BMA eBook - Manual / Resource - Page 256
What to Ask the Person in the Mirror
The Idea in Brief
The Idea in Practice
If you’re like most managers, the higher
you go up the corporate ladder, the
harder it is to get candid feedback on your
performance. And without crucial input
from bosses and colleagues, you can
make mistakes that irreparably damage
your organization—and your reputation.
Kaplan suggests periodically asking yourself questions related to seven leadership
challenges:
How to figure out how you’re really doing
and avoid business disasters? Kaplan recommends looking to yourself for answers.
Regularly ask yourself questions like these:
“Am I communicating a vision for my business to my employees?” “Am I spending my
time in ways that enable me to achieve my
priorities?” “Do I give people timely and direct feedback they can act on?” “How do I
behave under pressure?”
COPYRIGHT © 2006 HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL PUBLISHING CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
It’s far more important to ask the right questions than to have all the answers. By applying this process, you tackle the leadership
challenges that inevitably arise during the
course of your career—and craft new plans
for staying on your game.
To address
this
leadership
challenge…
Ask…
Because…
Vision and
priorities
How often do I communicate a vision
and key priorities to
achieve that vision?
Employees want to know where the business is going
and what they need to focus on in order to help drive the
business. As the world changes, they want to know how
the vision and priorities might change.
Managing
time
Does the way I
spend my time
match my key
priorities?
Tracking your use of time can reveal startling—even
horrifying—disconnects between your top priorities and
your actions. Such disconnects send confusing messages
to employees about your true priorities.
Feedback
Do I give people
timely and direct
feedback they can
act on?
Employees want truthful, direct, and timely feedback.
Retention and productivity improve when employees
trust you to raise issues promptly and honestly.
Succession
planning
Have I
potential successors?
It’s important to nurture future leaders who can grow the
business. If you haven’t
possible successors,
you’re probably not delegating as much as you should,
and you may even be a decision-making bottleneck.
Evaluation
and alignment
Am I attuned to
business changes
that may require
shifts in how we run
the company?
All businesses encounter challenges posed by changes;
for example, in customers’ needs or the business’s stage
of maturity. To determine how best to evolve your business, regularly scan for changes, seek fresh perspectives
from talented subordinates, and envision new organizational designs.
Leading
under pressure
How do I behave
under pressure?
During crises, employees watch you with a microscope—
and mimic your behavior. By identifying your unproductive behaviors under pressure (such as blaming others or
losing your temper), you can better manage those behaviors and avoid sending unintended messages to employees about how they should behave.
Staying true
to yourself
Does my leadership
style re ct who I
truly am?
A business career is a marathon, not a sprint. If you’ve
adopted a leadership style that doesn’t suit your skills,
values, and personality, you’ll wear down.
page 1
This document is authorized for use only by Michelle Sales (michelle@michellesales.com.au). Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Please contact
customerservice@harvardbusiness.org or 800-988-0886 for additional copies.
