Every innovation leader needs to periodically step back and assess how they’re doing in relation to their colleagues, their competitors, and especially to the standards they’ve set for themselves.

Personally I do this twice a year. I’ve found it really helps me stay humble and focused on the future.

I call them “checkpoints.” One is on my birthday (July 1) and the other is on January 1, the first day of the New Year. It’s like I hold up a magic mirror to myself, and it reveals a lot of stuff that I’ve shoved to the back of my mind or I don’t want to think about. It reveals areas where I may have been putting too much energy, or not enough. It shows me if I’m ahead of the pack or falling behind.

Obviously, since this is the real world, I don’t have an actual magic mirror. I get the results I need by asking myself a series of tough questions, which I’ve promised myself to answer with complete honesty.

Questions to Ask Yourself

Here’s a list of the questions that I have asked myself on my biannual checkpoint:

• Do I practice what I preach and apply the LeaderLogic model to ensure that I practice all of the principles of an innovation leader?
• What are the things that I should stop or do less often that are nonproductive or even destructive?
• Am I making good progress in meeting my enterprise goals while at the same time delivering exceptional experiences to everyone I serve?
• Do I solicit regular feedback from team members to make certain that I have the kinds of insights necessary to grow as a leader?
• Am I devoting enough resources to the initiatives that provide the most potential return?
• We know that good leaders do many things right, but innovation leaders do everything right. Am I looking at all the recommendations of the LeaderLogic model to ensure a balanced and complete leadership approach?
• Is my behavior consistent with my specific goals and objectives?
• When I interact with clients, am I delivering a great customer experience?
• Am I brave enough to be a disruptor and do I encourage courage?
• Am I one step ahead of where I was yesterday?

This is just a sampling of the kinds of questions that I asked myself each year. I don’t quickly answer the questions; I really savor them to make sure that I’m honoring the self assessment process. Remember, it turns out that most bad behavior results from individuals not really understanding and reflecting on the impact of their behavior on others. This self-assessment process is incredibly empowering, and not only will it make you a better innovation leader, it will make you a better person.