Where Are You and Your Team Today? A Leadership Self-Assessment.

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Steady Leadership in a Shifting World

Part 3: Where Are You and Your Team Today? A Leadership Self-Assessment.

If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that change is constant—and uncertainty isn’t going away.

The most effective leaders don’t wait for clarity to arrive. They build the capacity to lead through it. They strengthen their own awareness, help their teams do the same, and continually re-center themselves in the habits and mindsets that support steady leadership—even when the ground keeps shifting.

That process starts with one powerful question: When faced with a shifting world, how am I doing? And right behind it: How is my team doing?

Because steady leadership isn’t just a collection of personal strengths—it’s a dynamic, daily practice that requires balance, self-regulation, and a willingness to learn. This can be especially challenging in unchartered times.

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Great leadership starts with awareness. This final article explores how to recognize your patterns under pressure, understand your impact, and begin the work of growing into the kind of leader your team needs—especially in uncertain times.

Start with Awareness

We all lean in certain directions when under pressure. Some of us double down on action. Others become more cautious. Some try to hold it all together. Others shift into overdrive.

The key is not to avoid these tendencies—but to recognize them and begin developing the skills to counterbalance the reaction when it arises. Below are a set of simple questions to help you reflect–individually and with your team – on how you’re showing up in the face of change.

And since our self-perception is often flawed, it helps to ask: How would my team answer these questions about me? And how do I think my team is demonstrating these tendencies themselves?

How Do I Tend to Lead When Faced with Change and Uncertainty?

Do I offer support and feedback with compassion and honesty—or soften messages to keep the peace and avoid discomfort?
Do I bring fresh thinking and imagination—or do I get distracted with the new and shiny and lose focus on real objectives?
Do I challenge others and push for results—or do I create unnecessary conflict or competition?
Do I take ownership and drive execution—or do I struggle to trust others and end up micromanaging?
Do I stay calm and dependable—or do I slow things down too much and avoid taking risks?
Do I bring energy and well-planned action to opportunities—or overpromise and focus on appearances over results?

What You Notice Is What You Can Grow

These patterns might be habitual—but they aren’t our destiny. Once we understand our tendencies, we can begin the work of understanding why we do what we do and open a path to changing those patterns—even in moments of uncertainty and stress.

That’s how we become more effective, more like the best leaders we’ve studied, and avoid the common pitfalls that make good leadership fall short.

Sometimes, our greatest strengths just need refinement. Other times, we need to develop a complementary skill to avoid overreliance on what’s comfortable.

Whether it’s balancing optimism with practicality, ownership with delegation, or proactivity with stability—leadership is a continuous act of adjustment.

A Path to Build What’s Next

If you’re ready to deepen your leadership self-awareness and help your team do the same, Bell Leadership’s Achievers™ program was built for exactly this kind of growth.

Participants uncover the core behaviors that define how they lead—especially under pressure—and walk away with clear, actionable plans to develop themselves and their organizations.

Because steady leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about building the insight, skill, and agility to lead through whatever comes next.