Leadership Assessment
Leading Indicators™
A research-based, multi-rater leadership assessment tool — built from more than 33,000 survey responses and validated against real-world leadership outcomes. Where many assessments rely on theoretical frameworks, Leading Indicators™ is grounded in what top-performing leaders actually do.
Research foundation
Leading Indicators arises from extensive research:
Competency model synthesis
Hundreds of leadership models and assessment tools have been synthesized to bring together the leadership factors most pertinent to today's organizations.
Literature review
Insights from prominent books and articles — both recent and classic — have been gleaned and incorporated into Leading Indicators.
Data analysis
Aggregate findings of more than 33,000 open-ended responses to questions about effective leadership are reflected in the survey and best practices database.
Common uses
Self development
Leaders use Leading Indicators as a self-paced development tool to identify gaps between where they are and where they need to be, and to access best practices and resource offerings.
360° assessment
Multi-rater assessment software allows leaders to gather feedback from managers, peers, and direct reports. Confidential summary reports are generated along with guidance for action planning.
Needs assessment
Organizations aggregate assessment data to identify general leadership development needs and focus training budgets accordingly.
Performance management
Organizations track the performance and progress of leaders over time, either directly or as input to broader performance management efforts.
Selection
Leading Indicators provides a framework for reviewing potential leadership candidates, including generating criteria for selection interviews.
Succession planning
Identify the factors most vital for individuals to progress to the next level. Leaders match their skills against those criteria to assess readiness.
The 53 indicators
Leading Indicators comprises 53 indicators categorized into eight clusters:
People Orientation
Vision
Communication
Talent Engagement
Team Development
Problem Solving
Job Mastery
Results Orientation
Most-identified indicators
According to research, the most often identified indicators of effective leaders include:
Note that each organization and role may have a unique set of top indicators.
Why "Leading Indicators"?
Beyond competency
Effective leadership is a function of both competency and character. In research, character issues emerge at the top of people's ratings and represent nearly 50% of the data. "Indicator" encompasses both.
Predicting future potential
Many leadership assessments measure present or past effectiveness. Leading Indicators enhances an organization's ability to predict future potential for specific leadership roles — making it a "leading" indicator.
Generic vs. customized
Nothing compares with a fully customized product designed to meet an organization's unique needs and language. Sometimes, however, generic offerings substitute in the interest of budget and time. Leading Indicators combines the strengths of both: its validated content is supported by software designed to make customization easy — from minor wording changes to a full revamp of categories and indicators.
Ready to assess leadership potential?
Start a 14-day free trial or contact us to discuss your leadership development needs.