Evaluating a candidate for a senior-level position is a daunting task. Indeed judging different individuals on such a multifaceted and nuanced capability as leadership is, at best, an imperfect process. That said; we have found that the best way to assess a person’s capacity to lead is through a group evaluation that includes the individual’s manager and people senior to him who have worked with him directly. The leader of the discussion probes the candidate’s characteristics and behavior by asking the group a set of questions covering a wide range of criteria. The following represents just a small sample of questions one might ask of a particular candidate.

Describe the candidate’s (he/she) integrity:

• Have you ever known him to shade, color, or withhold information? If so, what were the circumstances?
• Does he give credit to others when appropriate?
• Does he stand firm in his opinions, or does he move with the wind of politics?
• Describe how the candidate communicates information and expectations:
• How persuasive is he in getting his ideas accepted?
• Does he command the respect and attention of senior executives?
• Does he tailor his message to the needs of his audience?
• Is he intellectually aggressive without offending?

Describe how the candidate reasons and analyzes issues:

• How well and how quickly can he assemble and integrate information?
• Is he logical, and how does he demonstrate sound judgment?
• When confronted with an ambiguous or complex situation, does he procrastinate? Or does he make decisions too quickly?
• How well does he anticipate trends and translate them into organization’s long-term objectives?
• Describe how the candidate runs his immediate work team:
• Has he demonstrated the ability to assemble a good team?
• Is he threatened by people who are more experienced, smarter, or better technically?
• How well does he work with people who have different styles and skills?
• Does he always surround himself with strong people who will be candid and tell him what he needs to know instead of what he wants to hear?
• How does he motivate others to accomplish things independently of him?
• Does he delegate authority and responsibility or just tasks?
• Is he sometimes needlessly interested in certain activities? Or does he perhaps have a tendency to relinquish too much authority to others?