HOW GOOD a leader are you? Daniel Goleman in his bestseller Emotional Intelligence states that frequent, to the point feedback is how you find out.
My experience with high achieving leaders is that they seldom solicit feedback. In fact they don’t see the need for it and, at times, fear it. Also, they tend to have these characteristics:
- Safe risk takers: Because they are so passionate about success, they shy away from the unknown especially if it’s about them personally. For some they think the data will be far worse than it actually is in reality.
- Tunnel vision. Achievers care intensely about how others view their work—but they tend to ignore positive feedback and obsess over criticism.
- Competitiveness. They obsessively compare themselves with others, which can lead to a chronic sense of insufficiency, false calibrations, and ultimately career missteps.
Take Your Head Out of the Sand!
Realize getting honest, focused feedback from your team, your boss and other key stakeholders is important for your ongoing success. How else can you get better? How else can you grow the competencies and experience to move up to that next level?
Get Feedback with the SKS Questions
Talk with your boss, your team, your peer and even other stakeholders help you identify the behaviors that are getting in the way of your effectiveness and those that will move you forward in a more productive direction. It may not be easy. However make sure you’re open and curious rather than closed and defensive. The Three SKA Questions are:
- What should I STOP doing? What are you doing that is causing you to be less effective?
- What should I KEEP doing? What are you doing right that is getting the right results?
- What should I START doing? What new things should you begin doing to be more effective?
Now What?
Then think about what you’ve heard. Don’t dismiss negative comments outright; rather get additional feedback from others. Then do a quick assessment: Are there specific themes that run through most or all of my feedback (both positive and negative)? Were there suggestions on how to be a better leader? What did you learn about yourself from this exercise? Finally, create a simple leadership development plan that will include the following:
- Keepers (the behaviors you will continue to do because they lead to success)?
- Future to-dos (the behaviors you will start or stop doing in the next 1-3months)?
- I’ll deal with these later (the behaviors to put on the back burner; caution don’t forget about them)?
Smart Moves Tip
Many high achieving leaders don’t know how to get feedback early enough before making some big mistakes. They’re more interested in getting to our next project than stepping back to see how they’re doing. Yes, they may tell themselves we “should” quit micro-managing or we “should” start delegating more. But their resolve gets lost in the activity of daily events. Take the time now to use the SKS Questions to move beyond “business as usual” and move toward more effective and authentic leadership.
My Motto Is:
If you do what you always did, you will get what you always got. Therefore, MOVE outside of your comfort zone; thats where the MAGIC happens.” To bring that magic to your leadership and business, subscribe to Marcias monthly Execubrief: Business Edge Smart Growth Strategies with a insights, inspiration and intelligence on how to build great businesses that matter those that do well and do good.
Whats Your Success Score?
Are you starting a business; growing a business; selling a business or re-charging a business? Do you have the right stuff to build a highly organized, innovative, productive, and profitable enterprise? How well does your business stack up with other companies? The ManageHub Success Score will tell you!
