Are you an effective leader? Would your employees say you are an effective leader? How would your employees describe your leadership skills and style? What positive characteristics would they identify? What blind spots would they highlight? Or would they just say nothing at all?
Being a great leader is a life long journey and it all starts with you. Have you prepared to be a great leader? Are you a lifelong learner? Do you work on improving yourself every single day of your life? What do you do every day to improve as a leader? Is improving as a leader a high priority? Do you believe that leadership development is a life time journey and that you will never arrive?
As a leader you need to be aligned on the inside before you can lead on the outside. It’s an inside job. If you are continually working on the inside, assessing your strengths and weaknesses, and working to improve every day then you will always have something new to offer and can lead effectively.
You also need to be open and willing to listen to what others say, solicit feedback, ask thinking questions, and work to never be the smartest person in the room. It’s the way you show vulnerability and that builds trust and respect. You also need to continually and consistently set aside time in your day for assessment, learning, and showing a willingness to pivot and adjust. You need to be committed and focused to getting better every day.
