The harsh reality of being a leader is that you have to assess your performance. For many of us, we rely solely on yearly and quarterly reports. However, these reports often have shortcomings and do not paint a complete picture of how we are doing at our job. When we receive a report on how we are doing, we often just do a quick look over and move forward without ever looking back or following up on anything. As a leader or CEO, it is essential to assess your performance and take active steps in becoming a better leader. Luckily, there are several tactics you can use to evaluate your performance and get that valuable feedback.
Do Self-Reflections
To become a stronger leader, we often have to have uncomfortable conversations with ourselves and do some self-reflection. Self-reflections are a step in assessing your performance that has to be done frequently. Many leaders prefer keeping a journal or a document that they can return often. In your journal or document, write down any discoveries you have. Write down how specific projects, meetings, and people make you feel. Having documentation of how daily tasks make us feel allows us to identify patterns in our behavior, which can be changed if we find anything harmful. Make sure you schedule in the time for self-reflection because otherwise, many leaders skip over it. However, reflecting on our actions is one of the best ways to become a better leader.
Ask for Feedback
While quarterly and yearly reports are feedback, it often feels impersonal and is not always helpful. To evaluate yourself as a leader, it is crucial to create opportunities for feedback. You can even start by asking people who are closest to you about how you are doing and asking them for their total honesty. Once you have received their feedback, you can then move onto your general staff. Administering anonymous feedback forms can be helpful. However, it is also vital to encourage input to happen in meetings and the general office. When leaders are open to feedback at all times, it creates a more positive work environment and boosts your credibility as a leader.
Evaluating our performance as leaders is a difficult task to do. However, by doing self-reflection and asking for feedback often, not just yearly or quarterly, you can grow as a leader. Take in the feedback and the discoveries you find through reflections and work on any weaknesses you may encounter while still growing your strengths. If you need further help in assessing yourself as a leader, contact CEO Solutions today.
