[Copyright © Steven Lesser, InfoWorks International, 2008]

Core Leadership Competencies Self-Assessment (Part 1)

Dynamics of Leadership Pre-Work

Directions:

Using the researched grid of competencies, honestly and candidly score yourself to help you consider what your strengths are and where you know you need the most work. No doubt, you will recognize some of the traits you and others may have previously identified, while you will probably also discover some others you hadn’t fully considered. You can base your scoring on feedback you have received from peers, associates, and your boss, as well as your own observations about yourself.

Be prepared to share some of your thoughts with your peers. Indicate how well you perform, on average, in each of the following skill areas by circling the appropriate number for each item.

Leading the Organization

1.1 Leading with Vision

Creating, Communicating and Leading People Toward a Vision of Greatness That Is Linked to Corporate Vision

Leading with Vision
  Competencies: Poor Fair Good Excel.
1. Develop a personal vision for excellence and act in accordance with that vision. 1 2 3 4
2. Create a specific, compelling, and ambitious vision for the team. 1 2 3 4
3. Reflect on assumptions and goals in developing the vision. 1 2 3 4
4. Link the vision to the corporation's long-term vision, goals, and strategies. 1 2 3 4
5. Incorporate the perspectives of stakeholders in developing the vision. 1 2 3 4
6. Clearly articulate the vision and communicate it to others. 1 2 3 4
7. Use the vision to prioritize and explain the significance of individual activities. 1 2 3 4
8. Demonstrate personal commitment to the vision and encourage others to do so. 1 2 3 4
9. Define the gap between the current situation and the vision. 1 2 3 4
10. Manage the realities of today while leading toward the vision of tomorrow. 1 2 3 4
Copyright Steven Lesser, Infoworks 2008

1.2 Planning and Achieving Results

Bridging the gap between long-term visions and the current situation by developing and implementing goals, strategies, and tactics.

Planning and Achieving Results
  Competencies: Poor Fair Good Excel.
1. Coordinate and align team plans with those of other teams in the corporation. 1 2 3 4
2. Identify and use a wide range of information sources in developing plans. 1 2 3 4
3. Integrate customer requirements and industry trends into plans. 1 2 3 4
4. Evaluate plans in terms of their overall impact on the organization. 1 2 3 4
5. Assure plans are flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances and priorities. 1 2 3 4
6. Involve and communicate effectively with others to build support and commitment to the plan. 1 2 3 4
7. Design short-term, tactical plans on a foundation of long- term, strategic plans. 1 2 3 4
8. Monitor and control resources required by the plan. 1 2 3 4
9. Identify measures of progress to track performance against the plan. 1 2 3 4
10. Demonstrate ongoing personal commitment to achieving planned results. 1 2 3 4
11. Monitor and adjust implementation of plans until desired results are obtained. 1 2 3 4
Copyright Steven Lesser, Infoworks 2008

1.3 Facilitating Change

Preparing for and managing the impact of change on myself and others to take advantage of the opportunities change provides.

Facilitating Change
  Competencies: Poor Fair Good Excel.
1. Remain open to the need for change and recognize its value. 1 2 3 4
2. Initiate change when required for improvement. 1 2 3 4
3. Evaluate a proposed change for its impact on other aspects of the organization. 1 2 3 4
4. Evaluate the cost of change against its long-term benefits. 1 2 3 4
5. Anticipate and eliminate barriers to a required change. 1 2 3 4
6. Anticipate and incorporate change into existing operational plans and procedures. 1 2 3 4
7. Monitor and control the rate of change to maximize organizational effectiveness. 1 2 3 4
8. Support learning of new skills by myself and others as required by the change. 1 2 3 4
9. Promote frequent and comprehensive communication to support the change. 1 2 3 4
10. Work collaboratively with individuals and departments to bring about the change. 1 2 3 4
11. Accept the ambiguity of replacing familiar practices with new and uncertain ones. 1 2 3 4
12. Maintain a consistent focus on the final outcome throughout the change process. 1 2 3 4
13. Identify secondary impacts of change and work to minimize negative impacts. 1 2 3 4
14. Demonstrate personal commitment until the innovation is well-adopted. 1 2 3 4
Copyright Steven Lesser, Infoworks 2008

 

1.4 Creating a High-Performance Environment

Creating an environment in which people of diverse backgrounds are motivated to achieve common goals at the highest levels of performance

Creating a High-Performance Environment
  Competencies: Poor Fair Good Excel.
1. Treat everyone with respect and fairness. 1 2 3 4
2. Build upon diversity in perspectives, experience, and cultural backgrounds to achieve high performance. 1 2 3 4
3. Set, reinforce, and demonstrate high standards of excellence. 1 2 3 4
4. Develop commitment to realistic but challenging goals. 1 2 3 4
5. Promote risk-taking and recognize the value of mistakes. 1 2 3 4
6. Encourage others to make informed choices and to take responsibility for them. 1 2 3 4
7. Ensure that individuals and teams can access resources required to succeed. 1 2 3 4
8. Limit the impact of outside distractions on individual and team efforts. 1 2 3 4
9. Help others stay focused on their priorities and overcome barriers to their progress. 1 2 3 4
10. Celebrate individual and team accomplishments. 1 2 3 4
11. Clearly communicate the impact of individual and team performance on the corporation's success. 1 2 3 4
Copyright Steven Lesser, Infoworks 2008

1.5 Promoting Organizational Learning

Developing and supporting an environment in which individuals and teams continually acquire new knowledge and insights to strengthen the corporation's capability

Promoting Organisational Learning
  Competencies: Poor Fair Good Excel.
1. Recognize the need to learn. 1 2 3 4
2. Create an open, non- defensive, inquiring environment. 1 2 3 4
3. Demonstrate a personal commitment to continuous self-improvement. 1 2 3 4
4. Recognize that diverse perspectives and backgrounds in others create an opportunity for learning. 1 2 3 4
5. Actively seek out opportunities to learn for myself and others. 1 2 3 4
6. Remain open to input in a manner which promotes individual growth. 1 2 3 4
7. Learn from mistakes and encourage others to do the same. 1 2 3 4
8. Admit not knowing and encourage others to recognize opportunities to learn. 1 2 3 4
9. Share information with others. 1 2 3 4
10. Learn by asking questions and encourage others to do the same. 1 2 3 4
11. Recognize and support a variety of approaches to learning. 1 2 3 4
12. Anticipate the need for and acquire specific technical knowledge. 1 2 3 4
Copyright Steven Lesser, Infoworks 2008

cont'd. 2/3

Categories: 
Leadership