Recently, I attended a parent teacher conference for my son, currently a second grader, and the teacher shared with me a new system they are using to evaluate the growth and performance of the kids. As I glanced over the evaluation form it struck me that things don’t change all that much from second grade to the business world when it comes to what matters most. The parameters they were evaluating for 7 year olds are much the same as the ones most organizations use to evaluate their leaders, whether they are written down or not. Take a look at the list below and think about whether your business would be better off if the leaders in it evaluated themselves on these second grade criteria.
- Works independently but asks for help when needed
- Organizes their workplace and materials
- Makes productive use of their time
- Sets Goals
One of the biggest deficits I see in leaders is the desire to continue to learn and grow after they are in a high power job or a prominent role. There is often a perception that since they are in charge they now have to have all of the answers, and that belief keeps some leaders from admitting they need help and therefore opening the door for learning. In some businesses or on some teams, the leader may fall behind second graders in this category. Kids know they are in school to learn. As leaders our job is still to learn from others around us and the mistakes we make. The other challenge I often see in this area is that leaders set business goals but not personal growth goals. If we don’t view our opportunity to lead as an opportunhity to grow, we wont.
Complex Thinker: The ability to demonstrate critical thinking and problem solving strategies
- Uses prior knowledge and experience to solve problems
- Explains answers and makes adjustments when necessary
- Solves problems in different ways
Clearly we expect leaders to be able to tackle tough problems and be creative when solving difficult challenges. Many leaders struggle with explaining the answers as well as making adjustments. Sometimes it is politically tough in an organization to admit your first solution was wrong and needed to be changed. In fact, this is not often easy for second graders, or any of us. But the leaders that stand out put their accuracy behind their progress and understand that the goal of getting better should supersede the need to be correct.
Effective Communicator: The ability to communicate effectively
- Speaks effectively in front of a group
- Listens attentively to gain understanding
- Follows directions
- Contributes effectively through speaking drawing and writing
Communication is one of the traditional hallmarks of a great leader. While we don’t always need leaders to be great orators, we do need them to be clear and effective communicators and that includes being good listeners. Most leaders aren’t. That might be because most people aren’t. Listening is one of the hardest things for any individual to do well. It means that we put our self, the literal center of our existence, aside and focus on the needs, wants, ideas and desires of others. Most of us have to work very hard at that and it is a rare individual that can do this naturally or consistently. It is not easy, but if you want to lead your team, your business, your family or even your second grader, you have to learn how to listen.
These were just the first three components of evaluation for second graders. How much better would we be as leaders if we used the same criteria to evaluate ourselves? I’m sure there are days when my second grader scores better than I do when it comes to learning, problem solving and communicating, and I hope he can continue to teach me how to become a more effective leader.
Leading Through Influence
We develop better leaders so they can build a better future. Contact Us to learn about leader development via our training, workshops and executive coaching.
