Is your organisation investing in effective leadership development?

Adaptability and agility will be requisite skills. Senior leaders will need to deliver in this uncertain world – and leadership development programmes can be the fuel that enables them to do so, powering sustained business success.

The benefits to organisations of investing in leadership development are well-documented, not least that it can better align teams, drive engagement and performance, and boost the bottom line. 

But leadership development programmes are even more effective and successful if they follow a leadership assessment, as organisations can use the insights and analytics from the assessment to inform the development programme.

Why start a leadership development programme with an assessment?

Starting a leadership development programme with an assessment gives organisations a focal point and foundation on which to build the programme and beyond. They can use data from the assessment to guide decision making around where development would be most useful. These types of decisions should also be informed by an organisation’s strategic objectives and goals.  

Leadership assessments can focus on one leader or potential leader. This is useful as the assessment will yield data on that individual alone, making it easier to personalise a leadership development programme to that individual instead of relying on a one-size-fits-all programme. Research shows that when development programmes are tailored to an individual, and informed by an assessment or needs analysis, learning outcomes are enhanced.

If you have insights from carrying out an individual assessment, you can tailor the programme to that individual’s development needs based on any gaps or areas of risk thrown up by the assessment. 

A tailored leadership development programme should result in more effective leadership outcomes – and a better return on investment for organisations. In fact, many HR teams are already using assessments to give a personalised context for every leader’s development journey to maximise investment outcomes.

LHH’s approach to leadership assessment and development

At LHH, our view on leadership is informed by our model of leadership effectiveness and potential, aKumen. Supported by research, aKumen predicts how leaders will perform in different roles and organisations. Our leadership assessment approach is in-depth, personalised to the individual and can be tailored to specific contexts.

It identifies where and how a leader shows promise, and the areas where they require support and development to perform at their best. Importantly, aKumen can focus on the individual, revealing where a leader’s strengths lie and where they can be most effective in helping the organisation achieve its key objectives.

It focuses on three elements of effectiveness: capability, motivation and focus.

• Capability – the leader’s capabilities are assessed against 11 research-led leadership capabilities that drive effective leadership performance. It also highlights any potential ‘derailers’ that might hinder effective performance. This includes personal capabilities (dealing with people), task capabilities (self-belief and the ability to perform tasks) and thinking capabilities (problem-solving and strategy).


• Motivation – what drives leaders to succeed? By understanding what motivates them as individuals, organisations have a clearer sense of where their strengths are and what areas of development to focus on to enhance leadership performance.


• Focus – this assesses how a leader approaches decision making and how well-rounded and logical their approach to decision making is. This is measured against six key factors that support business success.

Leadership assessment + leadership development

The insights gained through aKumen can feed into collective development and inform your talent management strategy more generally. But if your organisation is ready to embrace leadership development, we recommend starting with an assessment to create a more personalised leadership development programme, one that is aligned with the needs and strategic objectives of your organisation.

For more information about LHH’s leadership assessment options and/or development programmes, contact us today.