The Role Of Inadequacy in Transformation - Part 1
Confronting Inadequacy
One of the hardest things for people in leadership positions to do is confront themselves and admit their personal deficiencies.
Confronting and admitting that you may possess some level of inadequacy in a particular role or subject matter is difficult. Most leaders want to be competent and make a sustained difference. However, few people in management and leadership positions have been trained and groomed for their responsibilities. If people receive feedback it is related more to performance tasks versus their effectiveness in leading and working with others.
Exceptional leaders and managers dig deeper. They frequently reflect and evaluate their personal maturity and competencies. More “mind-time” is devoted to critiquing themselves and pondering what new areas of growth deserve their attention. What causes the difference between extraordinary and the rest?
Highly effective leaders and managers honestly appraise themselves. They are humble and teachable. They appreciate the praise they receive but are not coveting of it. Their motto regarding accolades is, “deserve it more, need it less.” Their quest is lifelong. They practice an operating belief that they are not as effective, mature and competent as they can be.
They begin to reckon with the concept of their own inadequacy.
LionsLead develops behavioral assessments that inspect and reveal truth-telling insights about the assessed individual that personality profiles don’t reveal. Our assessments not only measure behavior, but they are used to change behavior for positive impact and performance.
The merits of any assessment must be scrutinized against the question...”do they really work?” From decades of advising leaders of Fortune 50 C-Level Executives to Entrepreneurs of small business, the following statements represent a synopsis of why leaders either actively engage or vehemently resist assessments:
It is a requirement, so I must, but I don’t see the value
I don’t trust them, but my results will either qualify or disqualify my advancement
Taking assessments is always interesting, I like to compare my findings to other assessments
I like the challenge of beating or disproving the assessment
I want to be the best in my position, new insights of any sort are revealing and can help me become better
I am at the top of my game; assessments are for those who have not had my same experiences and are still grooming themselves
I am terrified by them; I might not like or agree with the findings, so I’d rather just not take any assessment
I believe I am in a role above my level of effectiveness and am afraid the findings will confirm or threaten my position
Most of these expressions miss the mark. One must move mindfully from what an assessment can or cannot do, and into a mindset of a personal need to change and grow. The question to ask yourself... ”Is my will to become better, perhaps even extraordinary, greater than my laziness or procrastination.”
One must begin with a real sense of inadequacy, induced by pain, and reckon with the potential risks and work that must be done.