𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗪𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀—𝗼𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁?

For many years, leadership assessments have been designed to answer one fundamental question:
“𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲?”

It is an important question.
Yet I have seen leaders with outstanding assessment results struggle after joining a new organization.

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲.
𝗜𝘁 𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

The real question is no longer whether someone is capable of leading.
The question is whether this person is likely to create leadership impact in this specific environment.

This perspective has also changed the way I think about leadership assessment reports.
A good report should not only describe strengths and development areas.
It should help organizations make better leadership decisions—and increase the probability that talented leaders will succeed.

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀 𝘂𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲. 

This insight has fundamentally changed the conversations I have with boards and executives about leadership decisions.