Leadership Assessment Grid
We have taken 12 competencies and character traits that contribute to successful leadership and grouped them into five categories. Please review the assessment grid for each competency and select the numeric value that corresponds to the behavior you have seen the applicant exhibit most consistently.
We acknowledge that all applicants may have both areas of strength and areas of development. Your candid and honest appraisal will assist in evaluation of the applicant. Please assume that each level builds upon behaviors described in the previous level.
Achievement
Initiative: The candidate acts ahead of need and anticipates problems.
0 | No basis for judgement |
1 | Is reluctant to take on new tasks, waits to be told what to do and defers to others |
2 | Is willing to step in and take charge when required to do so |
3 | Takes charge spontaneously when problems need attention |
4 | Volunteers for new work challenges and proactively puts in extra effort to accomplish critical or difficult tasks |
5 | Proactively seeks high-impact projects and steps up to challenges even when things are not going well |
Results orientation: The candidate focuses on and drives toward delivering goals, objectives and performance improvement.
0 | No basis for judgment |
1 | Focuses on fulfilling activities at hand |
2 | Takes actions to overcome obstacles to achieve goals |
3 | Independently acts to exceed goals and plans for contingencies |
4 | Documents activities with outcomes to learn from the past |
5 | Invents new approaches with measurably better results |
Influence
Communication, professional impression and poise: The candidate delivers messages and ideas in a way that engages an audience and achieves buy-in.
0 | No basis for judgement |
1 | Struggles to get his or her point across |
2 | Works to get his or her point across |
3 | Presents views clearly and logically structures content for a broad audience |
4 | Uses tailored language that appeals to specific groups |
5 | Structures content for senior-level meetings |
Influence and collaboration: The candidate engages and works with people over whom he or she has no direct control.
0 | No basis for judgement |
1 | Does not seek input and perspective of others |
2 | Accepts input from others and engages them in problem-solving |
3 | Seeks first to understand others’ perspectives |
4 | Uses tailored approaches to connect with others, influence and achieve results |
5 | Uses tailored approaches to create and leverage a network of strategically chosen individuals to improve collective outcomes |
People
Respect for others: The candidate acknowledges the value of others’ views and actions.
0 | No basis for judgement |
1 | Unwilling to acknowledge others’ points of view |
2 | Open to considering others’ views when confronted or offered |
3 | Invites input from others because of expressed respect for them and their views |
4 | Praises people publicly for their good actions |
5 | Uses empathy and personal experience to resolve conflicts and foster mutual respect |
Team leadership: The candidate manages and empowers a team of direct reports or peers.
0 | No basis for judgement |
1 | Struggles to delegate effectively and may micromanage |
2 | Assigns tasks and tells people what to do |
3 | Solicits ideas and perspectives from the team |
4 | Actively engages the team to develop plans and resolve issues through collaboration |
5 | Recruits others into duties or roles based on insight into individual abilities |
Developing others: The candidate helps colleagues develop their performance and ability over time.
0 | No basis for judgement |
1 | Focuses only on his or her own growth and is critical of others’ development efforts |
2 | Encourages people to develop, points out mistakes to help others develop and praises them for improvements |
3 | Gives specific positive and negative behavioral feedback to support the development of others |
4 | Provides overarching practical guiding principles and recommendations that are applicable in multiple situations to direct or focus efforts on specific areas of development |
5 | Identifies potential in others; inspires others to develop by providing feedback and mentoring/coaching and by identifying new growth opportunities as well as supporting their effort to change |
Personal Qualities
Trustworthiness and integrity: The candidate acts consistently in line with or follows explicit values, beliefs or intentions.
0 | No basis for judgement |
1 | Follows the crowd |
2 | Acts consistently with stated intentions, values or beliefs when it is easy to do so |
3 | Acts spontaneously and consistently with stated intentions, values or beliefs despite opposition |
4 | Initiates actions based on values or beliefs even though the actions may come with reputational risk |
5 | Demonstrates high personal integrity even at personal cost |
Adaptability and resilience: The candidate adapts to changing demands and circumstances without difficulty and demonstrates calm optimism during challenges.
0 | No basis for judgement |
1 | Prefers existing ways of doing things |
2 | Adapts to new methods and procedures when required to do so |
3 | Champions the adoption of new initiatives and processes |
4 | Seeks out disruptions as an opportunity for improvement |
5 | Is energized by projects with high uncertainty but potential for high reward |
Self-awareness: The candidate is aware of and seeks additional input on his or her strengths and weaknesses.
0 | No basis for judgement |
1 | Lacks awareness of how he or she is perceived |
2 | Acknowledges fault or a performance problem when confronted with concrete example or data |
3 | Describes his or her key strengths and weaknesses accurately |
4 | Actively seeks feedback to explicitly address desired improvement areas or build on strengths |
5 | Seeks challenging and potentially risky experiences to improve |
Cognitive Abilities
Problem-solving: The candidate frames problems, analyzes situations, identifies key issues and produces an acceptable solution.
0 | No basis for judgement |
1 | Avoids problems |
2 | Offers solutions when the risk is low |
3 | Looks beyond the obvious |
4 | Gathers and analyzes key information using complex methods several layers deep |
5 | Applies logic to break complex problems down into manageable parts or sub-problems |
Strategic orientation: The candidate thinks beyond his or her span of control and into the future to reshape the approach or scope of work.
0 | No basis for judgement |
1 | Focuses on completing work without understanding implications |
2 | Understands immediate issues or implications of work or analysis |
3 | Develops insights or recommendations within area of responsibility that have improved near-term business performance |
4 | Develops insights or recommendations within area of responsibility that have shaped team/organizational strategy and will have an impact on long-term business performance |
5 | Develops insights or recommendations beyond area of responsibility with impact on long-term business strategy and performance |