12 Benefits of Taking Leadership Assessments

On occasion, a leader will ask me why they "have to" take a leadership assessment that is either required prior to hire, offered upon hire, requested by a coach as part of individual leadership development sessions and/or as part of a planned leadership retreat. The question of "why do they have to" triggers my curiosity and need to understand the emotion underlying what often appears as resistance.

Sometimes the resistance comes in the form of shame... the possibility of answering the questions in the "wrong way" and getting the "wrong" results coupled with a fear. "Who is going to see the results?" "Are there consequences based on what the results show?"

Resistance can also show up as lack of curiosity about themselves and how they interact with the world. Curiosity and/or the ability to dig deep into how they may show up in relationship to their peers and employees, greatly impacts the growth mindset of not just the leader but also the people they to whom they are in service. What is sometimes left unspoken, is the fragility underlying their inability to "go there." Regardless of the reason, the resistance is a form of self-protection.

I encourage clients to be gentle with their internal dialogue, lean in with curiosity and envelop themselves with self-compassion. They may be delighted and even fascinated with what they discover.

Here are 12 benefits of leadership assessments I share with clients:

• The insights gained allow you explore career opportunities you might not have otherwise considered.
• Results guide you toward personal growth opportunities and further self discovery. The new lens of self understanding gives you new tools for navigating your life experiences.
• Assessments highlight your strengths, skills and abilities thus revealing the potential projects and/or work that may "create flow" and build on what you already possess.
• They can serve as a social barometer for how you are the same and how you are unique from other people. Such insight offers you choices in work interactions that enhances trust, collaboration and problem-solving. When everyone is given the same information about themselves, each has the opportunity to manage their relationship with others on the team.
• Knowing yourself enhances your self confidence. It is affirming to have the results validate the view you have of yourself.
• The results provide direction in how you continue of the journey toward your ideal, future self.
• You gain insight as to why you do what you do. You can make informed choices about those behaviors you want to change. Knowing the deeper why behind choices can lead to a faster unlearning and relearning.
• Self awareness can help you develop stronger relationships through sharing your story with greater authenticity in all facets of your personal and work life.
• Knowing what you feel, think, want, and do provides clarity about the patterns that have either contributed to your success or kept you stuck.
• Self-reflection and self-knowing are leadership competencies that make interactions with others manageable and predictable while remaining flexible and open.
• Directed journaling about assessment results offers more insight than journaling to a blank page. If you have taken more than one assessment, the relationship between the findings emerge thus providing greater depth to the discoveries.
• Doing self-discovery work with the help of a coach, mentor, therapist and/or supportive community can greatly impact how you live and lead. So if you are feeling resistance, delve into it. You may just discover gold.