Often we make snap judgments about leaders. Our instinct and gut are legitimate tools; unfortunately, they sometimes cloud objectivity.
By looking at five key attributes, we force ourselves to slow down long enough to explore nuance. When we pause to reflect, we increase our chances of making a more educated guess as to where a leader may fall in the continuum.
They will hover somewhere between being tone deaf and fully grasping the moment; seeking provocation or clarification; being self-serving or serving others. We can estimate their degree of empathy and judge whether they are devoted to dogma or astute insights. These attributes form a leadership collage.
Defining good and bad leadership is often situational, based on the current environment, the needs of the times, and the consensus of others. Taking a leadership snapshot, like all snapshots, only captures a moment in time. Furthermore, the one holding the instrument makes editorial choices. It is an imperfect tool, but when taken from several angles and by multiple perspectives, it helps to quiet the noise and reveal a truer picture.
Knowing that information is just as valuable to the leader as it is to those being lead.
Download Karl Bimshas Consulting’s free Leadership Snapshot Assessment tool here.
Also published on Medium.