52 - How to Identify Your Leadership Strengths and Weaknesses

Strategy, Leadership and Impact

Identifying your leadership strengths and weaknesses is essential for personal growth and organisational success.

Here’s a practical guide to help you:1. Self-Reflection

• Analyse past successes and failures: Reflect on scenarios where your leadership excelled or fell short. What contributed to these outcomes?
• Identify core values: Consider what drives your decision-making and how those values shape your leadership style.

2. Gather Feedback

• Ask for feedback: Solicit input from peers, team members, and mentors. Use anonymous surveys for honest responses.
• 360-degree feedback: Utilise formal feedback tools to gather insights from all levels of your organisation.

3. Assess Key Leadership Competencies

Evaluate yourself in critical leadership areas:

• Communication: Are you clear, concise, and inspiring?
• Decision-making: Do you make timely, well-considered decisions?
• Emotional intelligence: Are you empathetic and able to manage emotions effectively?
• Delegation: Do you empower others or micromanage?
• Adaptability: How well do you handle change or uncertainty?

4. Use Assessments

• Personality and leadership assessments: Tools like Myers-Briggs, DiSC, or Gallup StrengthsFinder can reveal tendencies and natural strengths.
• Emotional intelligence tests: Assess how well you manage relationships and emotions.
• Leadership surveys: Use validated tools such as the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) to identify specific traits.

5. Observe Patterns in Your Leadership

• Analyse team performance: Are you fostering high engagement and productivity?
• Review recurring challenges: Are there consistent issues that arise under your leadership, such as miscommunication or lack of clarity?

6. Engage a Coach or Mentor

• Leadership coaching: A coach can help you identify blind spots and create a development plan.
• Mentorship: A mentor can share objective insights based on their experiences and observations.

7. Create a Development Plan

• Prioritize weaknesses: Focus on the areas that impact your team and organisation the most.
• Leverage strengths: Double down on what you do well to maximise your effectiveness.
• Set actionable goals: Create specific, measurable steps to improve in weaker areas.

8. Continuously Learn and Adapt

• Seek feedback regularly: Make it a habit to ask for input and evaluate progress.
• Invest in growth: Attend workshops, read leadership books, and network with other leaders.
• Adapt to changes: Leadership needs to evolve, so periodically revisit your strengths and weaknesses.