence. Behavioral science research shows that confidence and competence don't always coincide. People who put themselves forward often overestimate their own abilities.

 

 

The study also shows that men raise their hands more often than women, even though men and women are, on average, equally good managers.

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​So what does predict good leadership?

The study shows that delegation is a strong predictor of performance. The best leaders organize work so that the group functions well. They recognize who is strong in what and distribute tasks accordingly.

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Randomly selected managers finished second.

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The worst-performing group: those who wanted to be leaders.

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