“The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves.” Ray Croc
Great leaders ask great questions – especially of themselves. Most leaders, however, fail to give themselves the gift of sustained thinking time.
Reflection is one of the most unused tools in a leader’s toolbox.
Go deep for the next 10 days. Don’t let yourself off the hook. Challenge yourself to answer the following questions bravely and honestly. And be sure to capture your insights in writing as you reflect. The gold is not in the awareness, but in what you do with the awareness when it comes.
Day 1: How do you know you’re a leader worth following? Spend some time with this one. It can be powerful. (You can also ask yourself the opposite question – How are you NOT currently a leader worth following?)
Day 2: What are your blind spots and how do they impact your leadership? What can you do to minimize the negative impact of your blind spots?
Day 3: Who speaks “truth” into your life whether you want to hear it or not? What is your process for soliciting honest feedback? How do you respond when you receive feedback you don’t like?
Day 4: What are you failing to see or failing to see clearly right now? What could you do to improve your “vision”?
Day 5: What are you doing to build and improve the relationships you have with your team? How well do you communicate, share information, encourage, and showcase the talents of those around you? How could you improve the quality of the connections you have with your team?
Day 6: How could you lead yourself more effectively this week? How will you demonstrate that focus and measure your improvement?
Day 7: Which important conversation have you delayed or avoided to this point? What is the cost of waiting to have this conversation? When should you take action?
Day 8: Which important decision have you delayed or avoided to this point? What is the cost of waiting? What would make it possible to move forward on this decision?
Day 9: What is your vision for the next 12 months? Who do you need on your team to help you get there? How can you better connect with those people? How can you better equip them to achieve this vision?
Day 10: Who should you be coaching and mentoring more closely? Why? When can you schedule time with this person? How will you know that this time has been successful?
Curiosity is a critical element of good leadership.
Foster and develop more curiosity in your life. Ask deep questions and listen deeply in turn. You may be surprised by the impact of your thinking time. Great questions matter.