Leadership assessments | Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy

Leadership assessments

Celeste Watkins-Hayes and two Ford School students in conversation, outdoors in Weill Hall Courtyard, during the Ford School Fall Launch in 2021

Are you looking for a starting place in your leadership journey? Ford School students can take a variety of leadership assessments as part of courses or co-curricular activities at no cost to them. Assessments provide snapshots of skills, talents, styles, and competencies to help students set developmental goals and increase self-awareness.

Read on about how different assessments we offer give students multiple vantage points to better understand how they might approach leading themselves and others. Current students, please contact us if you have questions about accessing leadership assessments or reviewing results.

Six Domains of Leadership survey

Chart of six domains of leadership

Used in PubPol 590, 582, and 475.004

The Six Domains of Leadership model serves as the framework for exploring effective leadership. The SDLS is an approach that views leadership as six interrelated areas of action, each with its own effect on those being led. Students complete a 360-degree assessment to gain insight into how others perceive their leadership behaviors and competencies. Leadership coaching is available to students to further review and reflect on their results.

CliftonStrengths

Clifton Strengths logo

Used in PubPol 475.004, 578 and extracurricular programming.

Rooted in strengths-based psychology, the CliftonStrengths assessment measures and categorizes naturally recurring patterns of thoughts and behaviors into 34 themes. Students can use their results to explore how they leverage their talents to build relationships, execute tasks, think strategically, and influence others. This assessment has been used as a leadership development tool in Ford School courses, leadership coaching, pre-orientation activities, and other workshops. Knowing your strengths and those of your project teams can help you accomplish work and manage roadblocks.

DiSC

DISC assessment

Used at Returning Student Orientation

Primarily focused on communication styles and preferences, the DiSC assessment helps students understand themselves and provides tools to manage conflict and effectively work on teams. The assessment measures where students fit across four personality profiles: (D)ominance, (i)nfluence, (S)teadiness and (C)onscientiousness. DiSC is offered in the MPA professional seminar.

The Leadership Practices Inventory

Leadership Practices Inventory logo

Used in Leadership Coaching and BA curriculum.

The Leadership Practices Inventory helps individuals—with input from selected observers—assess their leadership competencies as measured by The Five Practices. The 360-degree assessment measures how frequently students engage in "exemplary leadership behaviors" and provides insights to build positive relationships.

"The DiSC activity helped me learn better ways to communicate with my peers who may approach projects and goals differently from me."
-Dominique Baeta, MPP ‘24

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