Alva’s Leadership Report
Alva’s leadership report is a second report option on top of our five-factor personality test - i.e., it is based on the same test results as our regular personality report. In the leadership report, we apply a leadership lens to the five-factor results and turn to research to try and paint a nuanced picture of how a certain personality is likely to act in a leadership role.
The purpose of the leadership report is to provide rich insights for both late-stage selection of leaders, and for leadership development. In other words, the report is meant to be equally useful when comparing final candidates to a leadership position and in a leadership program where participants are to develop their self-awareness.
It is important to note that personality is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to leadership. Many of the aspects described in the report can be trained over time. What a personality-based report can contribute to is an understanding of what my natural tendencies likely are as a leader: Which behaviors I automatically tend to engage in, and which ones do not come as easily. That does not in any way mean that these behavior patterns cannot be changed. On the contrary, Alva’s leadership report is meant to provide a foundation for further development as a leader.
Alva’s Leadership Framework
The results in the report are structured according to Alva’s leadership framework. The report focuses on qualities and behaviors that scientific research has shown to be important across leadership contexts. Looking at the literature, behaviors that define effective leadership fall in three broad categories:
Achieving results. Effective leaders are focused on reaching ambitious goals together with their team. They work relentlessly and show perseverance in the face of obstacles.
Influencing others. Successful leaders have a positive impact on other people. They make sure to nurture others’ motivations. They are also persuasive and make others want to follow. Successful leaders also leverage their network for resources.
Navigating uncertainty. Effective leaders are increasingly required to navigate in an uncertain and fast-changing world. This requires a bias for action, but also a strong inner compass: A foundation of values and self-awareness that guides you in difficult times.
These broad categories are then broken down into three more specific behavior areas each. For each area, there are certain personality traits that are known to correlate with successful behavior. So for each category, we take multiple personality traits into account when painting the picture of how a candidate is likely to behave.
The report indicates whether each area is likely to be a strength, challenge, or sufficient for the individual candidate. Then follows a deeper description of how the candidate is likely to act in the particular area, and how others are likely to perceive them.
Here you can find additional pointers on how to read the report.
Attached development plan template
The report comes with an attached template for a leadership development plan, meant to be used in e.g. one-to-one coaching sessions with leaders. Here, the leader gets to pick from their top strengths and challenges in the report and make a plan for how to work on them in a concrete and time-bound manner.