“It is not always possible to be the best, but it is always possible to improve your own performance.” Jackie Stewart
Welcome to the Most Improved Leader ceremony. Friends, family, and coworkers are gathered for this significant event. A leader has been chosen, and he or she will receive the coveted trophy as a symbol of their improved performance. The ceremony will commemorate a commitment to excellence and serve as a motivator for other leaders to improve their own leadership. The audience will receive a big dopamine hit as they witness a celebration of success. Pomp and circumstance will create a memorable and inspiring event. The leader was chosen for this award using set criteria to ensure fairness and ensure merit. We will call our leader Dakota.
Dakota made substantial improvements to his leadership over the past year. His leaders, doing their own leader job, were watching and assessing. Some of Dakota’s improvements were directed, some improvements he made himself. Primary among Dakota’s leadership improvements was self-awareness. He completed personality and self-awareness surveys at the beginning of his leadership journey, such as DISC, Meyers-Briggs, and my favorite, the Forté Institute’s® Communication Intelligence Survey and Assessment which measures dominance, introversion or extroversion, patience, and conformity.
What earned him the “Most Improved Leader Award” is what he did with that self-awareness. Dakota discovered – formally, that he is a non-conformist. This strength served him well in the growing team he is part of but during third quarter of this year, some strict and appropriate rules were applied to a certain project therefore he knew he would need to surround himself with conformists and leverage their strengths to ensure success. Dakota’s self-awareness and introspection continue to guide him in his leadership journey.
Dakota did some self-study this year reading, watching videos, and listening to podcasts such as Coaching for Leaders by Dave Stachowiak, where he gains knowledge and inspiration to improve his leadership. He finished Colonel Rob Campbell’s book, “Left and Right of the Boom: The Art of Leadership Before, During, and After Crisis,” to ready himself for a crisis similar the one the company experienced two years ago. During his one-on-ones with his boss, Dakota reflected on his learning and how he applied it to leading in the company.
Dakota earned most improved because he improved or invested in his people. One of his direct reports Amy, was selected to lead a project and received a promotion this year. Amy succeeded in part because Dakota worked with her to boost her confidence, leverage her strengths, and help her be more self-aware. Dakota made marked improvements in other areas such as listening, engaging in hard conversations, and communication. He is still growing and improving. This recognition bolsters his drive to be better. He knows he’ll never truly achieve perfection as a leader, but he’ll keep trying.
Are you a Most Improved Leader? Would you like a trophy like Dakota, or better, would you like to make a tangible improvement in your leadership? Do as Dakota did. Do as his leaders did. Start with a small step – set a goal, take a small step, be a Most Improved Leader!
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