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The Leadership Assessment
by Mike Van Hoozer
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“How am I doing as a leader? The answer is how are the people you lead doing? Do they learn? Do they visit customers? Do they manage conflict? Do they initiate change? Are they growing and getting promoted? You won’t remember when you retire what you did in the first quarter of 1994, or the third. What you’ll remember is how many people you developed. How many people you helped have a better career because of your interest and your dedication to their development …. When confused as to how you are doing as a leader, find out how the people you lead are doing. You’ll know the answer.”
- Larry Bossidy, former Chairman and CEO of Honeywell
As I reflect on the quote from Larry Bossidy, I am struck with the thought of how much this applies in my personal life as it does in my professional life. Having led teams, coached people, and taught on leadership, I have often used this quote in a professional context to be a great assessment of the performance of a leader. Leadership is about influence and impact. The real question is not if we are influencing and impacting people, but how are we influencing and impacting them. Do the people who work for us grow in their careers? Do they develop into future leaders? Have they benefited, because we decided to show up and make an impact in their life?
As I think about my responsibilities as a father and husband, I need to be asking similar questions to evaluate myself as a leader in my personal life. As a father I ask questions such as:
- Are my boys growing and becoming better people?
- Are they becoming all of who they are intended to be in everything they do?
- Am I contributing on a daily basis to their development?
- Am I pouring energy and passion into their hopes, dreams, and aspirations?
- Am I teaching and enabling them to grow and go?
As a husband, I consider questions such as:
- Is my wife better off, because I spent time with her today?
- Am I being all of who she needs me to be?
- Am I complementing, supplementing, and completing her life?
- Am I seeking to understand her more each day?
- Am I fulfilling my relational responsibilities as a husband?
At the end of the day, it us up to each of us to be who we are and do what we need to do. Just as it is up to the people we lead to perform, it is also up to my boys and wife to take individual responsibility for their life. My role as a leader can significantly help or hinder this process. No matter if you are single or married, I challenge you to consider these questions and determine your own grade on the leadership assessment regarding your life both personally and professionally. The bottom line is: Are people better off, because you showed up today?
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