This Report Card Will Make You A Better Leader

We have talked in recent weeks about the importance of recognizing mistakes. Respect is earned when your people understand that you will be accountable for your actions, just as you expect them to be accountable for theirs.

Equally important to taking responsibility is proactively checking in with your staff to get their input on your leadership style. Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash

For this to be effective, you need to have a culture of safety, where people feel comfortable sharing their views without fear of “paying for it”. Getting regular feedback from the people who work for you will help you calibrate your leadership style to fit the needs of your company. The result is a more vibrant company culture.

This doesn’t have to be a long, drawn out process. It can be a short survey given to staff 2-3 times a year. The answers you receive will give you a snapshot of how your employees experience your leadership style.

The questions you include will be specific to your industry and culture.

Here are some suggestions for the types of questions you could include in your company’s survey:

1. How would you rate my overall leadership on a scale of 1-10?

2. How would you rate me in the following areas, using the same scale:

   1. Communication

   2. Setting clear goals and expectations

   3. Providing you with the training and resources to do your job

   4. Providing mentoring

   5. Recognizing performance

   6. Being flexible to your needs

3. What would you like me to do more of?

4. What would you like me to do less of?

As important as asking the questions is what you do with the answers.

Take everything you hear as an opportunity to improve. If employees praise you for how you recognize performance, take a moment to pat yourself on the back. Then, build on that feedback and brainstorm additional ways to make your employees feel appreciated.

Conversely, if they give you some low marks on how you set goals, spend some time getting additional input or training in order to build that skill.

It’s all about having the mindset that you are always evolving as a leader. Touching base with your employees will result in continual improvement and an energizing company culture.