Leadership Skills

Leadership Skills
By
Bill Cottringer

If your want to be a leader, feel free to test your potential against this self-assessment instrument. And if you are already a leader, you can assess the level of leadership skills you have achieved and the ones still needing some work. The scoring key follows the self-ratings.

101 Leadership Skills Self-Assessment Instrument
© 2020 Dr. Bill Cottringer, Cascade Security Corp.

Directions: The following behaviors are the critical success factors most related to effective leadership. Report how well-developed you feel your leadership skills are, with consideration for what needs most improvement through the leadership mentoring program. (Feel free to circle the items you would most like to work on). Use the 1-9 point rating scale descriptions below by placing an X in the appropriate self-rating column following each characteristic or skill, and then tally up your points with the Scoring Key at the end.

Rating Scale:_
1 = Rarely.
3 = Sometimes.
5 = About Average.
7 = Frequently, Often.
9 = Almost Always.

Leadership Skill Self-Rating
1 3 5 7 9
1. My written communication is excellent.
2. I am at ease and skilled at public speaking .
3. I manage my time rather than letting it manage me.
4. I have been told that I am very good at motivating and inspiring others.
5. I have learned and use good interpersonal skills in dealing with others.
6. I can solve difficult problems easily and effectively.
7. I have a knack for building excellent relationships with people.
8. I manage my own attitudes and behaviors before trying that with others.
9. I can empathize easily with other’s perspectives and experience.
10. My self-confidence level is just right—not too low or too high.
11. I can make tough decisions by getting enough information first.
12. People characterize me as having a lot of good common sense.
13. I understand and use my well-developed emotional intelligence .
14. Creativity and innovation come easy to me.
15. I am exceptionally resilient when faced with failure and setbacks.
16. I am transparent—what you see is what you always get.
17. I keep my ego in check and strive to show great humility.
18. I have a clear vision of now and the future for others to see clearly.
19. I know my purpose and live the values that support that purpose.
20. I am inner-directed and intrinsically motivated.
22. My honesty and integrity are unquestionable.
23. I hold myself accountable for my behavior and the results I get.
24. Others comment about my good teaching and coaching ability.
25. I have no trouble being resourceful and thinking on my feet.
26. I am open to feedback and often seek and use it from reliable sources.
27. I am totally committed to learning , growing and improving.
28. I practice a strategic/critical thinking style in all situations.
29. I am mentally flexible and adaptable to a variety of situations.
30. I am very organized in my work approach and physical environment.
31. I am an intuitive person who trusts my own intuition .
32. I have always been curious.
33. I am focused and engaged in the work, home and hobbies I do.
34. I have a genuine interest and ability to help others succeed.
35. I have a keen sense of urgency that others can see and emulate.
36. I am able to pivot my thinking and actions strategically as called for.
37. When the situation calls for, it I am decisive without delay.
38. I manage change with others by getting input and removing obstacles.
39. I like to confront and resolve conflicts assertively.
40. My behavior , attitudes and moods are all consistent.
41. I am tough-minded, but not stubborn, when the situation calls for it.
42. I have a graceful approach to overcoming adversity.
43. My physical and mental energy is high.
44. I display professional expertise/competency—knowledge and ability.
45. My commitment and passion for what I do is off the charts.
46. I am optimistic and positive, especially in difficult times.
47. I am bold and courageous in the face of danger.
48. I am performance-driven to use great efforts to get the right results.
49. I am sensitive to the point of no return in opportunity vs. danger.
50. I have a strong character and always use high road ethics.
51. I am spiritually and philosophically grounded.
52. I have been told I have a good sense of humor.
53. I am a good listener and always hear what people say or don’t say.
54. I exercise a great deal of patience, especially in trying situations.
55. Others think I have personal charisma.
56. I have a genuine interest in and respect for others.
57. I strive to be balanced in all aspects of work and life.
58. I keep open-minded to others’ perspectives.
59. I exercise reasonable risk-management skills.
60. Others think I am reasonable and fair-minded.
61. I show others my genuine authenticity without hiding behind a façade.
62. Others appreciate me being a good storyteller.
63. I am assertive rather than passive or aggressive in confrontations.
64. I show a healthy sense of poise in social situations.
65. I practice well-developed negotiation skills.
66. I am respected for my political/social savvy.
67. I show my appreciation for life and other people.
68. I am consciously enabling of others.
69. I practice assertiveness in all situations.
70. I have an unusual ability to translate my vision and dreams into reality.
71. I am likeable by being a good listener, agreeable, positive and “real.”
72. I have a wide depth of personal and work experience.
73. Other people see my kindness and compassion.
74. I practice politeness.
75. I have enjoyed a history of success.
76. I enthusiastically pursue new experiences.
77. I enjoy empowering others and delegating duties and responsibilities.
78. I am a very loyal person and command that naturally from others.
79. I am exceptionally skilled at influencing others.
80. I am considered to be a credible person.
81. I show a sincere enthusiasm in all that I am doing for others to see.
82. I have achieved a realism-idealism balance but lean towards Idealism.
83. I have learned the lesson that all opportunity has a cost.
84. I have always been an avid truth seeker.
85. I show both strength and vulnerability when appropriate.
86. I am a good role model and lead by example.
87. I practice mindfulness of now, without too much past or future focus.
88. I have a great deal of compassion.
89. I have and show a clarity of thinking.
90. I have a good tolerance for ambiguity and ambivalence.
91. I am proactive rather than reactive.
92. Others can see that I am street smart.
93. I have an unusual talent for Identifying and fostering potential.
94. I keep biases at bay and avoid egocentric thinking.
95. I enthusiastically embrace failure to learn valuable success secrets.
96. I am cooperative and have a win-win abundance mentality.
97. I practice collaboration with others to get better results than alone.
98. I am compromising when there is an equal investment in an outcome.
99. I am a rewarding person by nature.
100. I challenge myself and others to reach beyond our grasp.
101. I practice a servant/service orientation.

Answer key

101-202 = Lots of room for improvement.
203-401 = Some potential here.
402-606 = Good potential, needing improvement.
607-807 = Excellent leadership potential and sills.
808-909 = Mastery of leadership skills