Leadership Development: Knowing Yourself

In completing these self reflective sheets, be sure to be very honest with yourself, and attempt
to see yourself as others see you.
Our attitudes and interactions with people are the result of a complex confluence of our inner
theater (including relationships with authority figures early in life), significant life
experiences, examples set by other executives, and formal leadership training.
As these influences play out over time, one typically sees a number of recurring patterns of
behavior that influence an individuals effectiveness. The attempt here is to look at our life
stories and patterns and see how they influence us and how we can possibly alter them if they
are not what we would like to see.

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PART 1
1. Think of your life storywrite the salient points.

2. What leadership opportunities have been presented to youjot down all of them from
school to work, family to friends

3. Examine your life story and leadership opportunities to this point, with emphasis on
the influences of your early years and instances of your leadership. After completing
the first part of the assignment detailing your experiences to date, go over it carefully
and look for patterns in your leadership.

4. What events and individuals had the greatest impact on you? In what situations did
you find the greatest fulfillment in leading?

5. Thinking back over all your leadership experiences in your lifetime, which ones are
you proudest of?

6. Can you identify instances where you were dissatisfied with your leadership, or
received constructive feedback from others about it?

7. Think about how your life story has influenced your development and guiding you into
leadership roles?

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PART 2
At some point in their lives most people find themselves in a crucible, a difficult situation in
which their character and values are tested by a series of events. While they are often very
painful at the time, these crucible experiences usually provide unique opportunities for
personal growth. Write a one or two page paper of a personal experience in which you were
tested in a crucible, where you experienced the greatest pressure, stress and/or adversity of
your life to date.
1. Why was the experience so challenging for you?

2. The most stressful, challenging, or difficult time in the story was?

3. How have you been able to resolve the impact of the crucible on
your life?

4. What thoughts or feelings did you have as you worked on describing

the crucible?

5. What resources did you use to get through the crucible?

6. What fundamental insight do you have from understanding the

crucible?

Fill these two questions after completing Part 3 and 4

7. What values did you ignore in the crucible?

8. What values got you through your crucible?

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PART 3
Values
In this exercise, you have the opportunity to set forth the values, leadership principles, and
ethical boundaries that will guide your leadership as an authentic leader. The intent of this
exercise is to be explicit about the values that are important to you, the principles you will use
in leading, and the ethical boundaries that you will adhere to, even under great pressure.
1. List the values that are important to your life and your leadership. After you have done so,
go back and rank them in order of their importance to you.
a. Which of your values are inviolate?

b. Which ones are desirable but not mandatory?

c. Do some of your values depend upon the situation that you are facing?

d. Recall a personal situation in which your values conflicted with each other.

e. How did you resolve this conflict?

f. How pleased were you with the outcome?

g. Recall a situation in which your values were tested under pressure.

h. To what extent did you deviate from your values under that pressure?

i. What resources did you call upon under this pressure?

j. What would you do differently if you had it do all over again?

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PART 4
Your Motivations and Motivated Capabilities
The following exercise provides you with the opportunity to understand your motivations.
After completing the sections on your motivations, you can explore ways in which you can
mesh your motivations with your capabilities to find your sweet spotthat zone where you
are able to use your abilities to the fullest and where you are highly motivated. This sweet
spot may reveal valuable insights about your career and life choices.
1. What is motivating you to be a leader?

2. What are your sources of motivation?

3. What are your extrinsic motivations?

Note them on the following chart with a check mark. After you have completed the list,
rank-order your greatest extrinsic motivations (from 1 to 5, with 1 being the greatest).
Observed

Rank

Monetary compensation
Having power
Having a title
Public recognition
Social status
Winning over others
Being associated with
prestigious institutions
Other
a. What are the traps set by your extrinsic motivations that you could foresee yourself
falling into?

b. What are you doing to avoid these traps?

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4. What are your intrinsic motivations? Please note them below with a check mark. After
you have completed the list, rank-order your greatest intrinsic motivations.
Observed

Rank

Personal growth and

development
Satisfaction of doing a good
job
Helping others
Leading and organizing
others
Being associated with
people you care about
Finding meaning from your
efforts
Being true to your beliefs
Making a difference in the
world
Having influence on others
Other
5. Conflicts between extrinsic and intrinsic motivations: Recall and then list one or more
instances in which your extrinsic motivations conflicted with your intrinsic motivations.
What did you do?

6. How did you go about resolving these conflicts?

7. What steps can you take to balance your extrinsic and intrinsic motivations?

8. Your motivations (in rank order): Combine your lists of extrinsic and intrinsic
motivations, and rank-order those that most highly motivate you today from 1 to 5, with 1
being the greatest motivation. Put an asterisk next to those that are intrinsic motivations.

9. Your capabilities: List your capabilities or your strengths. Then rank-order your five
strongest capabilities today from 1 to 5, with 1 being your greatest capability.

10. Your motivated capabilities: Make a list of your motivated capabilities the areas where
you are both highly motivated and very capable.
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The Sweet Spot of your Motivated Capabilities

Scientists, sociologists, and psychologists have demonstrated repeatedly that individuals are
most effective and fulfilled when they are in roles that use their greatest strengths. The work
has launched an approach to leadership that places a greater emphasis on putting leaders in
positions where they use their strengths. Think of your capabilities as complex tasks that you
can perform with proficiency. Think about things that you do well that are complicated,
require multiple steps and processes, require interacting with multiple types of people, etc.
The table below will help you identify the sweet spot of your capabilities. List a role in
which you were in charge of complex tasks (from any aspect of your life). On a scale of 1-5
(5 being most/best/strongest), rate each role in the areas below.

Leadership
Role

Used Your
Strong
Capabilities

Situation
was
Motivating

Situation
was Most
Satisfying

Using your motivated capabilities Make a list of future situations that you can envision that
would enable you to apply your motivated capabilities, and then rank-order them from 1 to 5,
with 1 being the best use of your motivated capabilities.

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PART 5
Your Support
1. A support team can help a leader stay grounded and motivated by providing counsel and
confidence.
a. Your support team Personal

b. Your support team A Mentor

c. Your support team Professional

2. Do you see any gaps in your support system?

3. How do you support your support team?

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PAR T 6
Success and Derailment
Have you seen leaders lose their way or worked with someone who fits any of the archetypes
particularly well.
I.
Imposters- Imposters try to reach the top by pretending to be leaders. They are good at
office politics -- too good. Aggression and paranoia become their hallmarks, and they'll
attempt to eliminate anyone blocking their path. Outwardly, they follow the adage, "You
have to fake it to make it." Inside, they are driven by the fear they aren't good enough and
someone will unmask them as imposters. They rarely ask for help or admit, "I don't
know."
a. Can you see any of the qualities of the Imposter in yourself?
II.

Rationalizers-Rationalizers are skillful in blaming others or external factors for their

problems. Often they aren't willing to face reality, admit their mistakes, or see that their
distorted view of the world puts their organizations in jeopardy.
b. Can you see any of the qualities of the Rationalizer in yourself?

III.

Glory Seekers: Glory Seekers are so hungry for fame and public adulation that they
deviate from their values just to get ahead.

c. Can you see any of the qualities of the Glory Seeker in yourself?

IV.

Loners: All leaders experience loneliness in their careers, often when they reach their
peak. People in high-pressure positions often retreat to their offices rather than listening
to subordinates and trusted confidents. That's when they are prone to make big mistakes.

d. Can you see any of the qualities of the Loners in yourself?

V.

Shooting Stars: Shooting stars are so focused in climbing the career ladder that they have
no time for their families and friends. They crave success and get lost in unsustainable
frenzy of work. They leap from job to job without learning from their mistakes or gaining
self-awareness. Ultimately, they cannot sustain the pace, as even the most energetic
people run out of steam. When they crash, they come down fast.

e. Can you see any of the qualities of the Shooting Star in yourself?
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1. How have such leaders impacted you?

2. Can you envision a situation in which you could lose your way in the future?

3. To what extent are you prepared to go your own way and be your own person, despite
external pressure?

4. Do you have a fear of failing? In what ways? Is it because you are afraid of what other
people would think about you? Is it personal pride?

5. How is your fear of failing impacting your decisions about leadership and your career?
Are you consciously or unconsciously avoiding situations in which there is a risk of
failing?

6. How could the experience of failing help you achieve your ultimate goals?

7. In what ways do you crave success? 7

8. How is your craving for success impacting your decisions about leadership and your
career?

9. Are you consciously or unconsciously choosing situations that give you a high probability
of success?

10. Prevention: What steps can you take to prevent being derailed during your career?

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PART 7: PUTTING IT TOGETHER

1. Write down elements of your purpose. List your thoughts, impressions, and truths that
you have discovered.

2. Review your leadership values. Align your leadership values already defined to your
purpose. Does one or the other need to be modified?

3. Finish this statement:

The purpose of my leadership is to

4. List examples of situations in the future that would enable you to fulfill your purpose.

5. Is there anything you need to change today so that tomorrow your leadership can be
better aligned with your purpose?

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