Often when I interview potential candidates to be placed on a leadership team one of the questions I ask of them is \u201cIf hired, what will you \u00a0need to work on in executive leadership coaching?\u201d\u00a0 If the candidate is self-aware and able to describe what they might work on \u2013 great!\u00a0 That is one step in the right direction. \u00a0If they aren’t able to articulate a good understanding of what their leadership development needs are – yikes! \u00a0Strike One. Yes, our clients that ask us to help put the right people on their teams really do value and want to hire individuals who have a high-level of introspection and desire for personal and professional growth.<\/p>\n
Most leadership talent searches rarely include \u2018self-awareness\u2019 as a competency, which, in my humble opinion,\u00a0\u00a0should \u00a0be a top criterion.\u00a0 Interestingly, a high self-awareness score is one of\u00a0\u00a0the strongest predictors of overall success.\u00a0 This is not altogether surprising as executives who are aware of their weaknesses are often better able to hire subordinates who perform well in categories in which the leader lacks acumen.\u00a0 These leaders are also more able to entertain the idea that someone on their team may have an idea that is even better than their own.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Successful leaders know where their natural inclinations lie and use this knowledge to boost those inclinations or compensate for them.<\/p>\n Would you believe that self-awareness in leaders even impacts a companies\u2019 bottom line?\u00a0\u00a0In a study of the stock performance of 486 publicly traded companies,\u00a0Korn\/Ferry International\u00a0found that companies with strong financial performance tend to have leaders\u00a0with higher levels of self-awareness than poorly performing companies. \u00a0Granted, self-awareness isn\u2019t one of those big marquee leadership qualities like vision, charisma, strategic thinking or the ability to speak eloquently to an audience\u2026but it\u2019s a quieter supplementary quality that can be a catalyst in an organization.<\/p>\n This is all great to know, but how to do become aware of some of your strengths and weaknesses?\u00a0 Some of us know what some of them are. \u00a0For example, I know numbers don’t come naturally to me so I have to spend more time and energy with my accountant than most people do. \u00a0No big surprise. \u00a0But, when it comes to relationships and creativity, I’m your person. \u00a0 Each one of us probably has a laundry list of things we know we are naturally good or not so good at. \u00a0But, are we always accurate in our self-perceptions and how often do we have a blindspot or not realize that our impact is different than our intent?<\/p>\n A Reputation Audit<\/strong> Interview Your Team Members.<\/u> <\/strong>\u00a0Make a list of people whose opinions you value and have a trusted relationship with. \u00a0These are people who will be straight-shooters and value the relationship enough to give you good honest feedback. \u00a0Schedule a time with each of those people and let them know what you are trying to accomplish by meeting.\u00a0 Ask them to give you insight into how they\u00a0see you. Ask them what they can and can’t rely on you for. \u00a0Be sure to listen, take notes, ask clarifying questions and then thank them for their candor.<\/p>\n Survey Option. <\/u><\/strong>\u00a0If you just don’t feel that you can get that kind of feedback from people face-to-face then do a survey. \u00a0Ensure that you are asking a well-rounded group. \u00a0The most accurate feedback you can receive comes from peers (they have first hand knowledge of what you are facing every day), \u00a0the most\u00a0positive feedback typically comes from your boss (they always see you at your best)\u00a0\u00a0and, typically, \u00a0the less positive feedback comes from your direct reports (they see you day in and day out and expect a lot from you).\u00a0Be sure that the\u00a0survey includes\u00a0questions, such as simply asking \u00a0\u201cWhat\u00a0should I stop doing, start doing or keep doing?” \u00a0Most people find it really helpful to have open-ended questions such as “What additional comments or suggestions might you have to improve my leadership effectiveness?” \u00a0Collate all the answers and be open to what the feedback has to say. Following through with these actions takes a lot of courage, but in the end\u2026isn\u2019t it better to know what the perceptions are out there about you instead of walking around unaware? \u00a0Knowing then allows you to be intentional in your actions to change and, quite honestly, models what it takes to be a great leader! \u00a0Let us know if we can help you along in any way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Often when I interview potential candidates to be placed on a leadership team one of the questions I ask of them is \u201cIf hired,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":910,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[17,19,18],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nHave you ever heard of a reputation audit? \u00a0Typically, this\u00a0is a service\u00a0provided by\u00a0public relations firms that help clients better understand their customers. However, over the years we have utilized a hybrid of this for leaders in their own development. \u00a0At Steople, we believe that each and every one of use has a leadership reputation. \u00a0People know what they can or can’t rely on you for. \u00a0Being extremely brave at asking and then knowing\u00a0what those things are can have a \u00a0positive impact on your leadership effectiveness. \u00a0This is super practical, doesn’t cost and thing and can be incredibly motivating for change.\u00a0 Here are \u00a0a few suggestions on how you can implement your own reputation audit in relation to your leadership development:<\/p>\n
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\nCreate an Action Plan.<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0 As you conduct your reputation audit, you will probably be surprised because you’ll hear or read negatives you were not aware of and you’ll hear or read some positives that will encourage you.\u00a0\u00a0 The important thing here is to pay attention to the themes.\u00a0 Based on those themes you will want to chose 2-3 action items that you will want to work on changing. \u00a0Never get defensive about the feedback or try to circle back around to those who gave you the feedback – otherwise future feedback will be shut down for them. \u00a0For accountability purposes, \u00a0tell key people on your team and in your life\u00a0what you are working on in your own leadership journey. \u00a0People love to see change and success in others!<\/p>\n