Self-Assessment Based on The Leadership Challenge (Kouzes & Posner)

Effective leadership stems from a variety of characteristics, skills and knowledge.  However, one trait proves universal in effective leaders of all kinds: self-awareness. 

 

Self-awareness is one of the key elements of emotional intelligence (EI) as well, a term widely popularized by Daniel Goleman that refers to a person’s ability to identify and manage their emotions and identify and influence others’ emotions. Developing self-awareness as a leader is a key first step in strengthening your EI — which has proven particularly valuable in leadership.

 

Merriam-Webster defines self-awareness as “an awareness of one’s own personality or individuality.”  Self-awareness requires effort and thought.  It begins with an understanding of what effective leadership is and then with self-reflection.  What aspects of leadership are you comfortable with?  What aspects do you need to build and strengthen? 

 

Different kinds of input contribute to self-awareness – your self-perception, the perception of others, and your results and impact to name a few.  This exercise focuses on the first element – self-perception. 

 

Note: leadership vs management practices are different and complementary.  Both are at play every day for people who manage and lead direct reports.  This assessment focuses on leadership practices.  The training curriculum that Defenders managers completed in 2022 focused on management.