The Leadership EQ Quiz Nobody Wanted You to Take

The Leadership Assessment That Tells You What You Don't Want to Hear (And Why That Matters)

Most leadership assessments are designed to make you feel good.

They tell you you're "visionary" or "strategic" or possess "strong interpersonal skills." You get a report full of affirmations, maybe a few gentle suggestions for growth, and then... nothing changes.

Here's what those assessments won't tell you: The specific, measurable gap between how you think you're showing up as a leader and how your team actually experiences you.

That's the gap that costs you.

It's the gap that causes your best performers to disengage without saying why. The gap that makes every organizational change feel like pushing a boulder uphill. The gap that keeps you working harder than you should for the results you're getting.

Enter the Leadership Strength Scorecard

I've just launched something new—a Leadership EQ assessment that measures the three dimensions of emotional intelligence that research shows matter most in leadership effectiveness:

• Self-Awareness – Do you recognize your emotional patterns before they derail you?

• Social Awareness – Can you read the room and understand what people aren't saying?

• Organizational Awareness – Do you see the undercurrents and politics before they become problems?

  
  

Here's what makes this different: This assessment doesn't exist to validate you. It exists to give you actionable intel about where you're leaving leadership effectiveness on the table.

Why I'm giving my newsletter subscribers first access

Because you're the leaders who are serious enough about your growth to invest time reading about it. You don't need another pat on the back—you need clarity about where to focus your development energy for maximum impact.

And frankly? Most people aren't ready for this kind of feedback. But you are.

What you'll discover:

Your results will place you in one of three categories—Strong, Moderate, or Developing EQ—and you'll get specific insights about:

·       The leadership behaviors that are working for you (and why)

·       The blind spots that are costing you credibility, influence, or team performance

·       The exact areas where small shifts could create disproportionate impact

This isn't a 45-minute assessment that requires a PhD to interpret. It takes about 7 minutes and gives you results immediately.  Think about any situation that has challenged you with your people, where emotions may have been high or simply surprising, and use this context to explore what you recognize and feel.

Here's my challenge to you:

Once you’ve taken the assessment. Read your results. Then ask yourself: "Do I recognize myself in this?"

If the answer is yes—even uncomfortably so—you've just gained something most leaders never get: A clear starting point for meaningful change.

Take the Leadership Strength Scorecard

And if you know another leader who needs this kind of honest feedback (we all do), send them this link after you take it. Sometimes the most valuable thing we can offer each other is permission to see what we've been avoiding.

To your continued growth,

Carole

P.S. — After you get your results, I always offer a complimentary 30-minute debrief strategy call to help you interpret what you're seeing and identify your next-level growth opportunity. Grab it when you see it offered in your results email.

P.P.S. - Don’t rush to take the assessment again just to see if you answer differently.  It doesn’t work that way.  Wait 4-5 weeks, pick a specific situation that has challenged you in the past, and then answer again using that situation as context.  This may help you pinpoint a gap you haven’t considered before, and that’s where the true money growth lives.

Frequenly Asked Questions:

What is a leadership EQ assessment and how is it different from traditional leadership assessments?

A leadership EQ assessment measures how effectively you manage yourself and navigate other people in real-world leadership situations. Traditional leadership assessments often focus on personality traits or strengths that make you feel affirmed. A leadership emotional intelligence assessment, like the Leadership Strength Scorecard, measures the specific gap between how you believe you’re leading and how others likely experience you. It’s not about validation. It’s about visibility. And visibility is what creates change.

How does emotional intelligence impact leadership effectiveness and team performance?

Emotional intelligence is the operating system of leadership effectiveness. You can have a sharp strategy and a clear vision, but if you misread the room, react defensively under pressure, or ignore organizational undercurrents, performance suffers. High leadership EQ improves trust, reduces unnecessary friction, and keeps top performers engaged. Low EQ quietly erodes credibility, slows decision-making, and makes change feel harder than it should be. Emotional intelligence doesn’t just influence results, it multiplies or diminishes them.

What are the three core dimensions of emotional intelligence in leadership?

The three core dimensions of emotional intelligence in leadership are Self-Awareness, Social Awareness, and Organizational Awareness.

Self-Awareness is your ability to recognize your emotional patterns before they derail you.

Social Awareness is your ability to accurately read what others are feeling, even when they’re not saying it directly.

Organizational Awareness is your ability to see power dynamics, politics, and cultural undercurrents before they become visible problems.

When one of these is underdeveloped, leadership effectiveness drops. When all three are strong, influence expands.

How can a leadership assessment reveal blind spots that are costing you credibility or influence?

A strong leadership assessment doesn’t just tell you what you’re good at. It highlights where your behavior may unintentionally undermine your impact. Blind spots often show up as subtle patterns, interrupting more than you realize, avoiding difficult conversations, misjudging team morale, over-relying on logic when emotion is driving the room. These small gaps quietly cost credibility and influence over time. When you can see the pattern clearly, you can adjust it deliberately. That’s where growth begins.

Why do most leadership assessments fail to create real behavioral change?

Most leadership assessments fail because they stop at insight without creating tension. They affirm strengths, offer polite suggestions, and leave you comfortable. But comfort rarely drives behavioral change. Real change requires seeing the measurable cost of your blind spots and understanding exactly where to focus your development energy. Without clarity and specificity, insight becomes interesting, but not transformative. Leadership development only works when it challenges you enough to act.

How long does a leadership EQ assessment take, and when will I receive my results?

The Leadership Strength Scorecard takes about seven minutes to complete. It’s designed to be focused, practical, and immediately actionable. You’ll receive your results right away, including your EQ category; Strong, Moderate, or Developing and specific insight into what’s working and where small shifts could create disproportionate impact. No waiting. No complex reports. Just clarity you can use immediately.

How often should you retake a leadership assessment to measure growth accurately?

Leadership growth doesn’t happen overnight, and retaking an assessment too quickly won’t give you meaningful data. Give yourself four to five weeks. Apply what you’ve learned in a specific, emotionally charged leadership situation. Then retake the assessment using that real scenario as your context. That’s how you measure actual behavioral shift, not just intention. Growth is visible when your responses change because your patterns have changed.

Who should take a leadership emotional intelligence assessment?

Any leader responsible for people, performance, or culture can benefit from a leadership emotional intelligence assessment. That includes executives, founders, senior managers, and emerging leaders preparing for greater responsibility. If you’ve ever wondered why change feels harder than it should, why top talent disengages quietly, or why certain conversations drain you more than they should, that’s your signal. Leaders who are serious about increasing their effectiveness take assessments that tell them what they need to hear, not just what they want to hear.