You may be weighing your next career move and wondering what a good fit might be. If so, the questions below could help you reflect on possible next steps. They were developed to help a coaching client who wants to use his leadership strengths more fully in his next position. We used a technique called Exploratory Writing to explore Questions 1 and 2 and then debriefed with the follow-up questions.
Question 1: Thinking back on your experience as a leader, what were your proudest moments? What qualities did you bring to bear? These could be formal leadership positions, but they could also be in school, in your community, with your family, on your team.
Follow up questions:
What are some common themes? For example, my client identified motivating others, organizing events, and helping people get stuff done.
How does these align with your values and your greater purpose? (If you want to create a greater purpose statement check out this blog post.) My client’s greater purpose had to do with being a mentor and a role model for the growth of others, so there was very good alignment. He realized, though, that he could be more intentional in seeking out opportunities to mentor others.
What kinds of situations and challenges do you want to go looking for to use and grow those capacities? Somewhat surprisingly, he decided he wanted to gravitate toward roles where he could see the actual work being done, rather than removed from the actual work, which his more recent positions had involved.
Question 2: What comes to mind when you think about leadership experiences where you were less effective? Maybe the situation didn’t give you a chance to use your real gifts. Or maybe the situation called for the flip side of your strengths.
Follow-up questions:
What are some common themes? My client identified situations where he stepped in when he should have stayed back. Also, moment of impatience instead of giving others the opportunity to do something themselves. And a tendency to stretch himself too thin because he was not delegating enough.
What leadership areas would you like to further develop? My client was open about what he saw as his areas for further growth and identified several concrete ways to practice while still in his current role. He committed to stepping back and giving other people a chance to take the lead, and he realized that would further his greater purpose of being a mentor and role model. Plus, it would enable him to put more time into doing what he really wanted to do, rather than feeling resentful because he was stretched thin.
This brief exercise provided unexpected insights into my client’s areas for growth in his current position and beyond. I encourage you to take the time to explore where your leadership journey is taking you next.
If you’re interested in exploring your leadership strengths and potential areas for development, click here for my leadership self-assessment. It’s been used with hundreds of people and forms the basis of goal setting with all my clients.