Leadership Consultant Outlines Five-Question Self-Audit to Resolve Recurring Team Issues
When recurring challenges persist within a business team, leaders often look outward to evaluate performance, processes, communication, and accountability. However, leadership consultant Ruthann Peace Brown suggests that recurring problems frequently stem from the leaders themselves. To address these patterns, Brown recommends that leaders conduct a five-question self-audit to identify personal blind spots before they become barriers to organizational success.
Identifying Recurring Patterns and Personal Roles
The first step in the self-audit is identifying the problems that repeatedly surface. Brown, the founder of RPB Consulting, notes that while individual situations may differ, a pattern of frustration across different people or circumstances often points to a deeper issue. She highlights personality framework tools, such as the Enneagram, as helpful resources for understanding how a leader behaves under both thriving and stressful conditions.
Once a pattern is identified, leaders must honestly evaluate their own role in creating or maintaining it. Brown shares a personal example regarding delegation. She initially believed she had a delegation problem because tasks repeatedly returned to her. However, she realized she was struggling to understand her role as an owner, comparing her behavior to a parent who manages and photographs family moments rather than participating in them. By stepping into responsibilities that belonged to others, she was unintentionally preventing her team from taking ownership.
Managing Expectations and Establishing Truth-Tellers
Another critical component of the audit is assessing whether a leader expects employees to share their exact level of investment. Brown explains that while her own team members are deeply committed to educating children, they view the business through a different lens than an owner. Leaders can cause unnecessary frustration by expecting staff to match their specific passion or urgency. Adjusting these expectations, rather than trying to change the people, is often the necessary course of action.
Additionally, leaders must identify who has permission to tell them when they are off course. Brown, a self-described visionary who focuses on future planning, relies on her husband and trusted colleagues to keep her grounded. She notes that her husband uses the analogy of Icarus flying too close to the sun to remind her when she is overlooking immediate, present-day responsibilities. Effective leadership, she states, requires surrounding oneself with individuals who are willing to speak the truth rather than those who always agree.
Distinguishing Habit From Intention
The final question of the audit asks whether a leader is acting out of intention or habit. While certain core traits—such as being a visionary or caring deeply about people—remain constant, leaders can actively refine habits like communication clarity and system creation. Growth occurs by refining limiting habits while leveraging existing strengths, rather than attempting to become a different person entirely.
To turn this self-awareness into action, Brown advises against complex, multi-step improvement plans. Instead, leaders should select no more than three specific action items to address. For example, a leader struggling with clarity might commit to ending every meeting with defined ownership and next steps, while one struggling with delegation might fully hand over a single responsibility. Finally, establishing feedback loops by asking affected team members if they see improvement is essential for measuring progress over time.
