Leaders set the tone. Leaders establish the standard by which the rest of the team measures themselves and their efforts. They embody the mission and vision of an organization and inspire others to push for growth success.
There is often a direct correlation between the strength and effectiveness of a team or organization and the strength of its leadership. Effective leaders set goals, make decisions, strive for progress and perhaps most importantly, understand the unique needs of their team and use this knowledge to motivate their team to work for growth and success.
According to a study conducted by the Harvard Business Review, some individuals are more productive and effective when they feel empowered by those in leadership. Others will be more successful when their leaders take a more directive approach.
Truly effective leaders can identify the specific characteristics and preferences of their team and act accordingly. They lead from a place of knowledge and understanding. They establish a team culture that fosters creativity, innovation, and cooperation.
So how are you doing?
Are you the kind of leader that inspires progress? Does your leadership style encourage cooperation and maximum effort from your team?
I’m going to make it simple and give you the answer: YES….and also NO.
The reality is no one has completely perfected leadership. Even the best leaders have holes in their approach, areas that could be strengthened.
You also have weaknesses when it comes to leadership, but I’m willing to bet you’re probably doing a few things right as well. The key to a truly effective leader is not how successful you are on a given day, but how open and willing you are to identify your strengths and weaknesses and make changes and improvements as needed.
Sounding familiar? That’s right…we are talking about assessments.
If you’ve been following this blog as of late, you’ve probably noticed this familiar theme. Assessments are a critically important piece of any individual or organizational success…so important, in fact, that we’ve dedicated several weeks’ worth of content to discussing their many applications.
When it comes to the strength of your leadership, you cannot grow without first assessing your strengths and weaknesses. Where are you at this point in time? Do you know your starting point? Answering this question can be done in a multitude of ways, including self-reflection, formal assessments, and evaluations and feedback from leadership coaches.
Although each of these methods is valuable, one of the most effective ways to gauge the strength and identify weaknesses in your leadership is to seek feedback from your team.
Insight from your team can give you an understanding of different facets of your leadership, such as communication and support. Formal feedback assessments, such as anonymous evaluations and performance reviews, can be used periodically to check in on your progress a leader. For tips on getting helpful and consistent informal feedback from your team, take a look at these tips.
Looking for more? The Assess For Success: Grow and Retain Top Talent in Nonprofit Organizations Virtual Summit is just around the corner!
The Assess for Success summit helps nonprofit leaders like you deliver more on your mission, boost your knowledge, and grow a team that’s engaged and ready to innovate. The summit sessions equip participants with the expert tools needed to evaluate your personal leadership skills and to assess and grow your whole team.
Become more confident about choosing the best assessment tools for you and your organization. Mark your calendars for March 4-6 and click HERE to save your spot before it’s too late!
Article was contributed by: Maria Lees, Team Writer with Sarah Boxx
Resources:
https://hbr.org/2018/03/when-empowering-employees-works-and-when-it-doesnt
https://hbr.org/2019/01/how-leaders-can-get-honest-productive-feedback
