Ever been out to a great restaurant only to receive subpar service?
How about the opposite? An average restaurant with impeccable service?
One of my most memorable meals was with my wife on a vacation in Mexico. We sat atop a deck viewing the Pacific Ocean with two other couples.
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Do you remember the Hans Christian Anderson story of the Emperor’s New Clothes?
You know, it’s the one about the rich and vain fashionista ruler who wore a new outfit every hour of every day?
Two swindlers came to town claiming to be the best fashion designers of their time. They also claimed to work with the finest cloth ever created.
There was one catch.
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What are some of your greatest strengths as a leader?
How about your biggest weaknesses?
How do you respond during pressure situations?
To answer these questions honestly is to be self-aware. To answer them accurately means you know how to self-scout.
Self-scouting is a technique used by top teams, players, and coaches to get better and achieve greater levels of success.
Scouting is already part of sports, business, and other professional fields.
If you want to know what the competition is doing, simply scout them.
A new trend in sports and business is the idea of self-scouting.
Ever heard of “secret-shoppers?”
That’s a business self-scouting.
There’s an old line in coaching that goes like this: “If you don’t notice your “always” and “nevers,” someone else will.”
That’s precisely when you lose the close game.
Why?
Because your opponent already knew your next move.
Good leaders are self-aware.
Great leaders take it a step further and self-scout.
Good organizations know the “what” of their vision.
Great organizations understand the “why” by reviewing their systems.
Here are a few simple tools to begin your self-scouting:
1. Learn your Tendencies
Start out by learning what you do when faced with various situations. When faced with conflict: Do you deal with it head on or avoid it?
When you are upset: Do you lash out at others or take it out on yourself?
When you are successful: Are you quick to praise others or give yourself a pat on the back?
2. Know your Strengths & Weakness
It’s NOT enough to know only one or the other. You must know both. Build on your strengths and surround yourself with people who can help you with your weaknesses.
3. Be Honest & Keep it Simple
Be honest in your assessment and be willing to give yourself a little grace. A real danger in self-scouting is becoming hypercritical of yourself. This leads to indecision and second-guessing. Neither is very productive when it comes to leadership.
If you’re trying to get better in an area of leadership then self-scouting may be just what you need.
Give it a shot.
Remember, if you don’t notice your “always” and “nevers,” someone else will.
