Do you understand you?
For leaders, one of the hardest things we have to do is self-assessment. We have a much easier time giving feedback and positive criticism and providing helpful advice to those we lead, but being able to honestly assess where WE are as a leader is tough. But, self-assessment is one of the most important things we can do to make sure we continue to grow and get better.
A few thoughts on this:
1. You are never too good at what you do or who you are to need honest feedback from yourself, your peers, your family, and your friends. Seek it out constantly.
2. Your ability to correctly provide a self-assessment is many times a reflection of your humility and appropriate self-confidence as a leader. The more humble you are, typically the more self-aware you are. The more arrogant you are, typically the less self-aware you are.
3. Can you and do you laugh at yourself consistently? Are you taking yourself way too seriously? If so, chill out. You’re not that important and you need to relax. Sometimes the more platform and position we get, the more serious we take ourselves. Don’t.
4. As a follower of Jesus, we MUST rely on the Holy Spirit for correction and discernment on areas of our lives where we need to improve and grow in maturity.
5. At the end of the day, no one really enjoys self-assessment. But you can be CONFIDENT that those around you on your team, your friends, your peers and your family are way more aware of you and your style and the things you can improve on. As a leader, you have to be willing to swallow your pride and look yourself in the mirror and correctly assess who you are. A more self-aware leader becomes a way more Confident and followable leader.
6. No one wants to work FOR or AROUND a leader who doesn’t understand who they really are. Many times these leaders lack a clear sense of reality. A good friend of mine Ken Coleman calls this REALITY DEPRIVATION SYNDROME (RDS). Unfortunately, many leaders live in this world, and end up making decisions based on their false intuitions and assumptions because they don’t have a clear sense of who they are and how they are viewed by their peers and what reality really looks like.
7. Know very clearly your areas of strength and areas of weakness. The more personality tests and self-assessment tests you can take, the better. Strengthsfinder, Myers-Briggs, Personality tests, etc. All of these are helpful in giving you a perspective of the type of person you are, and the areas you need to be more aware of that can become problem areas.
8. Once you understand who you are, create a game plan for constant improvement. For example, one of my tendencies is to use cynicism as a source of gaining power and making others feel weak. I am VERY aware of this tendency I have, and have tried to create some barriers in my life that will harness this. Another example for me is that I will end up doing everything myself, instead of naturally delegating or allowing others on our team to take on responsibility. Because of this, I’ve had to be very intentional about making sure I don’t micromanage. It’s still something I find myself doing, but am very self-aware of this and work constantly to improve.
I know of a highly influentual “tought leader” in the Christian movement who treats his assistant like dirt. It pains me to think his influence “out there” doesn’t match what he does in the closest of contexts. Sometimes self assessment needs a boost by someone outside of us to kick us in the pants and hold up a mirror to us.
May I never get so big that I think I am above the small kindnesses and integrity. (Hmmm, I think I’ll go seek some feedback myself just to be sure I’m okay…)
Great post!
crazy! i was just thinking about this yesterday! I started reading Developing the Leader Within You, and so naturally it makes you think about yourself in that same instance. Thanks Brad for the great post, and for your honesty! Happy Wednesday!
thanks for this.
my motto is “the mirror is your friend”. though I invest time in assessment tools like MBTI, StrengthsFinder, etc. (Birkman was far-and-away the best for me), the quickest way to start is “stop, start, continue”: what I have been doing that I should continue doing? what have I been doing that I should stop doing, or find a different way to address it? what should I start doing in order to be more faithful and effective?
You have a great point. And, you’re right that self-assessment is never easy.
One way I think of it is that we can never be too good at what we do, period (especially if our job is to reach the lost and hurting of the world).
That helps to move the request for improvement suggestions away from a feeling of “this person is going to tell me all the things I do wrong,” which is terrifying to everyone. Instead, it lets you feel that you’re good at what you do, but this person will help you become better. It’s really the same thing we do with people we lead. We don’t overtly tell them how they’ve failed. Instead, we find something that they do well (no matter how long it takes) and we suggest ways they can apply that skill to other areas (and no one is scared).
by far my favorite post you’ve posted.
It seems that self assessment is to look at spiritual formation of ourselves.
What makes us good at leading also makes us bad at leading.
For example, the natural leader who walks into the room, and the room bends around them. They naturally take the lead, set the course and give direction, does so because it’s who they are, but also because under the surface they are motivated by a fear of being controlled. This fear of being controlled may be held in check, depending on the health of the leader, but it is always present. Self assessment is what makes a leader aware of their own health, needs and stress. This awareness can help them not get into trouble .
thanks Brad.