Identify Your Skills Gaps
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Identify your own skills gaps, and then improve them.
Something that applies to every one of us, no matter where we are in our careers is skill gaps. These are the areas where we’re not as strong as we could be — and they’re opportunities to improve, not weaknesses to hide.
Everyone has skills gaps, especially leaders.
“Great leaders acknowledge where they can grow. Being open about development areas doesn’t weaken credibility, it builds trust.”
There’s often this unspoken pressure in leadership to appear like you’ve got it all figured out. The idea that you should always know what to do, say the right things, and never show cracks. But that’s not really leadership. That’s performance. And it’s exhausting.
In truth, great leaders acknowledge where they can grow. Being open about development areas doesn’t weaken credibility, it builds trust. It shows that you’re human, self-aware, and committed to improving. And when leaders model that mindset, it’s contagious and grants permission for everyone else to do the same.
Feedback, for example.
“Invite people to help you see what you might be missing. Often, others can identify your strengths and blind spots more easily than you can.”
One of the most common areas where people struggle is around feedback. Giving it, receiving it, and skillfully navigating tough conversations. It’s not something many people are trained in and it doesn’t come naturally to most people, especially in high-stakes or emotional situations.
Leadership teams in particular benefit from developing these skills. If your team isn’t used to exchanging honest, respectful feedback, or if those conversations feel clunky or get avoided, it’s likely that trust and performance are taking a hit.
Some other areas that are common are navigating change, facilitating meetings, delegating, effective clear communication, emotional intelligence, self awareness, time management.
Ask for feedback. Invite people to help you see what you might be missing. Often, others can identify your strengths and blind spots more easily than you can.
Don’t just identify, do something about it.
It’s easy to avoid some responsibility by acknowledging “I’m not perfect,” and leaving it at that. But the real power comes from doing something about it. It’s not enough to just acknowledge your weaknesses, you’ve got to take responsibility for improving them.
The good news is that you don’t need a big budget or a formal program to get better at something. The internet is packed with free learning resources. There are so many YouTube vids, podcasts, blogs, books on just about any skill you can think of, it's all out there.
Make skill-building part of your team’s culture.
If you’re on a leadership team, this shouldn’t be a solo effort. Make professional development a consistent priority for your team. Discuss and help each other assess as a team and individually:
What skills could we sharpen?
Where are we just okay, but not great?
What feedback are we not hearing — or not asking for?
“Continuous improvement isn’t just about personal development, it’s how high-performing teams stay sharp, resilient, and ahead of the curve.”
Consider doing peer assessments or prioritizing time for development and to support each other’s growth. Continuous improvement isn't just about personal development, it's how high-performing teams stay sharp, resilient, and ahead of the curve.
The bottom line.
You’ll never reach a point in your career where you’re “done” growing. There’s always another level of skill, mindset, communication, to reach for. But you have to want it, actively identify and seek it out. Don’t see skill gaps as flaws— see them as fuel for growth.
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This article was created by Galen Emanuele for the #culturedrop. Free leadership and team culture content in less than 5 minutes a week. Check out the rest of this month's content and subscribe to the Culture Drop at https://bit.ly/culturedrop
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