Leadership evaluation is the evaluation of one’s style and abilities as a leader. It can be an informative analysis tool for those who consider business management careers. Evaluation of leadership is a part of many business management and corporate development workshops.
Leadership evaluations vary widely in their format, but all ask for job leaders to consider categories such as motivating others, leading by example, and giving professional advice. Some leadership tests will instruct people to consider questions such as “How well do you listen to your employees?” with answer options of very good, good, fair, or bad. A leadership evaluation also uses statements. For example, after a statement like “I am a good listener to all my employees,” the choice of answers may be “This sounds like me,” “This does not sound like me,” “This sounds a bit like me.”
After the test taker finishes the leadership evaluation questions or statements, they follow instructions to determine the results. Leadership evaluations based on skills will assess the strengths of the workplace leader and areas of opportunity. Style-based assessments will evaluate different styles of leadership based on the responses to questions or statements.
Leadership evaluation takers can gain valuable knowledge about their leadership abilities and provide insight into how other leaders in their sphere of contact conduct themselves. Test results can inspire leaders to rethink the way they lead others and set goals for change. They may choose to update skills that score low following some leadership evaluations and continue or increase their favorably evaluated work behaviors. Leadership evaluations can motivate workplace leaders to change their management style for better leadership.
Some leadership evaluations ask the test taker to answer questions as those who work under them would. When you answered honestly, this type of self-assessment can be eye-opening for some leaders. Understanding how one’s leadership style, abilities, and behaviors can affect others can prepare leaders to make the necessary changes in their interaction with subordinates and co-workers. Seeing things from another perspective can give leaders insight into the amount of empathy they have towards people at work.
After taking the assessments, workplace leaders can choose to make changes in their leadership style and acquire new skills they can use as leadership tools. For example, they can discuss leadership evaluation results with a mentor to get their comments and advice. Journaling new leadership objectives is another method of communicating about the results of the leadership evaluation.
Here are a few ways leadership evaluations can be used:
- As a means to write and fulfill leadership objectives
- As a means to evaluate leadership and workplace progress
- As a means to identify a leader’s leadership style
- As a means to lead by example and better provide advice to subordinates
- As a means to discover strengths and opportunities for growth
- As a means to discover leadership qualities in others
Leadership evaluations were specifically created to focus on those in the workplace in management and leadership roles. There is a focus on the productivity, value, and skills of the frontline employees in most workplaces. They are consistently evaluated based on their individual performance or meeting objectives and tasks. Leaders generally are not evaluated in the same way.
While leadership will be criticized or praised for the overall performance of the team or office they lead, they are rarely evaluated on individual metrics. A leadership evaluation can address this gap in individual performance measurements and allow the leader to improve as an individual, which will improve the overall productivity of the area they lead.
Leadership evaluations, whether mandated by a company or initiated during a workshop or conference, can positively affect the leader who takes the evaluation. The leadership evaluation can also be initiated by the person taking the assessment to pursue leadership improvement and growth for themselves. Whatever the reason a leadership evaluation is taken, the results will always be a positive move forward for the leader taking it.
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