Here are some invaluable ideas provided by Robert S. Kaplan in his recently published book, What to Ask the Person in the Mirror: Critical Questions for Becoming a More Effective Leader and Reaching Your Potential, published by Harvard Business School Press (2011).
1. Cultivate junior coaches
Write down a realistic assessment of your specific strengths and weaknesses. List five subordinates who could give you specific feedback—particularly about your weaknesses.
Meet with each person individually and explain that you need his or her advice. Ask each to identify at least one or two specific tasks or skills they believe you could improve upon. Ask follow-up questions. Afterward, thank them for their help.
Encourage your direct reports to do this same exercise with their direct reports.
2. Practice self-disclosure
Write down one or two fundamental facts about yourself that would, if disclosed, help subordinates understand you better. This might include a bit about your personal story, upbringing, likes, passions, pet peeves, aspirations, or worries. Find opportunities to share this information.
3. Improve your ability to frame and discuss key questions
Identify a handful of key questions that your team should debate and discuss.
Make a habit of writing down one or two such questions before leading team meetings and engaging in one-on-one discussions.
When facilitating group discussions, take care to frame key questions, actively listen to the responses, and foster debate.
Immediately afterward, write down what you learned and identify appropriate next steps.
4. Assess your business with a “clean sheet of paper”
Select a small team comprising your next generation of leaders. Ask them to examine a specific issue or assess your enterprise as if they could start from scratch.
Select team members based on your company’s succession plan—including potential successors for your own job as well as for your direct reports.
Frame the issues and ground rules for this group up-front, and make sure it is allowed to operate independently (without your influence) until it reports its findings.
Encourage subordinates to try this exercise in their own areas of responsibility.
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Robert S. Kaplan is a professor of management practice at Harvard Business School and cochairman of Draper Richards Kaplan, a global venture philanthropy firm. He was previously vice chairman of Goldman Sachs. Elements of this article were adapted from his new book, What to Ask the Person in the Mirror : Critical Questions for Becoming a More Effective Leader and Reaching Your Potential (Harvard Business School Press, August 2011).