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So, You Think You Can Lead?

Guest post by: G.J. Miller

Article Overview: Whether you work alone or have staff, you are a leader to someone - somewhere. You are expected to be a leader for your employees, your children, your association committees, your church group............you lead every day, in everything you do whether you know it or not.

So, You Think You Can Lead?

I have never watched the popular show on television right now called "So you think you can dance?" and from what I hear there are some top flight dancers that go through the process. But what my minds' eye sees when I hear that title is something that makes me smile...even laugh a little! Just take a moment and think of Elaine dancing on the Jerry Seinfeld show and you will know what I mean. You can find the episode on YouTube.

Unfortunately, I have seen leaders that only think they can lead and I know the potentially devastating impact they can have on an organization, team or individual. It's not pretty and it doesn't bring a smile to your face. If you own a business or manage a team, we have a very simple little quiz that serves as a reminder to most but may be an eye opener to others.

Whether you work alone or have staff, you are a leader to someone - somewhere. You are expected to be a leader for your employees, your children, your association committees, your church group............you lead every day, in everything you do whether you know it or not.

But how cognizant are you of your impact on others? How often do you consciously work to utilize or improve your leadership skills? Do you know if you are getting the best from others? Are you impeding your own success?

Answer the following questions, keeping track of the number of "yes", "no" and "sometimes" answers, and find out..

1. I can honestly say that I consciously ‘role model' all the behaviours I would like to see in my people or others - all of the time.

2. I share as much information with people as possible (financials, business initiatives, coming change, "truth") with everyone on my "team"

3. At the beginning of every year, I sit down with each person on my team to explain the new plans (real numbers) and goals. Together we set goals for their job, for the year.

4. People in my group know what is expected of them even in new situations or when I am not there

5. When I am out of the office (check all that apply):

o I call in to check on things often

o I leave detailed instructions on how to handle everything I can think of...

o I pray the building will still be standing when I get back

o I hope for the best

o I don't worry; I have confidence that it will all be handled

6. I hold people accountable for delivering on their objectives and how they behave

7. I make decisions quickly and deal with difficult people issues in a timely way

8. I encourage others to think "outside the box"

9. I expect my team to challenge the status quo

10. I know my values and always use them to guide my decision making

Your score and what it means...

1. Total your answers for Yes, No and Sometimes. Score question #5 as follows; a to d count as a "No" answer, and e counts as a "Yes".

2. If you answered "Yes" 7 to 10 times - Congratulations! You have strong leadership skills that you are practicing. There are not too many people that accomplish this score. This is an outstanding score and you need only to be a little more cognizant of your day-to-day interactions with people.

3. If you answered "Yes" 4 to 7 times and the rest "Sometimes" you are doing well. You are probably aware of the actions you should take but in your busy day sometimes forget to think before you act or you are giving uncontrolled situational responses. Stop before you act, to think about your response (verbal or body language count).

4. If you had less than 4 "Yes" answers with a combination of"Sometimes" and "No", it's time for some introspection, reading and training. Some leadership skills are natural and most of them stem from our core values, but for most it is work. Sometimes we don't use what we know so training, just to refresh, can be useful.

5. If you had mostly "No" responses, then seriously, it may be time to hang up those shoes. You should reconsider what you are doing at work and in your life. I know individuals that find themselves in the wrong role for many reasons - all of them valid - but you are making yourself and others very unhappy and you are not getting the best out of other people. It's quite likely you are negatively impacting your own success and the business.

If you have been extremely busy lately and are really not sure - it is time to ask others. You can have a frank conversation with someone you trust or you can use a tool such as our Leadership Defined© multi-feedback provider survey. This is a great way to allow people to give you honest feedback on how you are doing and find out in the process where you need to focus your own development.

For most people this is not like learning to ride a bicycle and it doesn't come naturally. Hard work, constant introspection and caring what motivates others are critical factors for success as a leader. And you have to be aware of this every day.

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Article Tags: leadership



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