The Reflective Leader. Alan Smith

to be paid. Grumbles broke out into open criticism. Jeremy was hurt at the comments and wondered whether to pack it all in.

      Simon, an old friend, heard about the frustrations and rang Jeremy, offering to talk it through. He was aware of both Jeremy’s drive and his lack of organizational skills. He sought to persuade him to concentrate on what he was good at – collecting the produce and selling it – and to appoint someone to do the organizing. At first Jeremy was reluctant. After all, it had been his idea and he had developed it. Eventually, Jeremy had to admit to himself that he was not the person to expand the business.

      Jeremy now acknowledges that it is a relief that he is doing the things he really likes and at which he excels. Six years on, the whole enterprise has expanded significantly. A manager is responsible for the organization and several other growers are also selling the produce in markets across the county.

      Most of us think that we have a high degree of self-awareness. We reckon that we know what we are like. Because most of us in leadership roles are self-confident people (by virtue of having got to this point) there can be a tendency for us to overestimate our strengths and abilities. Having realistic self-knowledge is essential for good leadership. We need an honest assessment of our values and motivations, as well as our gifts and weaknesses. If we think that we are stronger in some area of leadership than is actually the case, we may not be able to achieve what we set out to do. We may not realize that we have to work on these areas to develop them. We may fail to appoint colleagues whose skills complement our own. On the other hand if we think we are weaker in some areas than is actually the case we may be overcautious.

      We need to have a realistic estimate of our strengths, so we can build on them and develop them. But how can we grow in such self-awareness? It is a challenge for those in positions of leadership to get clear feedback. Employees in the organization know that they depend on us for promotion or for this year’s bonus. If asked directly they are likely to be overgenerous in praise of our strengths and less than forthcoming about our weaknesses.

      One of the greatest problems for any leader is finding colleagues whose judgement we can trust and who are willing to be open with us about our abilities. Sadly, we are more likely to be surrounded by people who say what they think we want to hear rather than what they and their colleagues truly believe. For most employees or volunteers it is simply too much hassle and involves too many risks to be honest with their boss. The result is an unhealthy collusion which helps no one. Unfortunately the higher up an organization we are, the harder it is to find someone to be open with about our strengths and weaknesses.

      A wise leader will always be on the lookout for that small number of thoughtful people in the organization who can give them genuine feedback. This is not always easy, as some may be critical because they are jealous or have a chip on their shoulder. How can we find those who will genuinely try to be objective? Such individuals are a rare commodity. Often they are near retirement and know that they are not going to get promoted any further. They have seen a number of leaders come and go and they are sufficiently wise (and at peace with themselves) to dare to be honest if given the opportunity. They are a most valuable gift to any leader who wants to grow in self-knowledge.

      If we cannot find such a person within the organization, then we can bring someone in from outside to listen with a constructively critical ear to help us grow in self-awareness. People are far more likely to be honest about our gifts and weaknesses when they know that the comments will be fed back anonymously through a third party.

      Another way in which we can grow in self-knowledge is through work appraisals or reviews. Many organizations have a system of annual reviews although sometimes these are only for those in less senior roles. However, appraisals or reviews are more likely to be effective if everyone in the organization believes in them enough to use the system. Indeed, the best way for such schemes to be introduced is for the leaders to be the first to go through it.

      Reviews for the leaders may well be conducted by someone from outside the organization or a chair of the board. It is vital that all appraisals, including the leader’s, has a mechanism for an anonymous 360° feedback, from people working at different levels in the organization. Unless we are willing to be seen to learn about our strengths and weaknesses why should we expect others to be open about theirs?

      Part of the challenge is to create a culture in the organization where we are honest about one another’s gifts and weaknesses, so we can deploy our diverse skills and abilities in the most effective way. While it may appear to be a risky thing to do, the wise leader does not shy from such insights but instead sees them as useful information. If everyone knows that the leader is prepared to receive feedback, they are more likely to do the same.

      For reflection

       What are your strengths and how do you know they are your strengths? Are you using them effectively?

       How and where do you receive feedback about the way that you lead?

       How do others in the organization know that you are learning from the feedback and responding to it?

       Who can you trust to be really honest with you? Are you doing enough to bring these people into your confidence?

      5. Know your weaknesses

      Jo was constantly frustrated. She was a natural visionary, who could see how the business could develop. She would dream up a new idea before breakfast nearly every day. Her colleagues used to dread her arriving at work with yet more brilliant schemes, while they were trying to implement the plans that she had brought in the previous week. The big problem was that her ideas seldom came to fruition.

      Jo took some of her colleagues away for a day to talk about the future. She told them about her frustration that she was making so little progress. Jo already knew that her ability to have big ideas was one of her strengths. However, her colleagues helped her see that she had two major weaknesses.

      First she was hopeless at prioritizing. Her daily bright ideas were exhausting her colleagues and dissipating their energies. She needed to work with them to sift her creative ideas and agree on the one or two that were really going to make a difference that year. She had to learn to keep quiet about all the other creative ideas that were swilling around in her head continually.

      Second, she had to acknowledge that she was an ideas person, not an implementer. She needed colleagues who could think through the implications of her ideas. As a result she appointed a colleague who, when he had been given a task to do, had the talent and ability to work out how to implement it.

      It is more pleasurable to explore my strengths than to have my weaknesses exposed. Yet it is a leader’s weaknesses that can have the most devastating results for an organization. We can all think of individuals whose uncontrollable temper has resulted in good people resigning rather than be bullied; or the leader who can never take a difficult decision if it means they are going to be unpopular; or the person who decides to employ someone not on ability but because they like them. There are also leaders who have an inbuilt need to appoint people who will always be relied upon to say what they want to hear.

      All of us have weaknesses. The difference between a good leader and a poor leader is that the good leader knows their weaknesses and does not allow them to dominate. Instead they think carefully about the extent to which they can develop their skills and abilities in their areas of weakness. They are also willing to appoint strong people around them who have the gifts to compensate for their weaknesses. They build a team which brings in the strengths that the organization needs.

      But there is also a more fundamental point here. Few of us enjoy working with someone who is so competent that they know how to do everyone else’s job. Such individuals leave us feeling as if we are not really needed. We wonder if we have a role in the organization. Of course, in reality there are very few people who are truly omnicompetent (only those who kid themselves that they are).

      Gregory the Great, writing in the sixth century, speaks of two dangers for a leader. One is that they ‘seek to be loved by their people more than they seek truth’. He notes that for some leaders the desire to be liked by others prevents them taking unpleasant decisions. This