Leadership capability has become one of the strongest predictors of team performance, talent retention, and organizational success. But identifying effective leaders—and developing them—is challenging without a structured and objective process.
This is why knowing how to conduct a leadership assessment is essential for HR teams, L&D leaders, coaches, and organizations building leadership pipelines. Traditional evaluations often rely on subjective impressions. Modern leadership assessment frameworks, especially strengths-based tools like the HIGH5 Leadership Assessment, provide objective, behavior-based insights leaders can immediately apply.
This step-by-step guide shows you exactly how to run a leadership assessment from start to finish – complete with examples, templates, and best practices.
TLDR: To conduct a leadership assessment, define the leadership competencies you want to measure, select a validated assessment tool, clearly communicate the process to participants, administer the assessment, gather multi-source feedback, analyze the results, and convert insights into a strengths-based development plan. Using a tool like the HIGH5 Leadership Assessment helps you capture objective data, reduce bias, and turn insights into actionable leadership growth steps.
What is a leadership assessment?
A leadership assessment is a structured evaluation that measures a person’s ability to lead, influence, and guide others toward shared goals. These assessments typically examine:
- Communication
- Decision-making
- Emotional intelligence
- Problem-solving
- Team leadership
- Accountability
- Strategic thinking
- Ability to inspire others
Leadership assessments generate actionable insights for development, hiring, promotion, succession planning, and building high-performing teams.
Common types of leadership assessments
- Strengths-based assessments (e.g., HIGH5)
- 360-degree leadership feedback
- Situational judgment tests (SJTs)
- Behavioral and competency-based assessments
- Leadership simulations or role plays
- Personality assessments including DISC or Big Five
Strengths-based tools lead to higher engagement and faster development because they identify what leaders naturally do best.
Benefits of conducting a leadership assessment
- Better promotion and leadership selection – Objective insights help avoid bias and identify true leadership potential.
- More effective leader development – Strengths-focused development accelerates growth compared to fixing weaknesses.
- Higher team engagement and morale – Leaders who operate from their strengths create healthier, more motivated teams.
- Stronger leadership pipelines – Assessments reveal who is ready for bigger roles and who needs development.
- Increased self-awareness – Leaders gain clarity about their behaviors, tendencies, and impact on others.
- Reduced turnover and leadership bottlenecks – Right-fit leaders stay longer and perform better.
HIGH5-specific advantages:
- Strengths-based methodology rooted in positive psychology
- No negative labels or scoring
- Practical behaviors instead of abstract traits
- Works for individuals, teams, and entire organizations
- Free version available
Link to the HIGH5 leadership assessment tool
When should you conduct a leadership assessment?
Organizations commonly administer leadership assessments during:
- Promotions or role changes
- Team restructuring
- Leadership training program kickoffs
- Annual performance reviews
- Succession planning initiatives
- Conflict resolution efforts
- Early identification of high-potential talent
Any moment where leadership clarity matters is a great time to use assessments.
How to conduct a leadership assessment (Step-by-Step Process)
This is the core section designed to rank for how to conduct a leadership assessment.
Step 1: Define the Purpose and Scope
Before choosing tools or running assessments, clarify:
- Why you’re assessing leadership
- Which leadership competencies matter most
- Whether you’re assessing individuals, teams, new managers, or high potentials
- Whether data will be used for development, hiring, or succession planning
Step 2: Select the Right Leadership Assessment Tool
Criteria for choosing a tool:
- Scientifically validated
- Behaviorally grounded
- Strengths-focused
- Easy to administer
- Actionable insights
- Scalable for teams or organizations
Why HIGH5 is recommended:
- Rooted in positive psychology
- Easy-to-understand strengths language
- Fast completion (15–20 minutes)
- Applicable for leaders at all experience levels
- Includes leadership style insights
- Avoids negative scoring
The HIGH5 Leadership Assessment
Step 3: Communicate the process to participants
Transparency increases engagement and reduces anxiety.
Explain:
- Why the assessment is being conducted
- That it’s developmental, not punitive
- How long it takes
- How data will be used
- Who will see the results
- What the follow-up process looks like
Step 4: Administer the Leadership Assessment
Send participants clear instructions and deadlines. Encourage them to complete the assessment in a quiet environment with minimal distractions.
The HIGH5 Leadership Assessment is digital and accessible on any device.
Step 5: Gather additional leadership data points
A strong leadership assessment uses multiple data sources, not just one tool.
Recommended inputs:
- Manager feedback
- Peer reviews
- Self-assessment worksheets
- KPI performance data
- Stakeholder feedback
- Behavioral observations
- 360 leadership feedback cycles
This creates a more comprehensive “leadership capability profile.”
Step 6: Analyze the Leadership Assessment results
Once all data is collected:
- Identify top strengths and leadership tendencies
- Map strengths to relevant competencies
- Identify underused strengths or blind spots
- Look for alignment between self-perception and peer perception
- Summarize key insights into themes
HIGH5 results include:
- Leadership strength themes
- Behavioral patterns
- Leadership style tendencies
- Strengths interactions
- Recommendations for development
Step 7: Build a personalized leadership development plan
Your plan should include:
- 2–4 core leadership strengths to leverage
- A small number of development focus areas
- SMART goals
- Real-world practices to apply
- A timeline (30/60/90 days or quarterly)
- Success metrics
Example Development Goal
- Goal: Improve decision-making speed
- Strength leveraged: Strategist
- Action: Use a weekly rapid-decision framework
- Timeline: 3 months
- Measurement: Reduced delays in project approvals
HIGH5 provides strengths-based development tips tailored to each individual’s results.
Step 8: Deliver the Results Through a Debrief Session
A 30–60-minute coaching conversation helps turn insights into action.
In the debrief:
- Start with strengths
- Review assessment results together
- Connect results to real work situations
- Discuss surprises or blind spots
- Agree on development goals
- Identify strengths to use more intentionally
This builds trust, motivation, and ownership.
Step 9: Track progress and reassess leadership growth
Leadership development is not “one and done.”
Track progress through:
- Monthly manager check-ins
- Behavioral observation checklists
- Team feedback
- Goal completion metrics
- Performance indicators
- Reassessment every 6–12 months
HIGH5 allows retesting and comparing strengths profiles over time.
Common mistakes when conducting a leadership assessment
- Relying on one data point – A single assessment rarely provides enough context.
- Using deficit-based evaluations – This lowers morale and inhibits growth.
- Lack of follow-up – Insights without coaching = no real change.
- Choosing unvalidated tools – Stick to scientifically grounded methods.
- Treating the assessment as a performance score – Leadership assessments are developmental, not judgment tools.
HIGH5 Leadership assessment overview & key features
The HIGH5 Leadership Assessment measures natural strengths and leadership tendencies using a positive psychology framework.
What it measures:
- Natural leadership strengths
- Behavioral tendencies
- Leadership style
- Strength synergies
- Development pathways
Why organizations use HIGH5:
- Fast, modern, and science-based
- Accessible for all levels of leadership
- Actionable, easy-to-interpret results
- Ideal for leadership programs, coaching, and team development
FAQ
What makes a good leadership assessment?
Validity, behavioral clarity, and actionable insights.
How long does it take?
It takes around 15 minutes to finish the HIGH5 Leadership test.
Can you use leadership assessments for hiring?
Yes, when used ethically and combined with other methods.
What if someone scores poorly?
Strengths-based tools avoid negative scoring altogether.
How do I run this for a full team?
Use a scalable tool like HIGH5 that provides team strengths reports.
Conclusion
Knowing how to conduct a leadership assessment effectively helps organizations identify the right leaders, support their growth, and improve team performance. By using a strengths-based approach and reliable tools like the HIGH5 Leadership Assessment, you can turn leadership insights into real, measurable improvement.
