About you

Becoming a leader is first of all about you as a person. If you want people to trust you, you need to be trustworthy, and if you want people to respect you, you need to earn it.

This stage is about how to evaluate yourself and your own work, continue developing yourself, and giving effective supervision within an ethical code of practice. There are no particular right answers for some things, just a personal style, but it will help you prepare for the program.

 

The questions

1. What do you you think is your particular learning style? Link (Opens new window)
 
2. What do you you think is your particular leadership style Link (Opens new window)
 
3. What is your personal vision for the organization? (Even before you start looking at facts and analyzing detail, you probably have an idea of where it needs to be going and your reasons.)
 
4. What is your stage as a manager of your organization? For example:
• Fresh. Lots of ideas but not much experience. Willing to experiment. Not sure that you can cope with everything but willing to do your best.
• Learning lots. Visionary. Enough experience to take on the job. Accustomed to working in a business that grows faster than GDP.
• Stable. Well-organized and lots of experience. Not very interested in new ideas.
• Pretty sure you know how to do this. Happy with the old team. Not interested in new ideas. Have learned from experience many pitfalls to avoid. Don't expect the organization to grow or change radically.
 
5. What is your system for managing your time? (E.g. appointments diary, daily priorties.)
 
6. Do you tend to get tasks done quickly or do you procrastinate and worry about them?
 
7. Given that CEOs last only 4.5 years on average, do you have strategies in place to manage stress? For example:
• Have a confidante (it's lonely at the top)
• Control your diet
• Have rest, time off, and time away
• Get enough exercise and sleep
• Make sure your major risks are managed
• Delegate effectively
• Get major decisions ratified by the next level up; don't take them alone.
• Etc.
 
8. Do you have a systematic approach to:
• Leading meetings?
• Giving presentations?
• Writing reports?
• Delegating tasks?
 
9. Describe your normal decision-making strategies. (For example, talk it over with a confidante, ask lots of peers for opinions, consult staff and and build consensus, procrastinate, take it yourself/ be the boss, run the financial numbers and follow the money, read widely to gather information, etc.).
 
10. Think of a time when you had to manage a complex ethical issue or dilemma.
1. What was the issue? (You don't need to reveal any personal identifying information.)
2. Whom did you ask for help?
3. Did you get helpful advice?
4. What decision did you make (and why)?
5. Did it turn out well?
6. Would you do it the same next time? If not, why not?
 
11. What are your organization’s guidelines for professional development?
1. How effective is your current system of developing your own skills?
2. How does your organization review your improvement in skills and knowledge?
3. Make a list of your support and professional networks, both inside and outside your organization.
 
12. What do you most need to learn? Identify a work-related topic where you feel thhat you need to learn more.