Leadership Assessment Step 1 of 19 5% Section 1: Self Awareness / Observation We tend to see what we look for. If you are looking for how people fail to measure up, not only is that what you will see, it is likely ALL you will see. Additionally, we all have built-in filters and biases capable of skewing how we perceive ourselves and the world around us. Accountable leaders work to recalibrate what and how they notice the world around them and use their observations as a call to awareness for self-discovery. For example, when you notice frustration or bafflement over why team members are "sub-par performers" or whose behavior does not mesh well with the rest of the team do you:Try to find ways to get them to change so they are more like what you want them to be,Look for the latest, greatest magic bullet in leadership that, once acquired, will "make it all better" (which is essentially Option 1 above, just wearing a different dress), orUse your frustration/bafflement as a call to awareness for you to discover what the situation wants to show you about yourself? This section asks you to ask yourself, "What do I need to be aware of and willing/able to observe in order to be a fully accountable leader? Self Awareness / ObservationI am aware of the conversations I tend to avoid because they are not comfortable for me.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I am aware of my "come from" in my interactions with those I lead.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I know when I am in emotional reaction.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I can tell when I'm not present.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I know what to do to bring myself present again.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I know what my patterns of armoring/self-protection look like.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I recognize when my ability to connect - and therefore lead - effectively has been compromised because of my armoring/self protecting.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I know the difference between what "gives me life" (gives me energy, expands me, lifts me) and what reassures, numbs or distracts me.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I notice when I get caught in negativity or non-productive story.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I recognize when I have unmet needs influencing my thoughts, feelings or behavior and take appropriate action to address those needs.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I observe my feelings and the thoughts tied to those feelings as foundational practice in continually developing my emotional literacy - and accountability.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always Section 2: Emotionally Responsible The accountable leader understands and practices emotional hygiene because s/he recognizes how that translates to building trust and cultivating engagement. The accountable leader manages (vs. suppresses) her/his emotions and works with them proactively to mine the insight our emotions hold for us. In short, the accountable leader is emotionally literate. In the words of Claude Steiner, who introduced the term emotional literacy in the 1970's, "Emotional literacy is made up of 'the ability to understand your emotions, the ability to listen to others and empathize with their emotions, and the ability to express emotions productively. To be emotionally literate is to be able to handle emotions in a way that improves your personal power and improves the quality of life around you. Emotional literacy improves relationships, creates loving possibilities between people, makes co-operative work possible, and facilitates the feeling of community." Emotionally Responsible LeadershipI consistently manage my emotional reactions so they don't leak out in conversation.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I NEVER dump my emotional reactions on others. This includes, but is not limited to: sulking, snapping, barking, sniping or yelling.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I do not seek to make myself feel better, stronger or more powerful by diminishing anyone else. Ever.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I do not allow criticism, judgement, or my personal reactions to negatively color my interactions.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I do not inflict unquestioned urgency on others in my interactions with them - particularly not those I lead.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I practice identifying my blind spots so they’re less likely to compromise my ability to connect, communicate or lead.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I strive to maintain an open heart in all of my interactions - with myself and others - and I take responsibility for appropriate self-care when I discover my heart is closed.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I make it a practice to identify and address any unconscious emotional patterns that limit my ability to connect, engage, motivate, respect or develop those I lead.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I cultivate my awareness of all the forms bullying can take to ensure I do NOT participate in - or perpetuate - any of those patterns. EVER.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I do not rely on "power over" as a way to make myself feel better, stronger, in control or reassured.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I do not use control as a way to manufacture a sense of safety or reassurance.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always Section 3: Respectful and Affirming The Accountable Leader consistently demonstrates respect for others and affirms them as human beings, not just as providers of outcomes. Accountable leadership requires leaders to set the emotional tone and safety within an organization. The accountable leader recognizes how essential emotional safety is in eliciting the best in others. This requires you to develop the capacity to be present with and take time for the humanity of those involved, including your own. Respectful / Affirming I consistently strive not to make others wrong, even when I disagree.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I consistently seek to practice compassion in all my interactions - for myself as well as the others involved.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I seek to build people up through our interactions instead of tearing them down.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I deliver requests for behavior change without diminishing the other person or their contributions.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I know when and how to soften a tough message - and do so.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I make time to be fully present in my interactions with others.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I do not interupt others when they are speaking.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I NEVER speak disparagingly about others. I am a snark-free zone.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I make sure to share any accolades that come my way by including all who are part of successful outcomes.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I acknowledge both the contribution and humanity of others.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I validate emotions, including my own.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I continually work to expand my capacities for respect and affirming by also continuing to surface and transform any old biases programmed into me by the cultures that have shaped me.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always The accountable leader understands the value of helping others grow as human beings, not just as deliverers of skills or knowledge. This requires leaders to make a life-long practice of noticing when, where and how they make assumptions and how those assumptions feed inappropriate expectations. The accountable leader takes responsibility for actively supporting and facilitating the development of those s/he leads. This means much more than sending people off to training events. Instead, the accountable leader understands and participates in the relational nature of human development. The accountable leader takes responsibility for how s/he shows up and interacts as an elemental aspect of building others up. Building Up vs. Tearing DownI use every day interactions to support the development of those I lead.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I work to be sensitive to when and where assumption shows up in conversations - mine as well as assumptions by others.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I ask for clarifiction from others to ensure I don't assume [as much as possible].* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I begin my personal accountability with being present to ensure I don't assume or step over anything in conversation.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I no longer give constructive criticism. Instead, I now offer only constructive feedback.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I weave performance evaluation and correction through all of my interactions with those I lead instead of limiting it to once or twice a year conversation.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I don't hold people accountable for thinking, behaving and performing the way that I do.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I don't expect or hold people accountable for having the same strengths, talents, gifts and perspectives that I do.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I know the difference between holding someone accountable and punishing.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I do not punish. EVER.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I NEVER disrespect, discount or diminish others.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I understand that simply telling someone what needs to be done does not ensure they understand my expectations.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I refrain from shaming or blaming and ask those around me to do the same.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always The accountable leader is one who chooses to be deeply present and tuned-in to what matters most. In today's increasingly complex world, relational awareness and skill are a big part of what matters most. You can't afford the consequences of disconnects - among team members, between you and your team, and between you and yourself. The accountable leader realizes that what s/he is "dialed into" will shape what gets noticed as well as the levels of nuance you are able to access within that noticing. An age of complexity is an age of nuance, and the ability to discern and articulate nuance is essential for an accountable leader. The first place the accountable leader practices being tuned-in and discerning is with her/himself. Discerning & Tuned InI can tell when I'm defensive, restistant and closed down.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I can tell when others are defensive, resistant and closed down.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I remain curious when listening to others and use that curiosity to help engage their thinking and mine.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I know when someone else is not fully present in the conversation.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I know the difference between tough love and punishing.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I pay attention to the narrative of the dominant culture to ensure I am not unconsciously shaped, seduced or driven by it.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I notice when someone (including myself) is fully enrolled or "all in" - and when they are not.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I notice power dynamics between people.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I notice when I am hooked into "old school" power dynamics, a.k.a. "power over" including controlling, dominating, coercing or manipulating.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I notice when someone else has a need to be heard, acknowledged or reassured.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always Accountable leadership requires you to recognize that engagement among those you lead begins with you: not just HOW engaged you are, but where you are (really) engaged. Engaged means giving your full attention to something. Think of being engaged as being "plugged in" and ask yourself where you are - and aren't - plugged in.What really gets your full attention and where is your attention fragmented with multi-tasking? With the distractions of email-overload and demands for immediate responses through texting and instant messaging, you need to be mindful of what you are present to at any given time. Do you model the respect of bringing your full attention to your conversations with others? What does how you are present say to those you lead about being engaged? Accountable leadership means noticing when you place more attention on an outcome than on the people who are tasked with helping to achieve that outcome. Because adhering to the out-dated results-before-all-else approach will make you a leadership dinosaur. And look at where they are now. Engaged EngagerI understand "engaged" means something other than "working hard."* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I am mindful of where I'm engaged (a.k.a. giving my full attention) at any given time.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I understand conversation can foster connection as well as disconnection.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I know how to successfully use conversation to foster connection and engagement.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I remain curious when listening to others and use that curiosity to help engage their thinking and mine.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I know how to use conversation to support others with being fully present - and engaged - in interactions.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I'm willing to have difficult conversations.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I put connection and clarity first in my interactions.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I model the qualities of engagement I want to experience with those I lead.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I invite push-back and reality checks from those I lead.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I encourage others to be transparent with me - and I am not retributive when they are.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I understand how I am accountable to the engagement levels of those I lead.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I understand engagement is relational.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I routinely create and update engagement agreements with direct reports, peers and my boss.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always Old school leadership approaches tell you to drive: people, projects and even change. Consider the power of language in setting emotional tone and safety in a culture: The word "drive" means to propel in a given direction via force. (Also) To "collect and move animals in a desired direction." With domestic livestock, we drive animals to a destination so we can slaughter them. So the word "drive" actually infers coercion, loss of choice and even violence. Even when we aren't consciously aware of that inference, it is present. Accountable leadership requires you to step out of the centuries old cultural patterns of using control and force to coerce outcomes. It means taking the dizzying leap into shared power and intentionally, actively working to transform and remove "power over" patterns from your leadership approach. Leading vs. DrivingI weave accountability seamlessly into interactions with those I lead.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always When I don't know, I say so.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I know the difference between leading and coercing.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I invite or enroll vs. coerce or manipulate.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I NEVER shame - myself or others.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I recognize what triggers me into driving, forcing, coercion or manipulation and actively take steps to reshape my responses to those triggers.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I know what my coercive and manipulative behaviors look like and have practices in place for self-correction when those behaviors show up.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I do not push others to produce as a way to make myself feel better.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I do not use "power over" others as a way to make myself feel stronger.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I do not treat performance goals as moving targets based in ever-increasing demands for output.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I understand that cheerleader "rah-rah" can be a way to dress up coercion and make it look appealing.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I include those I lead in collaborative conversations to establish performance goals vs. arbitrarily deciding those goals myself.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always When I notice someone who appears "not motivated," I check myself first for how I am engaged with and relating to that person.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always Leadership accountability requires you to make communication a priority. It means learning new ways of communicating, how to initiate and facilitate new and far more productive kinds of conversation, and in so doing, modeling the kinds of productive interactions you want those you lead to adapt. The committed communicator is a life-long learner, willing to risk discomfort for the sake of growth. Willing to notice and explore how to elicit understanding, cultivate connection, foster trust and spark brilliance - through the alchemy of words + presence. Committed CommunicatorI know how to use acknowledgement to help others feel heard and understood.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I don't try to hide my uncertainty or lack of confidence by being verbose.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I know the difference between an observation and a direct request.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I know how to summarize, distill and "bottom-line" in order to help others feel heard and understood.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I don't expect or hold people accountable for being able to read my mind.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I know how to have difficult conversations [on the whole].* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I put connection and clarity first in my interactions.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I take responsibility - and time - for confirming others have heard and understood me, especially when sharing my expectations of their performance.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I do not allow the dominant culture to limit how I communicate - with myself or others.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I invite discovery conversations - AND stay present for them.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always When someone does not understand what I am saying, I know to find an alternative way to express myself vs. continuing to repeat the same words over and over.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always When someone doe not understand me or does not respond the way I want them to, I do not get caught in the trap of escalating from informing to convincing to coercion.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always If you think you are not a culture shaper, consider: As a leader, you are either shaping or perpetuating a culture. If you are not intentionally fostering a culture of engagement, emotional safety and shared power, you are likely - forgive me - part of the problem instead of the solution. If, on the other hand, you tend to walk into a new job, project, organization and see where systems and structures don't support people with bringing their best OR you see what others aren't willing or able to see OR you experience push-back from those in power when you attempt to bring about needed change: You are a culture shaper. Being a conscious one committed to fostering the kind of culture that grows people instead of crushing the life out of them is an integral aspect of Accountability 2.0 and being an accountable leader. Conscious Culture ShaperI pay attention to the narrative of the dominant culture to ensure I am not unconsciously shaped, seduced or driven by it.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I question the narrative of the dominant culture.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I choose to shape culture instead of having the dominant culture tell me who I can and can't be, how I can and can't show up, and what I can and can't say.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I cultivate my capacity for meeting uncertainty and helping those I lead do the same - instead of trying to ignore, overcome or defend against it.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I begin my culture shaping by exploring my personal, internal culture so the stories born of that culture don't limit my thinking, perspective, choices, behavior or possibilities.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I notice power games and offer alternatives vs. getting caught in and perpetuating them.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I notice the language of the culture and where that language is affirming and where it is not.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I include all stakeholders in my thinking; this includes those I lead.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I notice the pace of the culture and whether that is life affirming or depleting.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I know what I stand for.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I know what my stand requires of me and how/where that calls me to grow.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I do not go to war as a way to address challenges or bring about change.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I understand and practice an "akido" approach to opposition.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I do not coerce or manipulate - myself or others - as a way to bring about desired change.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I practice tuning into and articulating the characteristics of the culture I want to foster.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I continually work to notice when/where I'm attempting to resolve an "old culture" issue while I am still operating from within the patterns of that old culture.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I choose to foster a collaborative, co-creative culture - and I recognize how/when/where that requires me to change/grow/shift.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I continually work to foster a culture of mutual respect and affirmation, which includes modeling healthy boundaries and honoring others' boundaries.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I continually work to foster a culture of emotional safety and act on that committment by doing my own emotional work on an ongoing basis.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always I work to foster a culture of possibility by remaining open and curious, and making it possible for others to do the same.* Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always Name* First Last Email* Enter Email Confirm Email Would you like to receive occasional emails with ...* Yes No
