Is there a leadership challenge flying under your radar?

Is there leadership challenges flying under your radar?

How can you detect it?

When was the last time one of your subordinates came to you and proclaimed: I have a personal development need? Or; I need to become a better leader. Has it ever happened?

We suspect that as key executives sharpen their saws, greater things are possible. Stephen Covey said so. So why is taking action such a challenge? Let me count the attitudes...

Ego, denial and self-deception get in the way of pursuing peak performance.
Complacency: To quote Jim Collins: Good is the enemy of great.
The age-old master/slave mindset (now "a day's work for a day's pay") can serve to relieve management of any responsibility for their people's improvement.
We're too busy! There's no time for improving effectiveness! Oh, the irony.
We don't have the time or the money! An assumption that holds until underlying costs and benefits are understood.

If we rarely, if ever, hear a cry for help from subordinates, how do we determine if or when it's beneficial to sharpen our leadership saw? This assessment tool will help your diagnosis. You may also wish to overcome your self-deception and use this printer friendly version to solicit further feedback in your organization.

*Do the following conditions exist in your organization?* Check these twenty symptoms to test your organizational health. Select all that apply.
	Excessive time spent in meetings	Time management problems
	Preponderance of consensus-driven decision making (i.e. a cover-your-tail mentality)	Reactive rather than proactive thinking
	Lack of personal accountability	Micro-management
	Time consuming and/or meaningless performance evaluations	Can’t-do attitudes
	Communication problems	Chronically sagging sales
	Difficulty terminating poor performers	Unproductive teams and/or ineffective teamwork
	Misalignment/lack of coordinated effort	Duplication of effort
	Personality conflicts and/or power struggles	High staff turnover
	Difficulty keeping employees motivated	Failure to achieve quality standards
	Unacceptable or failed results	Fear of making decisions

Interpretation Of Results
Number of Checks	Diagnosis
None	Extremely Healthy
1 to 2	You may need a leadership tune-up
3 to 5	There is real cause for concern
6 or more	You need immediate intervention

Cavalcade of Questions...

Do you have leadership challenges? How many items did you check? More than three? Of the items that apply, what are they costing you in man-hours, expenses, re-dos and missed opportunities over a typical month? Have you previously attempted to cure the symptoms and ignore the disease? Are costly symptoms that don't typically cure themselves.

Self Serving Solutions

At the risk of appearing more self-serving than usual, I offer some possible steps.

If it serves your purposes, you're invited to send me your symptoms by completing the form below. If you do, I promise an insightful discussion (at no charge) about causes, consequences and cures.

Your Name:
Your Company
Email:
Phone
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Comments

Check all your existing symptoms and submit.

You can gain additional insight from the source of this assessment: Fail Safe Leadership and review the back issues of Working SMART.
You can wait for a subordinate to ask: Can you help me become a better leader?
Remember denial is not a river in Egypt.

Tom Lemanski of Vista Development serves as an executive coach and Business Catalyst. He works with clients in a variety of industries to strategically develop their key performers. Vista's clients report measurable improvements in their ability to manage, sell, grow, innovate and profit.

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Working SMART: Library of Congress ISSN 1551-4633

This assessment is excerpted from Fail-Save Leadership with permission from the authors Linda L. Martin & Dr. David G. Mutchler.

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