Measuring leadership can be challenging because leadership metrics can sometimes seem invisible. Here are three essential qualities of leadership and how to find out if they measure up.

measuring leadership

I recently asked a group of executives in a training setting “what aspects of leadership can’t be measured?” The responses ranged from ‘trust’ to ‘mojo’. I wondered - what happens when we tell ourselves that something can’t be measured? Do we imagine it’s there when it’s not? I have seen that a number of times. Organizations who insist they have a high trust culture, for example, so they stop seeing the results or signs of mistrust. Do we stop paying attention to it? If I am convinced that my organization has great communication, I stop disciplining myself to do the work that great communication requires. Do we reduce it to a feeling? I can tell myself that I feel like I trust others and yet what I am actually feeling is loyal, which can cause me to pretend that there is trust when there is none.

At the end of the day, everything can be measured by its effect. When you see a high functioning team, you’ll find learning, enjoyment and results. You will know that leadership is present. The long term return on investment of an organization reflects the level of communication, conflict resolution, trust, decision making, time management, creativity expressed in the team. Pay attention to the results and you’ll find plenty of resource for new levels of profitability!

Measuring Attitude

Attitude is often considered something that can’t be measured. It is however, one of the key ingredients to a successful negotiation, decision, relationship, team, or leader. Attitude may be invisible to the person who has it, but it’s certainly quite evident to those around them. I have worked with people who are incredibly talented and gifted in their field but their attitude made their talent unusable. The funny thing is, they couldn’t see their own obstacle to sustained success. When I say funny, I mean ironic, because it’s actually sad to watch their frustration and the repeated pattern of failed attempts at teamwork. For any of us, it can be a challenge to actually consider our own attitudes and how they set us up for success or failure in every aspect of life.

How do you measure your attitude? Notice the results. Look around – are people vying to be on your team? Do you have a long term group of friends or co-workers or does there seem to be an average ‘life span’ of a few months for a relationship to work well for you? Do you wake up in complaint? Have you heard the same feedback over and over again and are convinced it’s because you’re misunderstood? Do you find yourself often muttering ‘they’re just jealous’? If so, maybe it’s time for an attitude check. What conversation about yourself would you have to give up to see what’s invisible to you?

Measuring Character

Character is considered by many to be the hallmark of leadership. Yet there are no classes in business school on character, it doesn’t appear on performance reviews or in any of the online tests you can take to measure your skills. Character is evidenced by the mark you make on other people. It is the legacy of your business, your relationships, your team, your life. Honorable character includes consistency, credibility, trust, passion, courage but it’s not any one of those things and is bigger than the all of them put together. The character of the leader is revealed in the culture of an organization. For example, if the CEO or President values their commitments and lives as their word, you will see that aspect of their character all throughout the organization. Anything that does not align will stand out, be noticed, be addressed and ultimately not be tolerated. Similarly, if the CEO makes excuses for themselves, blames others and seems to always have a reason for why something isn’t done or didn’t turn out, then you will also see that character manifested in the organization.

If you continually numb yourself to the burden of your conscience, you will find your character suffers. As will your organization. Take a responsible look at the results of your company - financially and relationally – and ask yourself, how is my character reflected?

Measuring Courage

Courage is another key aspect of leadership. We often look for the big shows of courage – running into burning buildings to save children and grandmas, intervening in an act of crime, base jumping off skyscrapers (well, maybe that’s just crazy). However, courage is most evident in the daily disciplines of leadership. It often shows itself in the smallest of ways in an organization. It manifests in the willingness to be honest for the sake of the vision of the organization, to be disciplined in confronting your own judgments and blind spots, to be humble. For example, Jack Welch once remarked that he measures the success of his day by the number of difficult conversations he engaged with people in his organization (my paraphrase). Speaking out when you’re in the minority, making a stand for what you believe is right in the face of popular opinion, admitting when you’ve gossiped about someone or lied, letting someone else know when their impact is hurting the team and being open to hear when yours is – all take courage. Sure it seems easier in the short run to play it safe. Every act of cowardice also adds up and impacts the bottom line.

What would transform in your organization if everyone displayed daily acts of relational courage?

These three aspects of leadership are just the tip of the iceberg. When you start to really look into results-based metrics of leadership, you can uncover which areas need attention.

Need help measuring leadership? Book a discovery call with Yellow Marker here.

How are your leadership and collaboration skills? Read this article on collaboration.

To schedule a call with Yellow Marker about leadership training click here.

Jean-Marie is a master trainer, having delivered over 15,000 hours of training time. Her experience ranges from corporate marketing in the US and international markets to inter-cultural work in Canada, Holland, Africa and the Middle East. Jean founded Yellow Marker with the vision of bringing character and values to the foreground in the commercial sector. Prior to founding Yellow Marker, Jean was CEO of Culture ROI. She developed and co-authored training materials and resources for CultureROI, their corporate clients as well as several non-profit and humanitarian organizations. To schedule a call with Jean click here.

Measuring Leadership: The Invisible Metrics To Measure Leadership