The Leadership Behavior Audit
Welcome back to Lead Anyway. This episode is designed to create massive self-awareness. I spent the last 6 episodes talking a lot. Now it’s time to put pen to paper and audit where you are and what you can do better.
As I’ve mentioned, leadership isn’t something you wait for. It’s something you demonstrate every single day in your interactions, your reactions, your communication, and your presence. You’re broadcasting who you are as a leader. So in this episode, we’re gonna do something most people never do audit your leadership behavior.
This is where you’ll get clarity on 3 big questions.
How am I currently showing up?
How is that behavior being read by others?
And what small shifts would instantly elevate my leadership presence?
This is your turning point. Understanding what you’re already doing helps you see where you are already showing up and where you can show up better. Let’s dive in.
Let’s look at what leadership behaviors you’re already demonstrating. Where are you taking initiative? List those out. Where are you already asking those strategic questions? Where are you anticipating needs before someone asks? How are you communicating proactively? When have you stayed calm under pressure? Where have you taken ownership without being asked? What moments show your influence even without authority? These are not small things. These are the exact behaviors senior leaders look for when choosing who to trust, promote, and develop. The fact that you’re already doing them shows that you’re a natural born leader and that you’re ready for the next step.
Here’s a biggie. As with self-reflection, we like to see the good, but we have to focus on what work we still need to do. So what leadership behaviors are we avoiding? Where are we staying quiet when we could contribute? What about waiting for permission instead of stepping up? Where are we being overly adaptable instead of strategic? Where are we doing the work instead of owning the impact? What about being humble to the point of invisibility? Are we letting people know what we’re doing? What about reacting emotionally instead of pausing? And playing small to stay comfortable.
These avoidances don’t make you weak. They just show you the next steps to take to expand your influence. Let’s look at how you’re perceived. As we mentioned, you can be doing all the right things, but if no one sees it, it doesn’t count in the world of leadership. What behaviors are visible and easy to notice and what behaviors are happening behind the scenes that need more visibility? What value are you adding that no one knows about? And where are you assuming your leader should just know that you’re doing great work? This section connects directly to humility versus invisibility. How do you show up under pressure? Emotions can be a career killer. Showing up calm and under control is what people are looking for as a leader. Think of some of the leaders you have admired in your lifetime. They showed up calm, under control, and intentional.
When things get stressful, do you escalate or do you stabilize? What does your presence feel like to others during tense moments? Do you get quieter, faster, more reactive? Do you anchor the room or absorb the chaos? Your pressure response is one of the biggest tells of leadership readiness.
Let’s look at your natural leadership skills. Do people come to you for solutions? Do they ask for clarity? Do they come to you for emotional support? Do they look to you when things feel chaotic? Do they rely on you for execution or vision? Do they listen when you speak? Your strongest influence point is the gateway to expanding your leadership.
Some micro shifts that can elevate your leadership immediately.
Ask one strategic question in your next meeting.
Speak once, even if it’s short.
Communicate one thing proactively.
Claim one accomplishment out loud.
Anticipate one need.
Pause before one response.
Take ownership for one thing.
Lead one small moment.
Clarify expectations with one teammate.
And share one solution instead of waiting for direction.
These microshifts compound. This is how people go from overlooked to undeniable. Let’s end with one powerful reflection. If you change nothing about your job, but everything about your behavior, how would your leadership be seen differently? Let that sink in. That shift right there, that’s the beginning of your next level.
I bring calm to chaos, clarity to the journey, and confidence to your leadership, whether you have the team or title or not. If you’re interested in learning more about my intentional leader program. I put the link to connect with me in the show notes. Thanks for listening today. I hope you found this helpful, and remember, lead anyway, and you’ll get there sooner than you think.