Asking These 6 Questions Will Automatically Reveal What Employees Think of Their Boss

It’s also the beginning of a courageous journey toward leadership growth and develooment.

Ever worked for a leader who left such a positive impression on your life, you still think about it? Perhaps someone who was a great mentor, removed obstacles from your path, and was always available for you?

If you’ve ever experienced such a leader, the reason you remember that person so vividly is because of how he or she made you feel.

Leaders like these aren’t characters in some rose-colored Hollywood script. They are real humans beings that arrived there through hard work, trial and error, and a wholehearted commitment to be and do their best.

6 questions leaders need to ask themselves

If you’re in a leadership role now or aspiring to one, the journey toward leadership greatness never ends. But it does have a starting point.

And sometimes the beginning of the journey requires some tough, “look in the mirror,” questions to raise your self-awareness.

John R. Stoker, the author of Overcoming Fake Talk and president of DialogueWORKS, Inc., offers 9 questions you should probably want to ask yourself with some level of courage to assess the quality of your leadership. Here are six that really stood out for me, so strap on your seatbelt:

1. “Are people motivated to follow you?”

The first law of great leadership, whatever level, is confidently knowing that you have followers. In turn, great leaders don’t have to look over their shoulders; people are naturally drawn to them and intrinsically motivated to do their work.

2. “Do people seek your perspective or insights?”

If no one is asking for your input, it may be a question of how approachable you are. Stoker suggests that you “assess how you respond to others, especially when things don’t go as planned,” and that you “examine how you respond to questions, concerns, and needs.”

3. “How open am I to different perspectives about tough issues?”

A good leader is open to hearing other people’s views and opinions without reacting in a way that shuts down communication. To keep people from fearing a negative consequence during a debate, seek understanding by listening first when others disagree.

4. “How does my communication style affect others?”

Let’s face it: we all have different styles of communication and personality types that affect how we hear and speak to one another, which could become “the source of disagreement and contention,” says Stoker. He adds, “Understanding your communication style and the styles of others will help you interact in an effective way, establish rapport and avoid misunderstandings.”

5. “Do people view me as negative and cynical or positive and passionate?”

Here’s the hard part of a self-awareness exercise to grow as a leader: “If you don’t know how you come across to others, perhaps you should ask for feedback from someone who will tell you the truth,” explains Stoker. And this is so true. Getting a more objective point of view helps to address those blind spots that may be keeping you from leading others well.

6. “Do I make negative assumptions or judgments of others, or do I give others the benefit of the doubt?”

We often make negative assumptions without realizing it due to our history and past experiences (our “baggage”). To remedy this, Stoker advises that you do two things:

Use your negative feelings as a cueing mechanism to identify what’s triggering the thoughts that are leading to negative feelings. It may be more about than the other person.
Recognize the assumptions you are making and ask yourself if there is data or evidence that logically supports your assumptions. Stoker says, “In the absence of any logical basis for your thinking, then you must recognize that your thinking is just that — your thinking.”