Developing future rent-to-own (RTO) leaders does not begin when a management position opens. It starts much earlier, by paying attention to how employees work, communicate and respond when the store gets busy.
That is one of the central lessons from APRO member Arona Home Essentials Regional Manager Erica St. Charles in her conversation with Pete Shau from The RTO Show Podcast. St. Charles shares lessons from her own rise through Arona and explains how she identifies employees who may be ready for their next opportunity.
Her perspective comes from experience. After joining the industry in 2014, St. Charles eventually became the first person in Arona’s history to move directly from assistant manager into a regional manager position without first serving as a general manager. The transition taught her that leadership is less about having every answer and more about building trust, supporting people, and continuing to learn.
Developing Future RTO Leaders Before You Need Them
When St. Charles looks for leadership potential, she watches more than performance numbers. She pays attention to how employees interact with customers and coworkers, especially during stressful moments.
Can they stay calm when several things demand their attention at once? Can they prioritize without taking their frustration out on the people around them? Do they step in and help the team?
Those everyday moments can reveal leadership qualities long before someone receives a new title.
St. Charles also stresses the importance of understanding what employees actually want. Asking where they see themselves in five years can uncover ambitions managers might otherwise miss.
From there, development can happen gradually. A delivery team member might learn how to price merchandise on the sales floor, then begin helping with calls or learning another part of store operations. Instead of waiting until a position becomes available, leaders can give employees opportunities to stretch while still succeeding in their current roles.
The goal is a stronger internal bench. St. Charles wants management openings filled whenever possible by people who have already learned the business, proven themselves, and shown they are ready for more responsibility.
That approach also requires honesty. Wanting a promotion does not automatically mean someone is prepared for it. St. Charles believes employees must first demonstrate reliability in their current position before taking on a role with greater responsibility.
Her own leadership philosophy follows the same principle of earning trust. Whether she is helping a short-staffed store remotely, unloading a truck, or loading a trailer in the rain, St. Charles wants her team to know she will not ask them to do something she would not do herself.
For rent-to-own leaders focused on developing future RTO leaders, her message is clear: know your people, notice how they handle the hard moments and start developing them before there is an empty chair to fill.
Catch the full episode of The RTO Show Podcast, proudly sponsored by APRO, on Spotify.
