Top 5 Leadership Questions You Should Ask Yourself
Leadership is a tough gig, and if you are currently in that position, you know way too well the challenges that may emerge from time to time. These are both external and internal, and that is why it is necessary to know who you are, in order to lead others. You can not be an effective leader if you do not self-reflect and ask yourself the right questions.
Today on the podcast, Tonika Bruce shares the top 5 questions every leader must ask on their journey to leadership excellence.
Key Points from the podcast:
- Self-reflection is vital in leadership development
- 5 questions that will help leaders self-reflect
We are going to discuss these five essential leadership questions that leaders should ask themselves for personal assessment below. Forbes found out that answering these questions honestly and fully will guide a leader in the right direction.
1. Am I Communicating the Big Picture and Actively Listening?
“Communication is what makes leadership possible, and that means both speaking and listening.”-Tonika Bruce
Communication is what makes leadership possible, and that means both speaking and listening. Even more, communicating with clarity just to ensure that the team has its eye on whether the price is.
Effective leaders know that good communication skills are vital in all modes of communication whether it is a verbal presentation, a written report, or instructions to employees. An effective leader also values active listening because it is the only way to get feedback and opinions from the team members and clients. Furthermore, leaders do consult certain experts, and listening keenly to them helps leaders to make informed decisions. Lastly, as leaders communicate they are keen to use the proper body language, avoid distractions, maintain eye contact, and respond appropriately.
2. How Am I Inspiring Others in Their Role?
Did you know that most employees feel stuck at work seeking validation and it’s not because they want attention?
“One of my favorite ones is to ask if I am inspiring the team. I strive to understand what motivates my team because it does inspire their goals or achievements in the long run. Some are motivated by rewards, others recognition or even team spirit- the bottom line is a leader must consider how they inspire those they lead”-Tonika Bruce
Did you know that most employees feel stuck at work seeking validation and it’s not because they want attention? The reason is they want to know their skills are useful and are adding value to the advancement of the company vision.
The simplest way for leaders to inspire and motivate their teams is by explaining to them their vision for the company. When all the members are aware of the expected result, then it is easier to work together towards the goal. Setting clear objectives help all team members to track their progress and identify accomplishments in an inspiring manner.
Research by Perkbox indicates that mapping out clear goals and explaining them to all employees has positive impacts on an entire organization. The main reason is that regardless of the employee’s superiority or rank in the company, all members see and get inspired by how their efforts contribute to the success of the organization.
What inspiration looks like:
- Show them what their contribution helps to solve in the team or organization, not just telling them why they need to perform.
- Show you understand their aptitudes, behaviors, and tendencies
- Coach, don’t just command-enable them by providing the right tools and support.
- Consider their personal growth not just responsibility- developing your employees to move up the career ladder is as inspiring as it gets.
- Consider the significance of their performance during evaluation, not just success and numbers. If an employee performed at 80% in sales, after discussing ways to get to 100% also look at the impact from the sales. Maybe the 80% generated enough income to add 2 more to the team.
Are you a new leader? Try the short foundational leadership course for aspiring and new executives: The Impactful Leader
3. Am I Making Progress Every Day?
“Learning does not stop when you start leading. This question helps you to reflect on areas of improvement because you become more aware of when you need to do better.”-Tonika Bruce
Great leaders progress every day because they aim for incremental gains.
Progressive leaders figure out the problem, set tangible goals, develop a game plan, and with a positive attitude implement it. In addition, enlightened leaders have the emotional intelligence to comprehend and admit that change is inevitable.
Therefore, they do not hold onto regressive concepts but they quickly embrace change and innovation. They encourage their team members to contribute openly when solving a problem.
In this way, they get new perspectives, innovative solutions, and a variety of ways to grow. Finally, true leaders do not advance alone but they act as cheerleaders who encourage and invest in the growth and success of their teams.
Consider these pointers to gauge if you are making progress:
- Are you setting and accomplishing goals- yours and those of team members?
- What about your processes and systems have they changed over time?
- Is the team evolving- are there promotions, role change, new hires?
4. Do I Have Potential Leaders That I am Building?
“Leading is not always about being the commander but it’s building talent for succession. Increasing performance and paving the way for your promotion. You have to ask yourself this question to know how well you are testing and delegating responsibilities to your team.”-Tonika Bruce
As a leader, you must challenge your juniors to step out of their comfort zone and take more duties so that they can learn. Great leaders motivate and positively influence the actions of their employees. They encourage, empower, support, and mentor their juniors to follow in their footsteps. One way to do this is to hold open conversations with team members to determine when they have lost their passion or ambition and move swiftly to inspire them.
5. What Values Guide Me Every Day in Decision-Making?
“Your core values and beliefs must stay intact because they are a true reflection of your authentic self.”-Tonika Bruce
Lastly, you must ensure that your core values and beliefs stay intact because they have to shine through your leadership and all the decision-making that you have. Staying true to your values makes you reliable and makes you an exemplary leader.
Case studies by Havard Business review discovered that great leaders are aware that ignoring their core values is disastrous and consistently revisiting the values is extremely vital for quality leadership. Additionally, leaders know that good values must be reflective of the shift in business and leadership. Therefore, their beliefs and values should remain even as they adapt to change in time as the nature of business shifts.
The bottom line is that the leaders must remain true to their core values despite the changing environments and belief systems to prove their reliability. When leaders adopt changes, it does not mean inconsistency, it shows that they are up to date with current trends.
Conclusion
Effective self-questioning enhances leaders’ awareness and control of their thinking, which results in improved learning. Self-questioning helps in predicting future occurrences, clarifying unclear situations, and summarizing the known. Additionally, self-questioning advances long-term retention of leadership skills and knowledge, as well as the leaders’ ability to implement and transfer the expertise to their teams.
Tonika Bruce offers leadership coaching for people looking to join executive positions in companies and business owners. To get in depth training, hop on a 15-minute consultation call: Schedule a Meeting with Coach Bruce.
