-Leadership Litmus Test-

Many people have opinions on how success in leadership is judged.  One of the most basic definitions of successful leadership is that you have people following you.  After all, is it possible to be a leader if no one is following you?

Another great qualifier of a leader's success (or success in general, really) is the ability to produce results.  It's hard to argue that someone is successful if they aren't getting the job done and producing the desired results.

Both of those are good leadership indicators, but I think your leadership success gauge is read most clearly when you aren't even there.  When you leave (temporarily or permanently), the leaders you have developed step up.  Very quickly one can determine if the people you have developed are prepared.  The clarity of your directions and urgency of the mission shine brightly in the actions of the people left behind.

Sometimes an organization suffers when a high-profile leader leaves, and if he/she isn't careful, the former leader can falsely think that the decline in the organization after he left further illustrates the success of his leadership skills while he was there.  On the contrary, I think a better reflection of high capacity leadership is when one leader leaves and another leader steps up and takes the reins without the organization missing a beat!

Good leaders reproduce themselves.  Good leaders not only improve their own leadership skills, but also the skills of others around them.  Good leaders accomplish the small picture (individual tasks) while remaining focused on the big picture (the success and growth of the entire team).

A leader is only as good as the people he has around him.  So take a look at the people you have invested in and developed.  What does their level of leadership say about yours?