Why Self-Assessment Is A Continuous Process For Leaders
You must regularly evaluate your leadership abilities and yourself as part of a culture of continuous improvement. Without knowing where you stand, how can you improve?
Self-awareness lies at the core of self-assessment, but it also results from it. Emotional intelligence is a characteristic of self-aware leaders. As leaders, they know how they come across from the perspective of their reports and coworkers, and they know their weaknesses and strengths.
Self-awareness is essential to understanding the importance of continuous self-assessment. You develop your self-awareness when you assess your leadership effectiveness regularly. There is a direct correlation between the two.
What are the benefits of self-awareness and continuous self-assessment for your leadership skills? What are some ways you can honestly and effectively assess yourself?
The benefits of self-aware leadership are numerous, including the below:
- Their effectiveness improves.
- By communicating better with their colleagues, they build stronger relationships.
- Emotional intelligence is improved.
- The way they handle stress is better.
It is important to be honest when assessing yourself. Don’t allow it to be distorted by your ego.
Questionnaires for Your Own Self-Assessment
There is more to the Strategic-Tactical Leadership Index (STLI) than just a questionnaire. As well as helping you assess your abilities and pinpoint your weaknesses, it offers you strategies for addressing them.
Taking the STLI requires you to answer questions regarding your intelligence as a leader in order to build your emotional intelligence.
Self-Observation is Critical
Using video recordings to evaluate your abilities is similar to watching videos of your opponents to identify their weaknesses/strengths from the perspective of self-assessment. From the perspective of those with whom you work, you can gain an insight into how you carry yourself as a leader.
By placing yourself in the center of attention, this type of exercise can help you overcome your fears and vulnerabilities.
Partake in Honest Dialogue and Facilitation of Feedback
Using the STLI, you can always ask your coworkers and their reports to rate your leadership abilities. By doing so, you will be able to secure their direct feedback. If you ask them how they see you as a leader every day, you can obtain such feedback.
Communication and trust are boosted by peer feedback.
Real Listening is Important
Listening to your team is one way to get quality feedback. When you listen effectively, you let the reports steer the conversation. The key is to empower your team so that they can make a meaningful contribution. The ability to listen well fosters an environment in which everyone feels safe to speak honestly and candidly.
Acknowledge Your Mistakes and Make Amends
As a leader, admitting your mistakes demonstrates humility and vulnerability. Immature leaders have trouble adopting this behavior for precisely this reason. If you need to apologize, do not be afraid to do so. Your plan for making up for your mistakes should be clear. Being responsible for your actions is not just a sign of maturity, it is an excellent tool for self-assessment and introspection.
Take the time to assess yourself on a regular basis. Be aware of your position as a leader at all times. You can unleash your true leadership potential by building up a network of coaching and support.
Our executive coaches at Intelligent Leadership Executive Coaching (ILEC) can help you learn how to perform self-awareness assessments to better your skills as a leader in the workplace.