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Leadership
An Assessment Tool
• Organizational Leadership Template—assess your organi- The following organizations are represented on the
zation’s characteristics against those of a well-led organi- Council:
zation to identify strengths and gaps.
Cabinet Office, McGill University
• Personal Leadership Template—consider what makes a Government of Ontario Montreal YMCA
successful leader today, decide what mix of characteris- Canadian Centre for Motorola Canada Limited
tics you and/or your leadership team require and assess Management Development,
how you compare. Government of Canada National Quality Institute
Canadian National Railway Noranda Inc.
How should the templates be used? Depending on your
Company Placer Dome (CLA) Limited
organization and circumstances, you can use them in
a variety of ways: Clarica Life Insurance Privy Council Office,
Company Government of Canada
For each item below, give your organization a score—High (3), Medium (2) or Low (1).
Then tally your results to give you an overall reading on how your organization is doing.
PURPOSE People are appropriately involved in deci- People are satisfied with their opportuni-
People throughout the organization can sions that affect them, especially ones that ty for growth and development. They are
articulate and are committed to the organi- modify their roles. The same is true of motivated to take personal responsibility
zation’s strategic direction and vision. teams. for learning.
They communicate a sense of energy and People feel free to take informed risks to Leaders agree that they play a key role
excitement, and they demonstrate a achieve their job objectives. They also in developing future leaders, and they
commitment to achieving results. understand boundaries and consequences. act accordingly.
People throughout the organization know ALIGNMENT Managers have the confidence and
what the organization’s goals and perform- competence to provide effective feed-
ance benchmarks are, and they work to Vision and strategic direction are trans- back and coaching to their employees.
achieve them. lated into realistic but stretch goals.
People receive timely, ongoing and gen-
People throughout the organization feel Measurement and management systems uine feedback on their progress.
their work is worthwhile. are in place to ensure implementation of
organizational goals, and results are acted Performance and feedback discussions
Employees and customers are proud of upon. are formally documented at least
how the organization contributes to the annually.
economic, social and environmental well- Measurement and management systems
being of society. encourage desired behaviours in leaders RECOGNITION AND FEELING VALUED
and employees, reinforcing organizational People receive frequent, sincere and
Employees would recommend their values, and results are acted upon.
department/organization as a great place timely recognition or praise for their
to work. Recognition and rewards encourage contributions.
desired behaviours, reinforcing the organi- People feel cared about as people (not
Employees understand the organization’s zation’s values.
business, the financial picture and the just as employees) by their managers.
realities of the external environment; they People can see the connection between People agree that the right people are
have good business acumen. their work and the organization’s success. being recognized for the right behav-
People know who their customers are and iours and results.
EMPOWERMENT AND DECISION MAKING anticipate their needs. People feel their opinions count.
People clearly understand the results they
are expected to achieve and are empow- ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING AND PERSONAL People are periodically surveyed for
ered to act to achieve them. GROWTH their opinions, and they see action on
People are encouraged to share their their recommendations.
Functional and personal boundaries of
responsibility and accountability are nego- knowledge with others, and the organiza- People feel supported by their leaders in
tiated and clear. tion provides opportunities for them to do balancing work–life
so. commitments.
People can accomplish their work objec-
tives without unnecessary rules or proce- People are encouraged to put forward
dures getting in the way. their views and their suggestions for
improvement. Tally:
People have the skills, resources and tools
to do their work well, individually or in
teams.
PERSONAL LEADERSHIP TEMPLATE
This is a tool for assessing your personal effectiveness and the effectiveness of your leadership team. Use it to weigh your existing characteristics and
competencies against those required for good leadership today.
VISION: has a broad world view; balances FOCUS ON LEARNING: seeks out new DECISIVENESS: takes and acts on diffi-
short-term demands with a longer-term ideas and "out of the box" thinking; open cult decisions, proactively and quickly;
perspective; sees and engages others in to challenge; reflective and learns from courageous; does not avoid negatives;
opportunities for positive change, based mistakes. able to deal with uncertainty and ambi-
on a sound understanding of stakeholder EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION: consulta- guity.
needs, of the organization and of econom- tive and a good negotiator; elicits agree- CAPACITY TO INSPIRE: credible in the
ic, political and societal developments that ment and consensus; inspires commit- organization; demonstrates integrity in
affect it. ment; addresses issues openly and can- words and deeds; consistently "walks
DRIVE TO EXCEL: challenges the status didly, even at personal risk. the talk" of organizational values and
quo; excited by challenge; committed to TEAM ORIENTATION: works collaborative- priorities; celebrates personal success
results; successful at implementation; ly with colleagues and across organiza- and success in others; supports and
clear about accountabilities; embraces tional lines; encourages team behaviours; coaches others through difficult change;
stretch goals and pushes to achieve them. creates team spirit and drive to achieve committed to helping others succeed;
INNOVATIVE THINKING: entrepreneurial; within the group; builds shared sense of has the courage to do what is right.
generates ideas; constantly looks for ways trust among team members; acts to
to improve; takes calculated risks; encour- ensure team success.
ages organizational transformation and Tally:
COACHING AND MENTORING: shares
process change; moves ideas to action. knowledge and experience; fosters
PASSION AND COMMITMENT: enthusiastic strategic thinking in others; encourages
and dedicated, with an emotional bond to learning in the workplace; takes person-
the organization and its mission; excited al responsibility for developing others.
about the work, with a strong desire to win.
ASSUMPTIONS
• People support what they help create. • Leadership is an "organization deep" issue. That is,
it must permeate all levels of the organization,
• In today’s environment, successful organizations regardless of hierarchy and formal position.
must embrace some key values: teamwork, cus-
tomer service, ethical behaviour, risk taking, inno- • Leaders can improve their effectiveness in leading.
vation and accountability. Whether leaders are "born" or "made" is not the
issue.
• Organizational leadership includes corporate social
responsibility. • An important role of senior leaders is to coach and
develop other leaders throughout the organization.
• Leadership is an art. Checklists and templates help
because they offer tools for reflection, but they • Teamwork between different units carrying out dif-
are just the first step. ferent functions is critical to an organization’s suc-
cess. And effective teamwork is built on trust.