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Assessing leadership skills is crucial for personal, professional and organisational development and success.
Too often the lack of assessment expertise leads to unsuitable people being appointed to leadership roles, causing problems for the people being led, the organisation and harming the prospects of the unfortunate appointee.
Effective leadership assessment is a process requiring science, skill and patience.
There are four components that work well together.
The first and scientific component is the use of axiology to accurately measure a person’s acumen or values thinking.
When included with a DISC, motivators and EQ assessment, a detailed and sufficiently accurate profile of the person is obtained.
The track record of the leader, supported by customised 360-degree testimony (from supervisors, direct reports and peers) is the second component.
The third component is the skill of observing the leader in action and the ability to ask the right questions to elicit insight needed in making the leadership assessment.
The assessment is not to be rushed and not be a last-minute action, unless an emergency or crisis leaves an unexpected crucial leadership vacancy. Even then caution is warranted.
The fourth component is effective succession planning and practice that averts the unexpected from causing a rushed assessment.
As an accredited assessor in the above profiles, with two decades of experience in observing, interviewing, planning and practicing others for leadership succession, I can attest that the above process works very effectively, enhancing the performance of my clients’ operations, and creating excellent career pathways for their leaders.
What processes do you have in place for your leaders?
