The Leader Navigator

An organization’s ability to thrive in today’s challenging times is largely determined by the quality and effectiveness of its leadership. We define effectiveness as both the skill of performing the behaviors necessary for successful job performance and how appropriately that skill is used when the situation calls for it. The Leader Navigator is based on Wilson Learning’s comprehensive Integrated Leadership Model that provides the information needed to not only assess a leader’s effectiveness but also provide the insights necessary to guide leadership development investments.

The Leader Navigator is a 360‐degree feedback instrument that enables you to apply Wilson Learning’s Integrated Leadership Model for practical use. This assessment is easily configured to include different competencies and behaviors that best describe your leadership environment.

The assessment will diagnose where your leaders stand in terms of their Leadership Competencies, based on how they are perceived by the people who know them best—their managers, direct reports, and peers.

Three preconfigured models are available that adapt the competencies from our full model to fit three leadership levels: First‐Level Leader, Mid‐Level Leader, and Strategic‐Level Leader.

Outcomes

The Leader Navigator, when used as a diagnostic feedback instrument, adds value for leaders by powerfully highlighting their leadership competency strengths, as well as identifying those competencies and behaviors they may need to further develop. The results will give leaders a better understanding of how those they interact with most view their leadership skills. Leaders can then use this knowledge to craft a development plan to improve their overall leadership effectiveness.

Approach

The Wilson Learning approach defines effectiveness as a combination of a leader’s skill at demonstrating the behaviors critical for successful performance and the leader’s ability to appropriately use those behaviors. Our multi‐rater survey asks raters to provide two simple ratings for each behavior—the degree to which the person has the necessary skill to perform the behavior (Skill) and the degree to which that person appropriately utilizes the skill when the situation calls for it (Use).

This enables us to provide separate evaluations for skill, use, and overall effectiveness for every behavior and competency included in the survey. Ratings can also be gathered for knowledge areas that are important for leadership success (such as financial acumen) and leadership characteristics (such as integrity).

Continuing Development

Leaders start to plan and prioritize their continuing development as part of the feedback process. Leaders receive specific recommendations for how they can most effectively develop their capabilities in the form of on‐the-job activities, books, and training courses.

Wilson Learning can support further development with appropriate leadership development programs for group needs or coaching to meet individual needs.

Organizational Reporting

Results are combined in one or more organizational reports to show the actual patterns of strengths and development needs within the population of leaders.

As part of our standard service, we present these results in a webcast briefing to senior leaders. Many organizations use this report as a needs analysis to target their development resources where they are most needed. Optionally, reports can be generated for various subgroups of the whole organization to get an accurate reading of the specific development needs of leaders within a department or division.

Wilson Learning has a very flexible capacity for instruments like The Leader Navigator, customizing and delivering more than 400,000 reports in less than one year.

To learn more about measuring the impact of learning, visit Measurement.