LEARN-EMPOWER-ASSESS-DECIDE-EVALUATE-REVIEW
Life-long learners constantly cycle through a developmental process to sharpen their leadership skills. It may be intuitive or it may be intentional. But the 6 steps are real: LEARN-EMPOWER-ASSESS-DECIDE-EVALUATE-REVIEW. The third step in the leadership developmental process is ASSESS. The word assess refers to that need for leaders to assess the vision, their goals and the team members performance.
Over the last several decades a lot has been written about vision. I like to draw on Joel Barker’s quote:
Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.
Vision includes three elements. More importantly, these three elements must be inextricably connected to the vision. The larger the gap, the greater disparity between your vision and your team members – the higher the probability is that your team will NOT produce the expected outcomes you desire. Here are the three elements:
- Strategies
- Goals
- Targets
As a leader, you are constantly addressing the proximity of the vision to your strategies, goals and targets. Here are five questions to ask team members to assess that gap:
- Where is our team positioned currently?
- What is the gap between our current position and our vision?
- What do we need to do in the short-term that will help us to achieve that vision?
- In the medium-term?
- In the long-term?
Assessing is an important step in the Leadership Development Process. But Assessing in itself is not enough. In fact, going to a workshop, listening to a podcast or even receiving a degree in leadership does not guarantee a person can lead. I’ve found that many people have knowledge but lack the experience of actually leading a team. Applying the knowledge and learning from success as well as failure is critical in the development process.
Questions for your reflection:
- When was the last time you assessed your team’s current vision?
- When was the last time you assessed your team member’s performance?
- What steps do you need to take to close the gap between your vision and the actions of your team?
The next step in the journey to develop as a leader is – Decide. What are you going to measure and how will it be measured? This is where we will pick-up next week.
InFocus is responding to the need to help leaders empower their team through our Live Courses called Collectives. Learn about the 2019 Collectives. Each Collective will engage you in the 6 Step Leadership Development process above.
Related Leadership Development Resource:
Effective Leadership Storyboard
