What does it take to be an outstanding leader? What qualities are needed to master leadership? How do we build our skills to be the most effective leader we can be? Leadership comes naturally to some and for others, it's constant work and dedication to growth. Leadership can be examined thousands of ways - try the following criteria for leadership and see how you're progressing on the leadership growth journey.
Disagree Agree
completely completely
Drive to succeed
You have a sustained need to succeed 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You willingly step up to challenges 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You set high standards for yourself 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You are driven to achieve results 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You convey a sense of urgency to your day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You hold yourself accountable for adding value 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Helps others to succeed
You support others by providing constructive feedback 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You use coaching in your leadership 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You provide resources to assist others to succeed 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You enjoy seeing others succeed 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Your focus is on how to bring out the best in people around you 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Courage
You are willing to stand up and be counted 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You know right from wrong and say so 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You step forward to address difficult issues 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You stand firm when necessary 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You don’t hold back anything that needs to be said 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You are not afraid to take negative action where appropriate 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
It’s more important to do what needs to be done than protect people who 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
are letting the team down
Leadership
You are your own leader and source of inspiration 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You create a vision and purpose which others buy into and share 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You take action that inspire confidence that the vision is being achieved 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You set clear and compelling goals for your team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You create a unifying focal point for your team through the vision 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Good enough isn’t 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Your team members see their roles as being long term, not short term fixes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Each member of the team has a professional development plan in place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Decisions are pushed down the hierarchy as far as possible 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Your focus is on leadership, not the day to day ‘doing’, because you delegate 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You give accurate, well-received feedback consistently which your team acts on 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You give praise when its due easily 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Ideas for constant & never-ending improvements are regularly made
by the team & acted on 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You communicate in a way that is heard & well-received by your team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Team builder
You champion teamwork 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You create an environment in which teams are used appropriately 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
The team’s development is supported 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
The team is generally successful 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You foster collaboration amongst team members, there is a feeling of belonging 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Every member of the team knows their job role & can do it well 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
The ‘Unwritten Ground Rules’ match the official culture 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
The team is not complacent, but hungry for more growth & success 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
The team sees change as positive & is committed to doing what it takes to grow 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Reporting systems are in place & used 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Deadlines are met 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Communication is open enough for all to know what they
need to, to enable them to do their job 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Your team enjoys their jobs & see them as long term 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Your team
Each team member responds well to what is needed to be done 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Each team member values feedback on how to do even better 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Your team works together well, with open communication 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Your team doesn’t cling to what is ‘tradition’, but rather looks for how to improve 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Each team member holds themselves accountable for getting their job done 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Principled
You inspire trust through ethical behaviour 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You show consistency between principles, valued and behaviour 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You consistently live, breathe and express your principles in all you do 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Service focus
You create sustained relationship with your clients (internal & external) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You understand what creates value for your clients 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You continually search for ways to increase customer satisfaction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You are focused on your client, not on processes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Relationship builder
You use informal networks to get things done 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You rely on your ability to influence rather than hierarchical relationships 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Change agent
You act as a catalyst of change and stimulate others to change 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You challenge the status quo and champion new iniatives 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You manage new initiatives effectively 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You don’t sabotage new initiatives to protect the status quo 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Eager to learn
You learn from experience 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You learn quickly 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You are a versatile learner, able to learn in a variety of ways 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You actively pursue learning and self-development 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Values others
You show and foster respect and appreciation for each person you meet 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You make others feel valued for their ideas and contributions 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You recognise when someone is disappointed and know how to 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
respond appropriately
Work/life Balance
You work less than 50 hours each week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You have all the time you need to get things done 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You have the assistance in place, including a P.A. to delegate day to day activities 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You eat healthy choices & take the time to eat well 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You have an exercise regime that supports long-term great health 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You don’t run your business on adrenaline 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You express your feelings before they cause you stress 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
You make all the money you want from your business 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
