Test yourself on Leadership Skills

Are you a good leader? Self-aware leaders probably ask themselves that question. Here we take a look at how Google measures leadership. It equally applies to the small end of town as well. yellow belt

In an article in Inc. magazine, the author writes about the evaluation test that Google uses to test leadership in just 5 minutes.

You can ask yourself the same questions. When you get a poor score on one of them, it suggests areas where you can improve your Leadership skill set and success.

If you are feeling particularly brave, you could ask your staff the same questions. But, make sure they respond anonymously so that you (a) don’t embarrass them and (b) get reasonably truthful answers.

The questions follow. Rank yourself on each from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree).

The Self-Test Leadership Quiz

Here are Google’s leadership evaluation questions:

My manager gives me actionable feedback that helps me improve my performance.
My manager does not “micromanage” (get involved in details that should be handled at other levels).
My manager shows consideration for me as a person.
The actions of my manager show that he/she values the perspective I bring to the team, even if it is different from his/her own.
My manager keeps the team focused on our priority results/deliverables.
My manager regularly shares relevant information from his/her manager and senior leaders.
My manager has had a meaningful discussion with me about career development in the past six months.
My manager communicates clear goals for our team.
My manager has the technical expertise (e.g., coding in Tech, selling in Global Business, accounting in Finance) required to effectively manage me.
I would recommend my manager to other Googlers.
I am satisfied with my manager’s overall performance as a manager.

Then Google employees are asked to complete two other questions:

12. What would you recommend your manager keep doing?

13. What would you have your manager change?

Scoring The Leadership Quiz

A low total score is preferable to a higher one. But don’t fuss about the score itself.

What you are looking for is an improving trend when you run the test every (say) 6 months. This is the process of moving from white belt to black belt. Everyone starts at white belt.

More Info

See more on our Leadership development materials

Read the original Inc. article on Measuring Leadership

Test yourself on Leadership Skills