Leadership assessment
Strong leadership is essential to the success of every organisation. However, recognising leadership potential and developing it purposefully is not always straightforward. Essentive’s ITTI® method enables evidence-based decisions when selecting, promoting and developing leaders. Below, you can read why a leadership assessment is so valuable and how our approach differs from traditional assessment methods
Leadership assessment
A leadership assessment is an in-depth analysis that provides insight into a person’s qualities as a leader. It is used to determine whether someone is suited to a leadership role and which leadership style is the best fit for that person. The assessment also identifies strengths and the development areas in which further growth is possible.
Leadership assessment
Strong leadership is essential to an organisation’s success. Effective leaders provide direction, build trust, encourage collaboration and contribute to better performance by teams and employees. A leadership assessment helps organisations make better-supported decisions when selecting, promoting and developing leaders, thereby strengthening the organisation as a whole.
Leadership assessment
Our leadership assessment provides insight into 67 talents and the relationships between them. We make a unique distinction between innate and trainable talents. This creates a clear picture of a person’s suitability for a leadership role while also showing where further development is possible.
Leadership assessment
a leadership assessment helps determine more accurately whether a candidate fits a management role and the organisation’s context.
it provides insight into strengths and development areas, enabling leaders to work purposefully on their growth and effectiveness.
it helps organisations recognise leadership potential and purposefully develop and deploy talent for the future.
Method
Many different leadership assessments are available. However, many of these methods have clear limitations. Below, you can read where conventional leadership assessments often fall short. This page provides more information about the most common limitations of traditional assessments.
Method
Essentive developed the ITTI® method: a scientifically grounded, objective, in-depth and respectful approach that offers a strong alternative to traditional leadership assessments. Here you can find more information about the ITTI® method.
Method
| Aspect | Commonly used assessments | Essentive's ITTI® method |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific foundation | Quality varies; not always scientifically validated | Consistent use of valid, reliable and evidence-based instruments |
| Focus | Often focused on observable behaviour | Focus on underlying drivers, thought patterns and personality structure |
| Objectivity | Susceptible to influence from self-reporting and assessors | Standardised measurement that cannot be manipulated, combined with professional interpretation |
| Accuracy / depth | Often simplistic, insufficiently nuanced profiles | Nuanced, detailed profile showing the interrelationships between 67 traits |
| Candidate experience | Can feel impersonal; candidates may not sufficiently recognise themselves in the results | People-centred approach with explanation, dialogue and high candidate acceptance |
Case study
A medium-sized technical services provider had a talented senior employee, Marleen, lined up for promotion to team leader. On paper, it seemed obvious: she was technically strong, experienced and respected by her colleagues. Yet the executive team had doubts. Previous promotion decisions had resulted in mismatches more often than they had hoped, and this time they genuinely wanted to know whether Marleen was suitable and, if so, what type of leader she would be.
The organisation chose Essentive’s ITTI® assessment methodology because, unlike many tests, it can map Marleen’s leadership profile in considerable depth. An assessment that only checks whether someone matches a general image of leadership may overlook people who can excel with a different leadership style.
The outcome was surprising: she had more than enough leadership potential, but not in the directive, controlling style the organisation had originally envisaged. Her strength was coaching leadership: giving people space, helping them grow and leading through trust rather than control.
The executive team adjusted the role and its expectations accordingly. Marleen has now led the team for a year. Employee turnover has fallen, collaboration has demonstrably improved and colleagues describe her as the most natural leader they have ever had.
“We were looking for a team leader and found something better: the leader who was right for our team.”
Interested in other examples? Explore more case studies and read how we support organisations with their assessment challenges.
For whom
Essentive specialises in in-depth assessments for key positions within organisations, including leadership roles. Our leadership assessments are designed for organisations that want to invest carefully and on a sound evidence base in the selection, promotion and development of leaders. The assessments can be used broadly and are suitable for every sector.
Process
An assessment using the ITTI® method follows a clear and transparent process. This page provides more information about the method and process we use.
The market price of a leadership assessment is generally between €1,500 and €3,000. More comprehensive or executive assessments may cost €5,000 or more, depending on the content and seniority of the position. Our leadership assessment costs €1,995 and, as it is also a rigorous and comprehensive assessment, offers strong value for money.
A leadership assessment helps predict more accurately whether someone is suited to a management role. This reduces the risk of a costly mismatch. This is particularly relevant for management positions: according to SHRM, the total impact of a bad hire can amount to several times the annual salary, while Gallup shows that managers have a major influence on team results and engagement. Highly engaged teams demonstrably perform better, including 23% higher profitability and 18% higher productivity than teams with low engagement.
