7 questions to determine your leadership potential
By Tom Cox, Wipfli LLP
Sometimes leadership styles have to change to match the needs of an organization — but some leadership traits shouldn’t waiver. Leadership characteristics, like focus and desire, should be steadfast among the C-suite.
Ask yourself seven questions to see if you have what it takes to become an exceptional leader:
- Do you want to be a leader?
Management and leadership are different. Management is about processes and things, while leadership focuses on people and outcomes. Leading people is a choice that requires a shift in priorities and how you spend your time. Transitioning from a “doer” to a “leader” also requires new skills to be effective. Make sure you have the desire to lead. - Are you focused on the right things?
Leaders get things accomplished by motivating others and developing successful teams. The coach can’t play the game, but they are responsible for the team’s performance and can take pride in it. Make sure you’re ready to focus on the right things to develop your team. - How do you like to spend your time?
Leading is not something you do in addition to your job. It is the job. Are you ready to focus on other people more than your own work? People are the most important success factor in a leadership role, and that should dictate how you spend your time. - Do you hold people accountable?
Teams should be involved in setting goals, but leaders are responsible for holding people accountable for actions and results. Leaders set and cascade shared goals, then create accountability for outcomes. Are you comfortable holding people accountable? - Can you delegate and let go?
Can you allow mistakes to happen and treat them as learning and coaching opportunities? To develop strong teams, leaders have to encourage independent decision-making and reasonable risk-taking. Can you focus on what needs to be accomplished and let the team handle how it gets accomplished? - Are you a good coach?
A leader’s job is to coach, teach and develop the team by asking questions rather than providing answers. Instead of solving problems, leaders encourage thinking, accountability and ownership for decisions and actions. Are you ready to encourage differing opinions and empower people to act on them? - How transparent are you?
Trust is foundational to leadership, and it’s fostered by openness and self-awareness. Leaders welcome feedback and remain open to change. Are you ready to own your weaknesses and improve with the help of others?
Evaluate your leadership potential
These questions can help you determine whether you have essential and immutable leadership traits — or identify areas for mentorship and development. Many leadership traits, such as confident delegation and coaching, can be learned and practiced over time by individuals with the proper focus and desire.
How Wipfli can help
Our leadership development programs help leaders at every level cultivate a leadership mindset that empowers others to thrive. Learn how we help clients manage people, processes and strategy on our organizational performance consulting webpage.
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