Measure This!

One quote that has influenced me both personally and professionally is “that which is measured, improves.” Any change or achievement of which I’m most proud has in some way, shape, or fashion been written down, tracked, and measured. Many connect to this idea when it comes to goals like dropping a few pounds, increasing running miles, or counting calories; measuring behavior keeps us accountable to ourselves and focused on the goal, and is a good visual reminder of what’s working, not working, or needs adjusting.

What if we applied this concept of measuring improvement to leadership development? What would you measure? Here are a few ideas to consider:

• Number of times you offered a piece of feedback to someone on your team, positive and constructive
• Times you spoke up (or didn’t)
• Minutes you spoke during a meeting vs. allowing others to speak
• In the meetings you are leading, consistency of starting and ending on time
• Times you were vulnerable
• Times you admitted failure/mistake
• Phone usage before 8:00 a.m. or after 5:00 p.m.
• Time spent reading work emails on vacation
• Consumption of ounces of water
• Number of times delegating a task to someone for the sake of their growth
• Times you were more curious before responding
• Minutes invested on reading or listening to a podcast
• Times you held back from fixing, solving, or setting someone straight

Shoot me an email and let me know what you’d add.

Keep leading.