Leadership assessment tests were developed to give managers a comprehensive look at their management style. Leadership assessment tools rate consensus-building abilities and interpersonal skills, strategic thinking and project execution.
Leadership assessments are not to be confused with standard employee evaluations, which are used to determine an employee's pay and status within a company. Instead, the goal of leadership assessment tools is to focus a manager's attention on areas for improvement so that she or he can develop strategies to improve and get the most out of executive coaching.
Leadership assessment tests run the gamut from costly, customizable programs that incorporate feedback from numerous sources to free, self-administered questionnaires that take under 20 minutes to complete. For a small to medium-sized business, a simple leadership assessment can be very effective, provided the results are used effectively. It can:
1. Prompt management to be more self-aware.
2. Help coordinate management efforts.
3. Develop talent for expanded leadership roles.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Invest in a 360-degree feedback leadership asessment package
The 360-feedback leadership assessment tools are designed to give management a comprehensive view of their competencies and weaknesses. It combines feedback from superiors, team members and customers. It also includes leadership self assessment. This is the most effective solution for corporations that have a large management team and complex business model.
I recommend: The Leadership Circle provides 360-degree feedback, and even provides certification on how to use the system. The leadership assessment test is customizable and administered entirely online. For more information, fill out a
contact form at Leadership Circle's website.
Guide your management team to the tools they need for success
Once you have the results of your leadership assessments, it's time to get your team focused on improvement. You can hire an executive coach, but there are also a lot of excellent resources online.
I recommend: Mind Tools provides hundreds of informational modules that your employees can download and pursue whenever they have the time. Each one takes about an hour to complete and is categorized under a different skillset. The subscription fees are modest.
Find a no-nonsense leadership asessment tool
Most growing businesses don't have the time or money to invest in an exhaustive leadership assessment tool, nor is it necessary. There are plenty of basic tests online that allow your HR department to purchase and start evaluating in a matter of minutes.
I recommend: MySkillsProfile offers a list of leadership assessment tests that can be purchased for leadership self-assessment or an entire management team. Once completed online, the results can be sent to the employee, the HR department, or both. The
corporate packages offer volume discounts.
Use a free leadership assessment test
If you're a small business or a manager who wants to find a leadership self-assessment test, a free test can be an objective starting point for growth. Remember, it's what you do with the information that counts.
I recommend: Robert Gordon University offers
this page with a list of assessment tools for free.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Don't worry about finding the fanciest leadership assessment test. Most tests worth their salt are based on tried-and-true psychological evaluations, so don't get too caught up in choosing the "best" one.
- Look at sample feedback before purchasing a test. Sometimes, the result is a written profile, sometimes it is a laundry list that looks like a bar graph. Choose the feedback that you can use effectively.
- Always choose a test that can be administered online. In this day and age, there is no reason to suffer through a cumbersome pencil-and-paper leadership assessment.
The official source of Leadership Assessments is
the Leadership Assessments page at Business.com
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