December 22, 2023

Eight Questions You Should Ask Yourself to Know If You’re a Good Leader

Productivity

Constant change of employees, lack of talent for key positions, challenges in terms of belonging and commitment linked to new hybrid and remote work models, individuals prioritizing their personal well-being above all else.

The world of work looks drastically different from just a few decades ago. Between all these changes, there's a growing need for new leadership styles that are more human, empathetic, and connected.

Every leader should consider at least these eight questions to understand if they are on the right track considering the demands of these fast-paced times (and answer them honestly):

  1.  How much importance do you place on the well-being, schedules, and needs of your team? The temptation is at hand: the ease of new technologies for virtual meetings and scheduling often overwhelms people. Finding a balance and using tools that allow each person to genuinely enjoy flexible models is key to improving engagement and ironically, productivity as well.
  2. Do you believe your team trusts you? “Trust,” perhaps one of the most valuable assets a modern leader can develop, should not be earned with “respect” (doing things because the boss said so) or worse, “fear.” Communication should always be honest, clear, and transparent.
  3. How important is diversity, equity, and inclusion to you? Inclusive leaders promote diversity within their teams and value different perspectives to deliver better products, services, and experiences.
  4. Have you taken the time to understand what your team members want? People are more productive and engaged when they feel their goals and values align with the organization’s purpose they work for.
  5. How open are you to accepting mistakes within your team? New leaders view mistakes as an essential part of the innovation process, not something to be penalized. Regarding your own mistakes, it’s better to acknowledge them. It’s more valuable to be seen as a human capable of learning from errors rather than an all-powerful and inaccessible figure.
  6. Do you consider yourself an empathetic person? This soft skill is crucial for keeping teams happy. Being able to sense others’ emotions and understand how they might be thinking or feeling opens doors to higher levels of loyalty and trust.
  7. How much autonomy do you give your team? Authoritarian leaders, where all decisions had to go through them, are becoming obsolete. Nowadays, people value collaborative environments where all voices are heard, and there are tools to autonomously and proactively resolve situations within each person’s designated scope.
  8. Do you acknowledge your team’s achievements? It’s not just about emphasizing mistakes but celebrating every success, both individually and collectively. And, of course, a modern leader never takes credit for an idea that isn’t theirs.

These questions are just the beginning. A good leader also questions how they manage their people, how they could improve the quality of work and the work environment, and how digital platforms like Workdeck could help them gain added value, maximizing their team’s potential.