When elite sports professionals look to advance and get better results it’s not uncommon for them to turn to and complete an assessment. There are many positive indicators in doing such a pointed assessment but for those elite professionals one of their sole desires is simply to be the very best that they can be. Carrying out regularly ‘minor’ or sometime ‘major’ tweaks will greatly benefit them and it’s through the lens of an assessment that more can be understood.
Working with seasoned leaders and newly appointed leaders we can together put an actionable plan together, it cannot be started without a little look in the mirror!
Leaders who engage with me have a reason for doing so, they want to be the very best leader that they can be and they are willing and ready to step into that mirror to really improve themselves and the organisations / people that they serve. There are a few specific ingredients that make up leadership. Understanding those and getting comfortable with those key ingredients will make a big contribution to your success.
Their is enormous pressures put on our leaders today, many of whom have never led in such trying times. Many of the leaders who I coach have never had any kind of leadership development or support just regular or irregular one-on-ones with their manager.
What are some of the real dangers of taking a leadership assessment in the first instance?
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The leader is not wanting to be part off such a thing
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Lack of clarity in the ‘process/outcomes’
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The leaders manager feels this will fix all the ‘problems’
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The company has tried everything else before and this is the last straw
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The leader is not changing
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The tool is too complicated / to much ambiguity
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The assessment is fundamentally the wrong choice for the leader
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The leader is just not ready to step into the space needed
What are some of the real advantages of taking a leadership assessment?
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It gives you and your organisation a real constructive insight into who you are as a leader
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Helps the leader to develop and build on your strengths
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Supports succession planning so someone is ready to take on a bigger role.
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Allows deeper self awareness
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Identifies real strengths and development areas for the leader
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Helps the leader understand why they approach situations in such a way
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To take stock of the past to build on the leaders future
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To allow self doubt to be reduced
There has been a stigma attached to such leadership assessments in the past, truly great leaders similar to those elite sports people enjoy the process of learning more about who they are and how they show up. Sometimes I get to witness first hand leaders looking to help others but they forget to help themselves.
I remember many years ago being asked to complete an assessment – the first thing that crept into my mind was ‘’oh, what’s wrong with me’. Rather than embracing the time to learn about myself and for the outcomes to be what they are, I instantly felt something was wrong. Please don’t let this be your initial thought.
Leadership is a selfless job, it’s full of ups and downs – making tough calls and making mistakes along the way. Gaining relevant insights into how you go about leading yourself and others with assessments that pinpoint specific areas will allow your leadership to be rewarding and authentic.
No assessment in the world will fix things but a well rounded, relatable and usable assessment will allow you the leader to take action. Action can only occur when we understand what key action areas to focus in on. Here is a link to the hand picked globally accredited leadership assessments that clients use when working with me.
If you are a leader or looking to step into a leadership position I’d be more than happy to speak with you about the results we are seeing from leadership assessments.
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“We can’t go back in time and make change but we can move forwards and appreciate how the past has impacted our decisions”
Life is too short not to be your true self. Enjoy and be the very best you can be.
Nick Roud – Executive Coaching
Awarded Best Executive Coaching Consultancy New Zealand at the 2020 Asia Pacific Business Awards
#3 Master Certified Executive Coach in the world on Intelligent Leadership Executive Coaching
Executive Coach on the EMBA and MBA programme at one of New Zealand’s most prestigious universities