Mind the Gap, Part 1: Identifying the Gap

    If you’ve ever traveled the London Underground, you will have noticed the warning painted every few meters on the platform – “Mind the Gap”.  This safety tip reminds passengers to be aware of their distance as trains approach and leave the station.  There are no gates between incoming trains and passengers waiting to board.  If a passenger does not respect the safety gap, but stands too close to an oncoming train, the results could be disastrous.  In turn, if he stands too far from the gap, he may lose his place in line and risks missing the train altogether.  There is a valuable leadership lesson to be learned here – leaders must be aware of their “leadership gap,” the margin between their current leadership skill set and the requirements needed to be successful in a specific leadership role.
    When leaders challenge themselves to lead from outside their comfort zone, they face a scenario similar to that of the first passenger.  An overly ambitious, unprepared leader treading in “the gap” may not be equipped to handle the leadership tasks at hand and may fail miserably while losing credibility from followers.  On the other hand, a leader who never challenges his leadership potential may miss opportunities to strengthen his leadership acumen altogether.
The first step in identifying your “leadership gap” requires you to be honest with yourself.  Here is a simple exercise I use when I begin working with a leader interested in getting to the next level.  First, start out by writing out a list of the obvious.  What are your strengths as a leader (e.g., confidence, good communication, etc.)?  What are your growth opportunities (weaknesses) as a leader (e.g., delegation, follow through, etc.)?  Then rate yourself on a scale from one to ten on each of the following leadership traits:

• Honest
• Credible
• Trustworthy
• Ethical
• Dependable
• Dedicated
• Passionate
• Strategic
• Listens
• Experienced
• Visionary
• Trusting
• Coaching
• Encouraging
• Focused

    Next, ask these people that interact with you regularly to rate you (anonymously if need be) on these same leadership traits.  Seek individuals that will be candid and willing to share openly with you.  In the process, gather feedback from three groups of people:  ones that you follow (boss, teacher), ones that follow you (employees, siblings), and peers (co-workers, friends).  Leadership experts refer to this as “360 degree feedback.”  It is one of the most effective methods to a better understand yourself as a leader.  Gathering input from several people in each group, average out the scores you receive to create a more reliable point of reference.
    As you filter through the feedback, you will find areas in which you scored yourself higher than your feedback group.  This may indicate that you are overconfident in some of your perceived leadership abilities and may need to take time to gather more information.  If that’s the case, ask your feedback group for specific reasons as to why they answered the way they did.  Their answers may sting, but will point you in the right direction.  If you scored yourself lower than the feedback group, you may be better at that leadership skill than you think.  Again, approach your feedback group for further insight into their responses.
    Knowing who you are as a leader is the foundation that sets the stage where your leadership play will take place.  Recognizing your leadership strengths and weaknesses and learning how to consistently leverage and develop them are critical to your leadership effectiveness.  Get in the habit of evaluating yourself and welcoming constructive feedback.  In the end, you’ll find yourself better able to manage your leadership gap and lead your team to success.

“To know one’s strengths, to know how to improve them, and to know what one cannot do -- are the keys to continuous learning”   - Peter Drucker

-----------------------------------------------------

Author: Jake Aguas
Editors: Rick Franklin and Tim Robertson

Jake Aguas is a leadership and organizational strategist and has been recognized by the California State Assembly and the Los Angeles City Council for his leadership acumen.  He holds a Masters degree in Organizational Leadership from Biola University and a Bachelors degree in Economics from UCLA.  He lectures on a variety of leadership topics and can be reached via email at jakeaguas@aguasleadership.com.
To learn more about the Master's in Organizational Leadership program, please visit the MOL website.