The Two Most Important Leadership Tools

Leaders rely on many tools for professional development and self-improvement. Smartphone apps help maximize productivity, books and articles offer poignant advice, and coaches serve as thinking partners. These and other leadership resources are often touted as "must-haves" to ensure the leader's success and certainly, each has its place.

There are, however, two simple and unassuming tools that can help any leader transform from merely effective to truly outstanding. The key to success lies in the leader's commitment to use each tool to its fullest. 
 

1.      Tool #1: The Mirror:

What kind of leader are you? How do you measure your effectiveness? Do you know how your direct reports actually see you? Many leaders answer these questions confidently and positively, based on productivity metrics or smiling faces at staff meetings. These same leaders are shocked when engagement surveys yield sub-par scores or exit interviews indicate a lack of leadership skill.



Hold up the mirror to see what others see

Hold up a mirror by seeking frequent feedback from peers and direct reports. Individuals, especially direct reports, may at first be reticent and withhold or downplay constructive critique, but an open, genuine leader can assuage these fears. Listen from a place of pure curiosity, resisting any urge to defend or explain. Be attuned to trends, especially when a trend emerges from disparate groups. Open your ears to commentary that is positively cloaked. “I know you’re awfully busy” or “You have very high expectations” may be criticism in disguise. Ask follow-up questions:  “what does ‘busy’ look like to you?” “How do the high expectations impact you?”

Act on what you see in the mirror, and be sure those offering feedback know that you are doing so. Engage them in your efforts.  “I heard your concerns about my busy schedule and am committed to provide you with more face time. Call me out any time you believe that I’m lapsing into old habits.”  Sustain the momentum through regular check-in and ongoing behavioral adjustments.

2.      Tool #2: The Microscope:

Obtaining candid feedback is a first step, but self-transformation requires understanding of behavioral root causes.  Using our “busy” example, the next step is to place the situation under a microscope of objectivity.

Examine the dynamics in play. Which factors impacting your schedule can you control and change? If you cannot adjust, what options do you have to ensure that your staff has the time that they need?  Are there others who seem to have successfully mastered this challenge and if so, how can you learn from them? Is there a way to engage your staff in the activities that seem to pull you away from them?

The key to seeing objectively through the microscope is to first accept the validity of the feedback. Once the concern is acknowledged as fact, the lines of defense evaporate and effective solutions can emerge.

Leaders who want to improve have many resources available to them. The mirror of rich, valid feedback is an important foundational leadership development tool. When that mirror is used in conjunction with a microscope of objective analysis, a leader is able to see what others see and transform that image into what he or she wishes to become.