A leadership assessment evaluates a person’s leadership style and abilities. For those considering a career in business management, a leadership self-assessment can be a useful analysis tool. Many business management classes and corporate development workshops include a leadership assessment.
The format of leadership assessments varies, but they all ask workplace leaders to rate themselves in areas like motivating others, setting an example, and providing career advice. Some leadership tests will ask you to rate yourself on a scale of very good, good, fair, or poor for questions like “How good of a listener are you to your employees?” Statements, rather than questions, may be used in a leadership assessment. “This sounds like me,” “This doesn’t sound like me,” and “This somewhat sounds like me,” for example, may be the options after a statement like “I’m a good listener to all of my employees.”
Following the instructions for determining the results, the test taker completes the leadership assessment questions or statements. The strengths and weaknesses of the workplace leader will be evaluated as part of the skills-based leadership assessments. Based on the test taker’s responses to the questions or statements, the style-based assessments will evaluate various leadership styles.
Takers of leadership assessment tests can learn a lot about themselves and how they lead others. The test results may motivate leaders to reconsider how they lead others and set new goals. They may choose to brush up on skills that they scored poorly on in some leadership assessments while continuing or increasing their positively evaluated workplace behaviors. Essentially, leadership assessments can encourage workplace leaders to change their management style on the job.
Some leadership assessments require the test taker to respond to questions as they believe their subordinates would. These types of self-assessment tests can be eye-opening for some leaders if they are answered honestly. Understanding how one’s leadership style, skills, and behavior affect others can help leaders adjust their interactions with subordinates and coworkers if necessary. Seeing things from others’ perspectives can help a leader determine how much empathy he or she has for coworkers.
After taking assessment tests, a workplace leader may decide to use resource tools in addition to making leadership style changes or learning new skills. He or she might, for example, discuss the results of a leadership assessment with a mentor to get feedback and advice. Another way to communicate about assessment test results is to keep a journal of new leadership goals.