Arlington, Va. — Sept. 10
Even though leadership development programs aim to encourage honest feedback, as many as one-third of bosses are not very open with colleagues about their own strengths and weaknesses, according to a survey by management consulting firm Healthy Companies International.
The company surveyed 2,700 employees throughout North America to explore the behaviors of immediate supervisors. Twenty personal characteristics were tracked, and 37 percent of survey respondents said bosses could be more open about their strengths and weaknesses.
“It’s surely a truism, but one of the most common failings of senior people is their seeming blindness to their own shortcomings,” said Stephen Parker, president of Healthy Companies International. “The blindness may be due to a lack of self-awareness, or a masquerade to hide insecurity, or even a misunderstanding of what effective leadership is all about. Whatever the basis, a boss’ lack of introspection hurts job performance as well as the organization’s ability to function well.”
According to Parker, at the core of sound leadership development is the ability to recognize limitations along with abilities and qualities. Great leaders, Parker said, accept criticism and maximize personal strengths.
Source: Healthy Companies
