Assessing the Personality of Business Leaders
Laying the Groundwork for Leader Preparation
May 28, 2009
The first preparation step is a personality assessment of who they are. This is effective if it gives them insights into where they normally operate in terms of a personal style, what their interests are, and where they are operate when they are placed in stressful situations. Also beneficial here is the development of a deeper understanding of the character defining moments that were influential in their becoming the person they turned out to be.
Assessing the Personality of Business Leaders
There is often resistance to assessment work but it is a necessary starting point because so much of a leader’s reactions to other people is a product of their own personality. If they can understand themselves better they can get a better grip on the people type situations they will find themselves in. In particular, they will be better able to understand and relate to others because of their deeper understanding of themselves.
While this is effective it is a seldom-used step in leader preparation because often times those faced with assessments such as these flinch at the last moment and do not fully enjoy the insights that can be so helpful. People have actually spent a lifetime behind the facades they have developed as a personality to protect them from the pains and fears of their childhood.
Laying the Groundwork for Leader Preparation
The paradox is that successful self-development work begins when the pain of not seeking these insights exceeds the pain of seeking them. Many in leadership positions are already successful enough in their own endeavors so as to insulate them from much of the pain of life. As a result they seldom develop the courage required to explore themselves in the depths necessary. The result is they don’t often develop the capacity to reach their potential.
Once potential leaders complete with this phase they can be run through a battery of training and education modules that can improve their job related technical skills as well as their basic skills. The end result of this preparation is an individual with more personal insight, better basic skills, and better technical skills than when they began. The rest is up to them.
It would be misleading to suggest ways to improve their trust levels with their groups, peers, and superiors or to suggest how they can develop the all important effective and inspiring vision. These will come from their character, relationships, and innate intelligence and insight. These qualities cannot be taught. Those with the required qualities here though can be helped with this type of preparation.
Creating a Practice Field
The concept of the practice field is valuable in leader preparation. Those just beginning get to hone their skills there on less consequential situations and they work their way up to more difficult realms as they acquire experience. This used to be called working your up the ranks of the company or earning your stripes.
This of course was before the use of fast tracks that caused trouble for some individuals and companies as they pushed unprepared leaders into organizations.
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