How often do you stop and ask yourself: “How am I doing as a leader?”
Taking the time for honest self-reflection is an important task for any leader. Just as it’s important to monitor the progress and effectiveness of your organization, it’s essential to monitor your leadership progress as well.
Why? Here are a few key reasons:
- Everyone has room to grow.
Whether you’ve been in a leadership role for five months or five years, there is always room for growth and improvement. Even the most experienced leaders will (if they are honest with themselves) be able to identify key areas of their leadership that could be strengthened.
Now, it’s important to remember that identifying an “area of growth” does not necessarily mean that you are doing poorly in that area. It simply means that there is still information that you could learn or skills that you could refine even more than you already have.
- You are the model for your team.
As the leader, you set the precedent. Your team looks to you as an example of how to operate. In essence, you are the ruler with which other people measure themselves.
If you as a leader prioritize monitoring your own effectiveness and progress, your team will follow suit. Likewise, if you choose to neglect your own self-reflection, the probability that your team members will take it upon themselves to monitor their progress and aim for growth is slim to none.
If you want your team to take progress monitoring seriously (and honestly, if you want to have an effective organization, you should care about that) then you need to lead the charge and begin monitoring your own effectiveness.
I know what you are probably wondering: “Alright, obviously monitoring my effectiveness is important…but what exactly am I supposed to be tracking?”
Great question!
Here are a few key indicators of leadership growth and effectiveness every leader should be monitoring:
- How are you investing your time?
As a leader, time is your most valuable resource. Let me ask you something…Have you ever had a day that felt “busy” but by the end of it, you couldn’t really account for what you actually did? We’ve all had days like that. If we aren’t paying attention, we can easily spend our time on activities that aren’t impactful and may not even be part of our actual job description or meet our objectives.
The best way to ensure that you are using your time in the most effective way possible is to begin tracking it. Keep a record of what activities you do each day and how many minutes you spend on each activity. Take five minutes each day and ask yourself:
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- Were these activities a good use of my time? (High value – not busy work)
- Were there priority tasks that I neglected?
- What’s one way I can improve tomorrow?
- Is your team communication effective?
A large part of any leader’s job is communication. It is your responsibility to share important information with your team, as well as facilitate important conversations and dialogue between team members.
Periodically, it’s a good idea to evaluate whether or not your communication strategy is achieving the results you’d hoped for. Do you receive feedback when you ask for it? Is your team engaging in conversation when invited? Do they initiate conversations with you and other team members?
- Are you on track to reach your own professional development goals?
First, I have to ask the question, did you set professional development goals? If so, fantastic! Here are a few things to keep in mind as you monitor your progress:
- What are incremental benchmark goals on the way to your overall “big goal?”
- What does “success” look like? How will you know when you’ve accomplished your goal?
- What are the “small steps” you need to take daily, weekly, quarterly to stay on track?
- Who is keeping you accountable? How often do you check in with this person?
If you have not identified professional development goals for yourself, I highly encourage you to do so. This practice makes it easier for you as a leader to focus on key areas of improvement and growth.
If you’re ready to merge your intentional leadership journey with your organization’s growth strategy, I have an opportunity you don’t want to miss!
Join the SandBoxx! http://sarahboxx49789.ac-page.com/Heartbeat an intentional online community where leaders and other high-achievers find support, education, and connection. With live expert trainings, facilitated co-working sessions, monthly challenges (and more!) there truly is something for everyone and every growth journey!
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Article was contributed by: Maria Lees, Team Writer with Sarah Boxx
