What challenges are companies seeking to address when they contact Leading Women?
On a macro level companies face challenges hiring women, holding onto women and/or advancing women into leadership. The challenges vary by company and by industry. For example, some industries face significant challenges recruiting and retaining women because of inhospitable cultures. Others have an easy time recruiting women into the workforce and retaining them, but find that traditional approaches don’t develop women who are seen as ready for senior positions.
To address the leadership development challenges, one of the many tools that Leading Women brings to the table is our unique pair of assessments based on decades of exclusive research and Leading Women's breakthrough definition of leadership:
"Leadership is using the greatness in you to achieve and sustain extraordinary outcomes by engaging the greatness in others."
Breakthrough Leadership Assessment™ (BLA)
Leading Women’s Breakthrough Leadership Assessment™ (BLA) is based on proprietary research into the expectations of boards and executives when evaluating candidates for advancement into executive positions.
This research found that although all of Leading Women’s 3 elements of leadership (using personal greatness, achieving outcomes, engaging others) matter when making hiring decisions for the top of organizations, they do not matter equally. When hiring for the top,
- 50% of the experiences and capabilities sought in executive candidates relate to business, strategic and financial acumen
- 26% to engaging the greatness in others
- 24% to using personal greatness
Therefore, the BLA reflects these percentages:
Outcomes (50% of the survey elements)
- Strategic acumen
- Business acumen
- Financial acumen
Engaging Others (26% of the survey elements)
- Align & motivate the organization
- Key strategic relationships
Use Personal Greatness (24% of the survey elements)
Within these broad categories, the specific experiences and capabilities sought in candidates form the BLA's survey elements. The BLA is administered as a 180º to women who are just entering into executive levels or who are poised to do so. It gathers input from each participant’s manager and others above her in the organization. This is because (performance being equal) the perceptions of those above them (and the sponsorship that comes with favorable perceptions) are the most significant enablers advancement.
Our clients use the BLA because the survey questions provide robust feedback that serves as a springboard for movement into more senior/executive positions.
Leadership Excellence Assessment™ (LEA)
Would it make a difference in the success of your aspiring women managers if they knew:
- Whether they would be welcomed as a trusted member of a team above them?
- Whether they are perceived as demonstrating the strategic, business and financial acumen sought in high potential employees?
- Women don’t think to ask,
- Most corporate assessments and most coaching assessments don’t ask and that, frankly,
- Many bosses don’t think about giving input.
At the time it was developed, Leading Women’s Leadership Excellence Assessment™ (LEA) was the only 360º assessment to take a balanced look across the 3 key elements of leadership (using personal greatness, achieving outcomes, engaging others) and to focus on the areas where women are historically rated as underperforming men. These areas are proven to create substantial barriers to career success. This is why knowledge about how they are perceived in these areas is particularly important feedback for your women.
This means that this is no ordinary assessment. It is neither a personality-based nor psychological assessment, it doesn’t measure preferences or attributes. The LEA creates the opportunity for your women to get valuable feedback about the behaviors that are correlated with leadership and career success.
Used as a 360º or a 180º, the LEA delivers feedback on:
Achieving Outcomes
- Business acumen
- Strategic acumen
- Financial acumen
Engaging Others
- Engagement skills
- Alignment skills
- Strategic relationships
Using Personal Greatness
- Skills and attributes
- Values and worldview
- Work and life
Our clients use the LEA because the survey questions provide robust data to support women’s continued success in middle management while providing springboard feedback for movement into more senior/executive positions.
Interested in finding out more about how Leading Women can support the women in your organization on their way to the top? Contact us to learn more.
