The Tests of a Leader

What to Ask the Person in the Mirror?

“There comes a point in your career when the best way to figure out how you’re doing is to step back and ask yourself a few questions. Having all the answers is less important than knowing what to ask.” The preceding statement concisely captures the very essence of this article written by the Balanced Scorecard Approach progenitor Robert Kaplan published in the January 2007 issue of the Harvard Business Review.

Based on his experience as a management practitioner, consultant and academic, Kaplan realized that a key trait of highly successful leaders is not that they figure out how to always stay on course. Rather, it is their ability to recognize a deteriorating situation and get back on track as quickly as possible. These leaders, he found out, constantly ponder on strategic questions to help them improve their performance and preempt serious organizational issues.

Questions

VISION AND PRIORITIES
In the press of day-to-day activities, leaders often fail to adequately communicate their vision to the organization, and in particular, they don’t communicate it in a way that helps their subordinates determine where to focus their own efforts.

· How often do I communicate a vision for my business?
· Have I identified and communicated three to five key priorities to achieve that vision?
· If asked, would my employees be able to articulate the vision and priorities?

MANAGING TIME
Leaders need to know how they’re spending their time. They also need to ensure that their time allocation (and that of their subordinates) matches their key priorities.

· How am I spending my time? Does it match my key priorities?
· How are my subordinates spending their time? Does that match the key priorities for the business?

FEEDBACK
Leaders often fail to coach employees in a direct and timely fashion and, instead, wait until the year-end review. This approach may lead to unpleasant surprises and can undermine effective professional development. Just as important, leaders need to cultivate subordinates who can give them advice and feedback during the year.

· Do I give people timely and direct feedback that they can act on?
· Do I have fix or six junior subordinates who will tell me things I may not want to hear but need to hear?

SUCCESSION PLANNING
When leaders fail to actively plan for succession, they do not delegate sufficiently and may become decision-making bottlenecks. Key employees may leave if they are not actively groomed and challenged.

· Have I, at least in my own mind, picked one or more potential successors?
· Am I coaching them and giving them challenging assignments?
· Am I delegating sufficiently? Have I become a decision-making bottleneck?

EVALUATION AND ALIGNMENT
The world is constantly changing, and leaders need to be able to adapt their businesses accordingly.

· Is the design of my company still aligned with the key success factors for the business?
· If I had to design my business with a clean sheet of paper, how would I design it? How would it differ from the current design?
· Should I create a task force of subordinates to answer these questions and make recommendations to me?

LEADING UNDER PRESSURE
A leader’s actions in times of stress are watched closely by subordinates and have a profound impact on the culture of the firm and employees’ behavior. Successful leaders need to be aware of their own stress triggers and consciously modulate their behavior during these periods to make sure they are acting in ways that are consistent with their beliefs and core values.

· What types of events create pressure for me?
· How do I behave under pressure?
· What signals am I sending my subordinates? Are these signals helpful, or are they undermining the success of my business?
· Are subordinates adequately informed about the pressures faced by the organization?

STAYING TRUE TO YOURSELF
Successful executives develop leadership styles that fit the needs of their business but also fit their own beliefs and personality.

· Is my leadership style comfortable? Does it reflect who I truly am?
· Do I assert myself sufficiently, or have I become tentative?
· Am I too politically correct?
· Does worry about my next promotion or bonus cause me to pull punches or hesitate to express my views?