Why Self Assessment Is The #1 Factor for Your Growth and Success

Many of us look to others to provide us with validation.

We all seek praise to affirm us and make us feel good.

There is nothing wrong with that, so long as we don’t rely too much on it, and so long as, deep down, we know where our own opportunities lie.

This means being honest with ourselves – what we’re good at and what we’re not, what we stand for, what we dislike, what motivates us.

What our bad habits are and our good ones, too…

Because having a deep knowledge of ourselves helps us to navigate our way successfully through our lives.

Here’s why self-assessment is necessary for your growth and success.

Why Self Assessment Is The #1 Factor for Your Growth and Success

Organizational Feedback

Many organizations measure people through 360-degree feedback – because it offers a solid all-round assessment of an employee’s performance, taking into account recommendations from candidates themselves, subordinates, peers, and superiors.  

These powerful assessments have the ability to really open us up to valuable feedback – but there’s a downside too.

There is now a lot more information regarding these assessments and questions around whether or not they offer a valid picture.

Then there’s the issue of what organizations actually do with this mountain of research they compile anyway.

You will also enjoy our article on measure of success.

Find Yourself…and Be That

I believe that the very best leadership training you can provide is to teach someone how to get to know themselves – to really get to the deep internal mechanisms of what makes them tick.

Understanding their own individual strengths and weaknesses enables leaders to delegate effectively (i.e. assign them the things they are good at) as well as to build a team of skills that complement their own by employing people whose qualifications, experience, and working style add vibrancy and diversity, creating a well-rounded, capable team.

When, as a leader, you understand yourself, you can wholeheartedly support the people around you, shaping them into employees whose skills, enthusiasm, motivation and engagement benefit the team as a whole.

There are many good self-assessment tests available online.

It’s often helpful to get a mentor or a life coach to help you review the results.

While it’s useful to understand those little weak spots (perhaps you suffer procrastination or a need for absolute control, or alternatively you have a tendency to be a ‘blue sky thinker’ who is not really inspired by details), regardless of what it is, once you recognize it, then you’re in a better position to address it and to amplify your strengths.

This enables you to truly work at your best too, collaborating with those around you instead of just plodding along ‘managing the project, the budget, and the resources.’

Leaders with Influence

Self-assessment can unlock your communication style, which is critical as a way to build rapport and connection to be an influential leader.

The other thing to remember is that we all grow and change.

A self-assessment today might not give you the same results as one in 12 months’ time.

Do them regularly.

Be honest with yourself and deal with those bad habits and unconscious behaviors along the way.

It’s only when you truly know who you are and what you are working with (and by that I mean what’s within you) that you can rise and thrive, and in doing so, uplift those around you.