Are you a leader?

You may have a clear destination and road map to get there but that doesn't make you a leader. You may be assigned to a leadership position within your group or organization but that doesn't make you a leader. So what does? What qualities can you identify within yourself that indicate your ability to lead? What qualities do I see in others that tell me they may have the potential to be a leader? Keep in mind two things. First, potential ability means you may need some training and mentoring. Second, leaders come in varying degrees of quality from "piss poor" to "great" with "good" being the cut-off for acceptable.

I have some simple assessment questions I ask myself when I'm looking for team leaders. With a bit of introspection you may be able to use them for your own self-assessment.

1. Do you know how to follow? Be honest and leave the excuses at the door. Do you do what you're told, when you're told, and how you're told to do it? Do you have an authority issue, rejecting any and all of those in authority for one reason or another?

Knowing how to follow is important since you need to know as a leader how your followers need to act. How do you know if you're being followed if you don't know what it looks like? How can you correct behavior if you don't know what it should be? More importantly, it gives you the knowledge of what they will need from you.

2. Do you see the bigger picture? You don't need the “Big Picture” view but you should be seeing things from at least a level or two up. How does your task fit into the team's project? How does your job fill a role in the company's business?

If your only focus is the task at hand, you're probably missing the bigger picture that is required to lead the rest of the group. How do you know if you're producing a usable product if you don't understand how it fits with the others? How do you explain each team member's role if you don't know how they all fit together?

3. Can you give clear, understandable directions? They don't necessarily have to be the most precise or direct directions but they have to be clear enough to follow. Ask yourself, how many times do I have to repeat myself when giving directions to my house? How often do I get that “deer in the headlights” look when explaining how something is done?

You may know something backwards and forwards and be very good at doing it. To lead others, you need to be more than just the subject expert. You need to know how to communicate your directions clearly to others so they understand. Try sitting down and writing step-by-step instructions for a simple task. Then ask a friend or colleague to perform the task based on your steps. This writing and observing exercise can be very instructive.

4. Can you delegate? This is actually a two-part question. First, are you willing to let others do the task and accept the results? Are you a control freak? Does everybody need to do it your way or the highway? Is your standard the only true perfect standard? Second, can you identify strengths, skill levels, and competencies in others well enough to assign the right job to the right person? When you see others, do you see individuals with their own special talents or just a group of drones?

You can't do the job all by yourself. If you can then the company's wasting money having the rest of the team on its payroll. You need your team. You're allowed to set and enforce standards. In fact, it should be a requirement. This only becomes a problem if you’re too big a control freak. Do you set and enforce standards and performance that meet your own peculiarities rather than the company's documented standards? Being able to recognize skills and talents in those around you enables you to delegate effectively. This is a higher level leadership skill but in its most rudimentary form is still a necessity for success. You don't see the starting pitcher for New York Mets batting cleanup.

5. Do you have integrity? You should have anticipated this one because it's at the core of the entire leader role. Without integrity, why would anyone trust what you tell them or have any desire to follow you? Without integrity, everything about you is suspect and needs to be second guessed, right?

From what I’ve observed, the biggest problem in the leaders of today is their lack of integrity. They don't support the mission of the organization first with self interest in the distant background. Selfish motivation, personal agendas, constant CYA (cover your butt) decisions, and so much more indicate a lack of integrity. Trying to cover up a mistake or padding your travel voucher are indicators you may have a problem. So, do some soul searching and examine the motives behind your decisions. True integrity commands respect. Something you’ll need as a leader.

If you don't know what integrity is or what it looks like, you have no business being a leader. Just saying...