I just picked up “A New Breed of Leader” by Sheila Murray Bethel. In it Bethel talks about 8 qualities that matter most in the real world.
The first on the list is competence. Bethel defines competence as, “doing the right thing, the right way, at the right time”. What a great definition!
At Astonish Results, I’m always looking to improve my leadership skills. Bethel gives some questions you can ask yourself to judge your competency. I’m going to begin using these to judge the results of my leadership.
#1 Can I clearly describe the competencies we needed to implement the project?
This is a great question aimed at making sure we actually have the gifts and abilities needed to accomplish what we’re trying to accomplish. There’s no use in beating yourself up about something you’re not competent to do. Great leaders find someone else to do “it” (whatever “it” is).
#2 What could I have done better or differently and why?
This is HUGE. So often we just go through our lives without taking a CRITICAL look at ourselves. This is where the REAL growth comes from. The only way to improve is to be brutally honest with yourself about your performance.