Why Should Self Assessment A Continual Improvement Tools For Leaders?
While leadership is more about people, the transition from leading individuals to guiding an entire organization can be daunting sometimes. This article intends to focus on why leadership self-assessment is necessary.
Leadership might be hard to define, but it is easy to identify. However, that does not mean leaders are passive, resting on inherent abilities. It is true that some are born leaders, and others learn how to become influential leaders.
Leaders know that they must keep up their leadership skills in order to lead. However, leadership is not only about inspiring others; it is also about understanding oneself. There are various personality types, anad again there are leadership skills — it is not one size fits all.
Leadership self assessment is what fuels one’s leadership skills. There are various ways for a person to assess their leadership skills, and by so doing, turn their weaknesses into strengths.
Why is it Good to Test one’s Leadership Skills?
Leadership is multifaceted, so are the tools to examine and work on improving those skills. The tools of leadership assessment are designed to provide practical steps that one can apply to measure their leadership skills and work towards boosting them.
However, the utilization of leadership assessment tools goes beyond the fact that they are useful. Therefore, it is essential to test one’s leadership skills against a baseline and see where an individual stands and how he or she can reach higher.
Everyone exhibits leadership traits that are their strengths and deficiencies that expose their weaknesses. However, not everyone is aware of their strengths and weaknesses. That is why a periodic test of leadership skills is like assessing one’s leadership skills and seeing if they need another quart and where.
Research from the Experts about the Importance of Leadership Assessment
There is also the bigger picture. Testing one’s leadership skills is key to an organization’s success. According to studies, “65 per cent of companies with succession management programs were effective at making improved business results through leadership skills versus 6 per cent of businesses with no succession process at all.” The report also suggests that “one could argue that most of the failures in the financial and real estate sectors in current years are at least in part attributable to ineffective leadership.”
The research also states that 86 per cent of the firms surveyed that had a leadership development program immediately responded to changes in market circumstances. Suppose your organization does not have any leadership development program in place. In that case, it is up to you to take the initiative by using leadership assessment tools to make sure you are more effective than others.
Dr. Karen Walker
Personnel Research Psychologist at Department of Justice
Founder of KW Productions
