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Leadership assessment

Leadership risk starts with strengths, not weaknesses

Leadership Risk shows where a leader's strengths could create unintended consequences for the organization, its culture and their own career, and how to manage each one.

The Leadership Risk overview wheel from a report, with the primary and secondary risks highlighted
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THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ASSESS WITH US

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What leadership risk is

Misguided strengths, not hidden flaws

Most leaders are well-intentioned. Leadership risk is what happens when a genuine strength, combined with other behaviors, has consequences nobody intended. Because leaders rarely see these risks in themselves, they are harder to manage than an obvious weakness.

Take an enterprising leader, quick to seize an opportunity. That is a real strength for growth. Combine it with a low preference for procedure, and it can expose the business to risk it did not need to take.

Because every risk starts from a strength, leaders recognize themselves before the risk is raised, so the feedback lands rather than feeling like a verdict.

9

Risk areas, each linked to a strength

3

Angles on every risk: culture, the organization and the individual

1

Assessment of about 35 minutes, which also produces Leadership Impact

The Leadership Risk model

Nine risk areas, under three Ps

The nine risk areas sit under the same three Ps as the Leadership Impact model, each linked to one of its impact areas.

Professional

  • Perfectionist. Perfects the finer details, which may mean missing critical elements of the bigger picture.
  • Procedural. Follows the rules rigorously and is cautious about decisions, which could mean missed opportunities.
  • Critical. Looks for potential problems, which can come across as negative and discourage important contributions.

People

  • Obliging. Accommodates others, which may mean agreeing to actions not in the organization's best interest.
  • Autonomous. Works alone and rarely consults, which can lead to decisions that ignore the rest of the organization.
  • Expressive. Interacts often and can be socially dominant, which may overshadow other people's views.

Pioneering

  • Disruptive. Comes up with alternative ideas and seeks to do things differently, which could disrupt productivity.
  • Unpredictable. Does not like to feel constrained by timescales, which may keep the organization in a constant state of flux.
  • Daring. Seeks new opportunities and pushes boundaries, which may lead to unnecessary risk.
How risk is read

What each risk means, from three angles

Each comes with practical ways to manage the risk, for the leader and the organization.

Influence on culture

How the risk could affect attraction, retention and engagement across the people they lead.

Risk to the organization

What it could do to organizational outcomes, and to the teams and stakeholders around them.

Risk to the individual

What it could mean for the leader's own reputation and career.

What's in the report

From an overview to a plan

Risk overview

A score from 1 to 10 for each of the nine risk areas, shown on a wheel and ranked, with the leader's primary and secondary risks highlighted.

Primary and secondary risks

An in-depth read of the top two risks, from all three angles, with ways to manage each.

Other potential risks

Guidance on the third and fourth highest risk areas, which can still come to the fore in certain situations.

Group overview

For three or more leaders, an interactive view of the team's combined risks and how to use them positively.

Two ways to use it

In an expert report, or in Wave Connect Develop

Leadership Risk report, overview wheel page

The Leadership Risk report

For qualified practitioners

The full expert read, with every risk area scored and the top risks managed in depth. Built for coaching, assessment and team sessions.

Wave Connect Develop, My Insights view with leadership risks

Wave Connect Develop

For leaders, their managers and HR

The most digestible view we have built. Each leader sees the strengths most likely to trip them up if they overdo them, alongside their work behaviors, team roles and change enablers. Their manager sees the same insight for each direct report, and HR leaders see the pattern across departments and levels.

See what a Leadership Risk report says

Book a demo and we will walk you through a real report.

Book a demo
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Where it is used

When leadership risk matters most

Give feedback that accelerates potential, with a clear focus for development.

Leadership development
Proven results

What changes on the ground

“The level of consciousness with which the team started to engage with each other, and in turn their team, after the workshop was remarkable.”

A new European leadership team worked through their Leadership Risk reports, then their collective risks as a group.

Global healthcare and biopharmaceuticals consulting firm
CEO
See all case studies

Silos broken down

50 leaders received one-to-one feedback on their Leadership Impact and Leadership Risk reports, focused on the areas a transformation depended on. Afterwards they reported less siloed, more cross-functional working.

Technology and services provider
Transformation
50
leaders given one-to-one feedback
See all case studies

The strength behind every risk

Leadership Impact shows where the same strengths will drive results. Both come from one Behavioral Deep Dive completion.

See Leadership Impact
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Help and support

Questions

If it is not here, ask us. You will get a fast response from an expert member of the team.

The unintended negative consequences that can come from a leader's combination of behaviors. Leaders rarely mean to create them and are often unaware of them.

Get started

Tell us about the leaders you are assessing

One leader, a new team or a whole leadership population: we will show you what Leadership Risk would surface.
Resources

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