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share what was happening internally, and in turn, helped the leader adjust, deepening the trust
between him and those who observed his changing behavior.
Monitor how you narrate the story. We are naturally inclined to interpret how things are going in
overly positive ways. Pay attention to your inner narration of what’s happening around you. If that
voice is working to convince you things are fine, step back and re-assess. Watch out if the voice in
your head is doing a lot of self-justifying or self-soothing, like, “I think that presentation went really
well…so what if they didn’t have any questions,” or “They understand that you get a little impatient
sometimes, but they know it’s because you really care,” or “I can’t believe they think I’m indecisive!
You can’t rush the creative process!” Force yourself to consider alternative explanations. Perhaps
they don’t understand why you get impatient or you are being indecisive. Be careful not to become
overly self-critical either. You’re aiming for a balanced, informed perspective, not one that protects
or harms your ego.
Know your triggers and encourage others to call them out. All leaders have buttons that get pushed.
Some leaders react defensively when confronted with mistakes. Others become sarcastic or passiveaggressive when they don’t get their way. And some become harshly impatient when things don’t
move quickly enough. Whatever they are, self-aware leaders know their triggers, and let others name
them. One leader I worked with became painfully verbose when he was anxious. During meetings
where contentious issues were being discussed, he would launch into lengthy diatribes in an
unconscious effort to calm his discomfort with conflict. One of the ways he worked to improve was to
acknowledge to his team that he was aware he did it (which they greatly appreciated) and he asked
them to simply hold up their hands when they felt he’d gone on too long. The first few times people
raised their hands, he struggled to shut up. Someone on the team finally said, “If you want us to help
you stop rambling, you have to agree to actually stop talking when we raise our hands.” He did. He
eventually learned to be brief, by writing out concise statements he could employ as needed. Great
leaders also apologize when they’ve behaved poorly, cleaning up any emotional messes they’ve left
behind.
There is a lot of data already available to you about how you are perceived as a leader. To be effective,
don’t over-rely on a formal 360, just start listening to – and acting upon — the information that’s
already there.
Ron Carucci is co-founder and managing partner at Navalent, working with CEOs and executives pursuing
transformational change for their organizations, leaders, and industries. He is the best-selling author of eight books,
including the recent Amazon #1 Rising to Power. Connect with him on Twitter at @RonCarucci; download his free e-book
on Leading Transformation.
COPYRIGHT © 2017 HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL PUBLISHING CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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