“I’m an excellent leader. I always communicate effectively. I’m a visionary and dedicated to results. And my employees know just how much I appreciate their contributions to the organization.”
Really though?
Regardless of whether this sounds like your internal voice, stop and consider this: If you have an opinion about yourself as a leader, how do you know that opinion matches up to reality?
Whether you’re a CEO or an office manager, it’s important to have an accurate picture of your leadership skills. To find success as an organization—especially during times of crisis—everyone needs to exercise their leadership skills. That includes your personal leadership skills, such as organization and time management skills, as well as high-level skills, including your ability to delegate, communicate, and empower others.
To decrease the gap between your perception and reality, follow these three steps:
1. Build a habit of self-reflection. Begin by asking yourself the following questions regularly:
How do you view yourself as a leader? Who influenced this view?
How would others describe you as a leader?
What are your strengths as a leader?
What are your weaknesses as a leader? Being “too perfect” is not an answer. Dig deep and be honest here. Addressing areas to improve shows strength and humility.
2. Ask for written feedback from others on the regular.
You could start by asking a coworker to answer the four questions from the first tip we gave you. Seeking feedback from others shows you value their perspectives. And that outside perspective is really what you need here. You can assume you know what’s up, or you can collect actual feedback and make informed decisions and adjustments based on real information. The choice is yours. Brace yourself for tough answers, be grateful for the opportunity to grow and learn, and don’t take anything Find gratitude for the feedback you receive and see it as a tool for becoming a more successful leader.
3. Utilize a well-rounded assessment.
Ask someone what they think of you straight to their face and you might get a sugar-coated answer—and that just isn’t what you need to improve your skills as a leader. On the other hand, talent management assessments allow others to assess your leadership skills and behaviors in a way that promotes honesty. And honesty is the key to useful insight. The CheckPoint 360°™ survey, for instance, gathers anonymous feedback from your team, peers, directly reporting coworkers, supervisors, and even your customers. By collecting honest feedback from people that see you in action, CheckPoint 360° confirms where you excel as a leader and identifies areas where you have the opportunity to improve. With this information, you can stop guessing on where to grow and start making adjustments that lead to effective leadership.
To change and grow, you first need to understand the best place to start. The CheckPoint 360° survey helps you take that first step by gathering an accurate view of your leadership skills rather than having you work off false perceptions. If you want to make real change—whether that’s in your leadership skills or your industry—you need real information to work with. Make gathering that information the first step you take.
I invite you on a journey of self-discovery and personal growth, into ever-increasing authenticity and self-love.
I created my personal Map of Me to help guide my decisions from a place of strength. My Map of Me has awakened me to who I really am, and who I want to be. It allows me to live from my design at my highest and best, as well as plan to shore up the weaknesses—and it’s given me the ability to see and appreciate the differences. I believe that all individuals should be authentic, open and able to express themselves fully with confidence—your Map of Me is your guide for
doing just that.