How do leadership diagnostic tools support leadership development?
Future Institute of Australia uses a suite of internally developed leadership diagnostic tools, informed by recognised leadership and behavioural theories and models, to help participants build greater self-awareness and understand how their natural preferences and behaviours may influence the way they lead, communicate and interact with others.
Depending on the program, participants complete leadership online diagnostics tools (self-assessment) across the following areas:
Emotional Intelligence
Helps leaders reflect on their emotional intelligence and how it influences the way they lead, interact and build relationships. It explores self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management, encouraging leaders to recognise how their emotions and behaviours can affect others. The diagnostic tool helps leaders identify their strengths and areas for development to better manage their emotions, understand others and build effective workplace relationships.
Communication Styles
Helps leaders reflect on their preferred communication style and how this influences the way they interact with others. It explores how leaders typically communicate, listen, share information and respond to different communication approaches. The diagnostic tool encourages leaders to recognise their natural preferences and adapt their communication to different people and situations to improve understanding, engagement and working relationships.
Leadership Styles
Helps leaders reflect on their default leadership style and how their approach can influence the people they lead. It explores how leaders typically provide direction, support, make decisions and involve others. The diagnostic tool encourages leaders to recognise their natural leadership preferences and consider when they may need to adapt their approach to different people, situations and levels of capability.
Accountability Approach
Helps leaders reflect on how they create and support accountability within their team. It explores how leaders set expectations, clarify responsibilities, follow through on commitments, provide feedback and respond when agreed standards are not met. The diagnostic tool encourages leaders to consider how their everyday behaviours can strengthen ownership, responsibility and follow-through within their team.
Response to Change
Helps leaders reflect on their default response to change and how this can influence the way they lead others through uncertainty and transition. It explores how leaders typically react to new ideas, changing priorities and unfamiliar situations, and how their responses may affect the confidence and engagement of their team. The diagnostic tool encourages leaders to recognise their natural response to change and consider how they can adapt their approach, communicate effectively and better support others through change.
Response to Conflict
Helps leaders reflect on their default response to conflict and disagreement in the workplace. It explores how they typically respond when faced with differing opinions, competing priorities, tension or challenging situations, and how their approach can influence relationships and outcomes. The diagnostic tool encourages leaders to recognise their natural conflict preferences and consider when they may need to increase or decrease their assertiveness and/or cooperativeness to manage conflict constructively and achieve more effective outcomes.
Psychological Safety Leadership Behaviours
Helps leaders reflect on how their everyday behaviours contribute to psychological safety within their team. It explores how leaders communicate, listen, respond to concerns, encourage people to speak up, manage mistakes and differing perspectives, and support team members through challenges. The diagnostic tool encourages leaders to consider whether their behaviours create an environment where people feel safe to ask questions, raise concerns, contribute ideas, admit mistakes and seek support.
Learning Styles
Helps leaders reflect on their preferred approach to learning and developing new skills and knowledge. It explores how they typically engage with new information, experiences, reflection and practical application. The diagnostic tool encourages leaders to recognise their learning preferences while considering how other people may learn differently, helping them better support the development of individuals within their team.
