The Limitations of Self-Assessment Only in Leadership Development

Does any of these statements ring a bell? ‘Mirror-mirror on the wall who is more beautiful?’’  OR the poignant isiXhosa phrase “Ndimhle ngapha, ndimbi ngapha ndoniwa yile ndawo” meaning “I am beautiful this side, I am ugly this side, it is only this part that discounts me”. This may be a familiar experience for many people who have experienced a steady diet of self-assessments without meaningful follow-up or a clear connection to their actual impact.

I have been subjected to so many self-assessments in my career life to a point that I started making the link to all of them. Of course, most of them based from same theory, the outcome should be similar. Now the question is if the result on the myriads of assessments comes the same, what value does that have for me or should I say what a waste for the company to pay for this again? Because the insights become redundant.  Because after this assessment, nothing happens anyway, I am left to chart my development if I want to, no one even follows-up. So why was this done? Was it a dip stick for the organisation to know where to box me, was it a genuine intention to develop me but how? These are the kinds of unanswered questions that erode trust and can even lead to people presenting "forged selves" rather than their authentic ones.

Self-awareness is critical for everyone not just leaders but I believe as portfolios shifts, and scope getting bigger so should our awareness proficiency progress. Just like with leadership levels differ in terms of competencies needed in each level so should the intensity of evaluation adjust. There are various pitfalls of relying solely on self-assessment for leadership growth. While self-reflection has its place, it often falls short in truly transforming a leader's impact. When we lead people, it is not only about what the leader brings to themselves that matters but more on what they give out.  Relying solely on self- assessment for leadership growth has more potential to defeat the process than enhancing it. 

I would like to share the frustrations, the skepticism, and superficiality that can come from these exercises when organisations implement self-assessment tools in isolation or overly rely on them, i.e. when they're not part of a larger, more impactful development strategy:

Subjectivity and Bias: Leaders often perceive their intentions differently from how their actions are received by others. As the common saying says "We are not judged by the intentions of our actions; we are judged by how our actions are perceived or received”.

Lack of External Perspective: Without feedback from those directly impacted (teams and customers), self-directed development can be misaligned. Leaders might focus on changing aspects that don't truly affect their team's needs or the customer experience, akin to "shaving off what they needed from you."

Business Case Context:  If the business case is not laid out clearly, these seem just like a special treat. They rely on assumed value which never gets verified except the excitement on the day of feedback which in the end becomes negligible. This naturally leads to questions about the organization's true intentions or the perceived lack of authentic commitment.

Behavioural Change Savvy:  One critical step we learn in managing learning is conducting a follow-up not just to monitor whether the skill is still applied but also to see if any change has taken place, i.e. if any value has been created.  Absence of Follow-Up and leaving people to chart their development the way they see fit, undermines any potential benefit to the organisation for whatever the purpose of the assessment was for.

This frustration highlights the need for a different approach to development, the one that goes beyond mere introspection to one that genuinely connects with impact, involves others, and provides the necessary support for meaningful, sustainable change.

What leaders need beyond self-assessment

•            To understand their true impact on their teams and customers.

•             Move beyond self-imposed blind spots and develop in areas that genuinely matter to those they lead.

•             Foster authentic, sustainable change by involving the very people who experience their leadership, in their leadership development journey.

•             Build stronger, more synergistic relationships within their teams.

Let’s create a game-changer together for leaders seeking to genuinely enhance their effectiveness and create a positive, productive environment. Let us work on;

Observable Impact: Instead of merely pointing out flaws, this approach reveals "your ways of working and how they impact your team." This shifts the focus from internal characteristics to external effects.

Inclusion of Key Stakeholders: By involving teams and customers, the feedback becomes relevant and actionable, ensuring that development efforts are aligned with their needs and perceptions.

Mind Transformation: You emphasize that this isn't just about "rehab treatment" but about "transformation of the mind." Seeing the direct impact encourages genuine choice to change, self-crafted solutions, and community support for accountability.

Synergy vs. Entropy: A powerful outcome of this approach is its ability to reveal whether a leader is building synergy or creating entropy in their relationships. This directly ties leadership behaviour to team cohesion and effectiveness.

Safe and supportive space for growth:  Fully engaged and holistic transformative process, improving ways of working and building authentic relationships.

Ready to explore how the proposed impact-focused approach can transform leadership within your organisation? Let's chat.