Leadership may be the single biggest gap in any succession plan. Today the opportunity and obligation to run the

operation belongs to the controlling generation. Tomorrow it may be sons, daughters, managers and/or key employees in charge. How ready is each person to lead?

 

Use the inventory below to capture a current assessment of each potential leader's skills, strengths and areas for growth. The results should serve as the starting point for building a tailored development plan for each individual, and a strong leader for tomorrow.

 

 

 

____ 1. Creates and effectively communicates a clear vision.

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____ 2. Enlists a team to achieve business/operational goals.

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___ 3. Treats partners, employees, strategic alliances and third party vendors as integral team members.

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____ 4. Understands and effectively utilizes the principle of interdependence.

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____ 5. Reconciles the frustration born of complementary characteristics and builds a team with diverse sets of strengths, skills and abilities.

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____ 6. Creates a positive, constructive, results-oriented working environment.

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____ 7. Recognizes potential areas for conflict and uses good leadership to mitigate the negative impact.

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____ 8. Creates systems, focuses on people and generates results.

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____ 9. Knows, and reflects, that a leader's primary responsibility is creating other leaders.

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____ 10. Demonstrates good business etiquette and sound ethics.

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____ 11. Delegates with clear responsibility and accountability.

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____ 12. Accepts criticism and uses failure as learning opportunities.

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____ 1. Effectively utilizes action plans to achieve organizational goals.

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____ 2. Selects team members based on their respective skills and abilities.

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___ 3. Performs all tasks, duties and responsibilities with an owner's resolve.

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____ 4. Is committed to continuing education, additional training and self-study.

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____ 5. Demonstrates excellent financial management

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____ 6. Focuses on constant improvement relative to business systems, personnel, market development, management skills, etc.

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____ 7. Utilizes technology to increase efficiency, improve effectiveness, and cut expenses.

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____ 8. Demonstrates clarity, patience and commitment to employee training, operational safety, and hazard avoidance.

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____ 9. Delegates effectively, encouraging others to embrace responsibility and accept accountability.

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____ 10. Effectively prioritizes, based on clear objectives and an intuitive risk/reward measure.

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____ 11. Understands personal relationships and operational politics using good communication and inclusion to enhance effectiveness

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____ 12. Uses a technique of good planning, thorough analysis, goal setting, budgeting, and record keeping.

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