A Few Notes on Individual Leadership

Categories:

An important aspect of leadership development is getting quality feedback. This may come from others, a coaching conversation, performance evaluation, 360-degree feedback, or it may come from self-assessments like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Learning Styles Inventory, or Insights Discovery Learning System.

You can go online and gain insight into your character strengths by taking the VIA Signature Strengths questionnaire developed by Dr. Martin Seligman and Dr. Christopher Peterson (it's free to take the survey and get your results, and you do have to register first).

What can you do with the information once you've completed the questionnaire? The Values In Action Institute on Character has dozens of exercises for each of the 24 characters strengths in the survey. It's easy to focus exclusively on weaknesses when designing developmental goals. If you balance that with a focus on your strengths and you use those strengths in new ways you will experience a greater sense of satisfaction and well-being.

  • Dewey Schott, NAMAC Senior Manager of Leadership Services