One of the great untapped potentials within many organizations is how to identify and leverage strengths. Unfortunately, many individuals and organizations only focus on weaknesses.
As business leaders, we are focused on bottom line growth: how to achieve it, how to manage it and how to maintain it. As leaders, we recognize that people are our greatest asset and our ability to lead them our greatest strength. But when was the last time you took stock of those strengths and weaknesses that creep into each of our daily repertoires?
Assessments are a necessary part of exploring both the problem and the solution. A way to benchmark and to provide feedback.
What follows are questions we have found to be useful helping our clients to assess their own leadership qualities; we trust you’ll find them useful, as well.
Who and how do I influence?
Is your leadership dependent upon your title, or do your actions as a leader define you?
Where can I improve my people skills and my EQ (Emotional Quotient)?
In the short term, leading by title may impact the behaviors you seek to impact, but the long term impact will be based on how people perceive how well you understand and care about them.
Do I have a positive outlook?
When crisis is brewing, a positive outlook…and calm demeanor will run circles around all the loud barking, negative noise.
Do I demonstrate the same personal growth and self-discipline I’d like for others?
You are the template for those you lead to follow. You will not be effective screaming for self -discipline, if those you lead recognize you possess none.
Am I big picture oriented?
Your employees know that their job is to complete the tactical activities that advance your organization. Can they trust that you see those activities as part of a larger whole?
Am I a problem solver?
Your employees are great at spotting problems, the question is can they count on you to spot solutions and carry through on those solutions?
These are just a few of the questions you’ll need to answer honestly, in order for a critical self-evaluation to be useful. Oftentimes, self evaluations are easier when they are guided exercises, and at Boxer Advisors we turn insights into action.
Does your leadership style really showcase your strengths?
Visit us at www.boxeradvisors.com for more information on how we can help identify and leverage your strengths.
Boxer Advisors is a full-service consulting, training and coaching firm with more than 50 professional consultants, facilitators, and coaches and carefully selected partners providing services to Federal agencies and Fortune 1000 companies since 1996.
Contact us today to learn more.
photo credit: kisses are a better fate than wisdom via photopin cc
When we talk about leaders as problem solvers, we should be careful to ensure they are solving problems at their level – not in the weeds. Their job as a leader is to remove barriers for their team and coach/teach them to be problem solvers. It is one of the more disrespectful things you can do as a leader to step in and solve your team’s problems. They should be trusted and given the room to be problem solvers in their scope of control/influence. I would love to hear others’ thoughts on this topic…