An organization's success is closely tied to the leadership skills of its executives, managers and department heads. It is crucial for leaders to self-reflect on the effectiveness of their leadership style, as this practice fosters empathy and continuous learning.
Below, 20 members of Newsweek Expert Forum share questions to guide you in critically examining your own leadership skills. By considering these different perspectives, you can identify opportunities for self-improvement and increase your organizational impact.
1. Take an Honest Look at Your Skills Gaps
Confident leaders ask themselves how they plan to address their blind spots. We all bring core skills to our roles, skills that have been refined by experience and leveraged to achieve goals. Yet, it's critically important to understand our gaps and surround ourselves with team members who are equipped to offset and enhance our talents. Being vulnerable is absolutely smart business. - Afira DeVries, Monarch School
2. Assess Your Ability to Motivate
A crucial question leaders should ask themselves is, "Is my team motivated?" This question is invaluable because it directly addresses a fundamental aspect of leadership: the ability to inspire and empower others. A motivated team is more likely to be engaged, productive and innovative, leading to better overall performance and results for the organization. - Analisa Dominic, Opengear Inc.
3. Track Challenges as a Sign of Trust
To understand if your team has sufficient psychological safety, ask yourself if someone has spoken up or challenged one of your decisions in the last month. The level of psychological safety on a team will impact quality decision making, success, physical safety and well-being. - Eric Michrowski, Propulo Consulting
4. Weigh Your Followers' Enthusiasm
Determine whether you are a leader people want to follow. The only way to know if you are a great leader is based on the people who follow you. Do they go the extra mile for you, feel appreciated by you and learn from you? Asking your team for feedback on what you should start, stop and continue doing will provide great insights as to what tweaks you may need to make to your leadership approach. - Michelle Tillis Lederman, Author, The Connector's Advantage
5. Consider Your Team's Cohesion
It's pretty simple: Are people following? You're not a leader without followers. Pay attention to how your team acts. Are they engaged? Are they rallying around a common purpose and goals? Verbal engagement is important, but I find body language is the most articulate form of communication. - Michael Frazier, Bedell Frazier Investment Counselling
6. Evaluate How Easy You Are to Approach
Ask yourself whether you're approachable and open to feedback. This question serves as a self-check, allowing you to assess if you're fostering consistent exchanges with your team and if they feel comfortable providing feedback. It also ensures open communication, which is vital for effective leadership and an authentic culture. - Leah Marone, Corporate Wellness Consultant
7. Consider the Depth of Your Team Dialogues
Opening the door for two-way communication is incredibly valuable—leaders should constantly ask themselves whether their employees feel heard and seen. Your team should feel empowered to reach out to you directly with any issues they're facing or ideas they'd like to suggest. This ongoing dialogue creates transparency and acts as a foundation for a healthy, innovative workplace culture. - Steve Smith, Zayo
8. Assess How Often You Apply Input
Am I actively listening to my team's feedback and adapting based on it? This question is crucial as it promotes self-reflection, encourages a culture of continuous improvement and demonstrates a leader's commitment to growth and development. By considering this, leaders can enhance their leadership effectiveness and foster a more collaborative and supportive work environment. - Anna Yusim, MD, Yusim Psychiatry, Consulting & Executive Coaching
9. Solicit Feedback From Your Team
Instead of asking yourself, why not ask your subordinates to rate you as a boss or leader? If you try to do it yourself, you might not actually see where you are weak because some of your perceived strengths might not really be perceived by others as such. - Zain Jaffer, Zain Ventures
10. Look for the Results of Your Leadership
Identify the result of your effectiveness. What always catapults my business to scale higher and do things differently is when I see where I am being effective or not. This personal insight and perspective allow me to not only challenge myself but also open new insights on how I can manage my business much more effectively. - Tammy Sons, Tn Nursery
11. Reflect on Your Team's Success
The first duty of leadership is to enable team success. Asking, "Am I helpful?" is pivotal. Leaders empower others to excel, creating a culture of growth and collaboration. It starts from the top. - John Quinn, Quinn Emanuel
12. Measure Team Members' Growth
Are my team members growing professionally and personally under my leadership? This question promotes reflection on leadership style, indicates leadership impact, encourages a focus on mentorship, enhances team performance, facilitates adaptability and innovation and strengthens leader-team member relationships. - Britton Bloch, Navy Federal
13. Put Yourself in Your Employees' Shoes
Ask yourself whether you would thrive under your own leadership. This is an introspective question that compels any leader to deeply reflect on the effectiveness of their leadership style from the perspective of their followers. It is possible to ascertain whether their approach to leadership is empathetic, fair and motivational. This is a valuable question that is needed by a leader to inspire others. - Dr. Kira Graves, Kira Graves Consulting
14. Determine if Your Team Has What They Need
Leadership at high speed can leave gaps and doubts in the minds of leaders. One question a leader can always ask themselves to determine if their leadership is effective is, "Am I providing clear direction, support and resources to help my team achieve their goals?" The answer to this question will quickly highlight areas for improvement. If the answer is no in any way, then shift directions. - Lillian Gregory, The 4D Unicorn LLC
15. Look at How Often Team Members Speak Their Mind
Are my people comfortable speaking up and holding me accountable? If they are not, then I have work to do. - Krisztina Veres, Veres Career Consulting
16. Be Honest About Your Listening Skills
To determine their leadership effectiveness, leaders can ask themselves, "Am I actively listening to and understanding the needs and concerns of my team members?" This question is valuable because it highlights the importance of communication and empathy in effective leadership by reflecting on their ability to listen and understand others. - Alan Wozniak, Business Health Matters (BHM) Executive Consulting
17. Look for Improvements in Your Team
The best question to ask is, "How are my direct reports doing under my supervision?" An effective leader grows and nurtures talent. If that isn't happening, you must look at your actions as a leader. - Jacob Kupietzky, HCT Executive Interim Management & Consulting
18. Evaluate How Your Team Performs Under Pressure
Can I bring out the best in my team in times of crisis? This question assesses whether they possess the soft skills to coordinate with team members and understand their perspectives. These are essential qualities for fostering a supportive environment that enables the team to thrive despite tough times. - Gergo Vari, Lensa
19. Consider Your Leadership From the Future
Is my leadership style aligned with how I want to be remembered? Most leaders aspire to leave a lasting legacy. A legacy is constructed one conversation and one choice at a time. Seeing your leadership effectiveness through the lens of your legacy makes it easier to be intentional about what you need to improve each day. Self-introspection is valuable and great leaders never "arrive." - Karen Mangia, The Engineered Innovation Group
20. Assess Your Actions Based on Outcomes
If the outcomes that occurred were the product of co-creation with others, then the leader has served the primary purpose and is effective. - Darlene Andert, Accounting for Profitability LLC
