Since assessing your own leadership abilities can be tricky, we've developed a simple leadership survey to help you get an honest handle on your skills and potential.

There are certain subjective qualities about leadership. Some leaders seem to possess an intangible quality that inspires and motivates their followers to achieve a common goal. Yet most leadership qualities are objective traits and characteristics that can be learned and improved upon with a little effort.

Leadership Test

The following survey is designed to measure your objective leadership ability. It's important to answer each question honestly, according to the skills and abilities you actually possess rather than the abilities you hope to possess in the future.

Please provide a simple "Yes" or "No" answer to the following questions:

___ Are you confident in your ability to analyze problems and make solid decisions?

___ Do you have a reputation for meeting goals and following through on commitments?

___ Can you clearly and effectively communicate your ideas to others?

___ Are you a good listener?

___ Do you embrace risk and real world challenges?

___ Do you think in terms of the big picture?

___ Can you consistently spot problems and improve processes?

___ Are you adept at knowing, growing, and coaching other people?

___ Do you accept responsibility for outcomes?

___ Are you easily hurt by criticism?

___ Do you demonstrate a high level of integrity in your personal and professional life?

___ Are you able to inspire others to excellence?

___ Do you learn from mistakes and constantly seek to improve you skills?

Leadership Assessment Test Scoring

Scoring is based on the number of questions to which you answered "Yes".

10 + : You demonstrate a high level of leadership abilities. Although there may be room for improvement in a few areas, you are well on your way to achieving your goals in business and leadership. In the meantime, you should think about ways you can share your expertise with others.

7-9: You exhibit several strong leadership traits and are on track to become a great leader. Your ability to grow as a leader will depend on your willingness to actively seek out resources and development tools to strengthen your areas of weakness. You may even want to consider finding a mentor to help you reach the next level of leadership.

4-6: There are indications that you may have leadership potential. You may be a young leader who needs to gain experience in order to become a capable and confident leader. Take advantage of opportunities to develop your skills and whenever possible, exercise leadership – no matter how small the assignment.