I like to do leadership assessments for clients to help them learn more about who they are as leaders and how they are perceived. It also helps me get to know them better as their coach. Without fail, there is always an “aha” moment that occurs as we go through the results. How they see themselves is contradicted by the way that others see them, but they had no idea.
Some people hesitate to do assessments because they have some fear that it may show them something that they don’t want to see.
The question is wouldn’t you rather know the truth? I tell them that no matter what they learn, they still get to decide what to do with the information and we will partner together on how they want to go forward.
In one particular case with one of my clients, there were a lot of differences between the perception and the reality. The perception that people had of him was that he didn’t deal well with change and struggled to make decisions in meetings. He thought he demonstrated that he managed change and handled himself well in meetings. Information like this gives the opportunity to shift your behavior if you decide that is what you want to do. I asked him, “What do you want to do differently now that you have this new information?”
We cannot become what we want by remaining what we are. – Max Depree
We discussed the gap between where he is and what personal brand he wants to have. What shifts could he make to show others how he sees himself? If his intention is to demonstrate that he can manage change and make decisions in meetings, what will he do differently? Consistent actions will shift the perception that others have of him, but he will need to be intentional about it. We put together a plan that he could start using the next day.
Does the perception that you have of yourself match the view that others have of you?
Would you like to take an assessment to find out how you are perceived? Let me know and we can make it happen!