Korn Ferry - Stefano Pazzaglia's ProSpective Assessment 2012

ProSpective Assessment

Stefano Pazzaglia's Assessment Results

These are your Top 5 Leadership Characteristics:
Getting Organized
You are steady and calm in situations that others find overwhelming. When you are faced with
ever-increasing demands, when you are under pressure to keep up the pace, you approach
your work with focused attention and careful planning. You manage your time well. You have
the ability to call upon the appropriate resources at a moment’s notice in order to advance the
project or deliverable. You are constantly monitoring, thinking ahead, and making timely
adjustments in order to avoid obstacles and keep things moving on track.

Focusing on the Bottom Line
You are achievement oriented. You are eager to take action and see results. Even when you
encounter obstacles, your energy and perseverance keep you going. You are motivated and
optimistic. At your best, you ensure that your actions are focused rather than letting
momentum take over. You attribute much of your strong performance to your sense of
urgency, drive, and resilience.

Inspiring Others
You have a compelling vision, and you are able to paint a picture of the future that ignites
enthusiasm. You are able to translate your vision in a way that others begin to share the
vision. You help individuals see how they fit into the bigger picture, and this leads to better
engagement and stronger performance. You infuse others with a sense of optimism and
possibility. You build effective teams and rally team members around a common purpose and
get everyone working toward a common set of goals.

Dealing with Trouble
You are willing to stick your neck out. You have the courage to challenge the status quo and

Korn/Ferry’s ProSpective Assessment is an online assessment tool created by Korn/Ferry International to assist LinkedIn users with their career
development. Leadership characteristics are based on research by Lominger International, a Korn/Ferry company. linkedin.kornferry.com

Copyright © 2011 Lominger International, a Korn/Ferry company. All Rights Reserved. Page 1 of 12


Dealing with Trouble: Top 5 Characteristics (Cont'd)

bring up ideas that may make others uncomfortable. People count on you to stand up, speak
your mind respectfully, and not let others off the hook. It’s something they admire about you
because they know it’s not easy to do. With you, people know where they stand. You do not
hesitate to confront problem performers, deal with conflict, or deliver negative feedback. Your
approach is productive, not threatening. And you are able to keep your own personal feelings
in check. Challenge, conflict, and hardship do not deter you from leading. In fact, you are
energized by tough challenges.

Creating the New and Different
You are able to envision a future that no one else sees and invent things that haven’t been
imagined. You focus a lot of your time on gathering information and asking good questions.
Because you value all points of view and look broadly for information, you are able to make
connections across many fields and use analogies that help you think differently about a
problem. During brainstorming, you value the outlandish and the absurd—which can spark
new thinking. You don’t judge. You don’t hem people in. You believe that many people with
different ways of looking at the world will always outperform any one individual’s ideas. You
are not afraid of failure. Fail early, fail often is almost a mantra for you. You expect a result that
will wow clients and strive to make it a reality.





Potential Blind Spots
Blind spots are characteristics that you overestimate. You are likely to see yourself as stronger in these skills than
others see you. A self assessment can give you insight on potential areas for self improvement, however, asking
others for their input by doing a network assessment will give you far greater insight on your blind spots. Here are
your potential blind spots and some ideas for next steps:

Demonstrating Personal Flexibility
Clearly, our world is in constant flux. And as the pace of change accelerates on all of us,
organizations have become keenly aware of their need for people who can tuck and roll and
keep their balance in a context of continuous change.
• Keep learning – Getting better and better at something you’re already good at does not
grow you as fast as pushing past your comfort zone and entering unfamiliar terrain. Seek
out classes, opportunities to cross-team, or even lateral moves that will allow you to
exercise new muscles and break up your routine.
• Start again, and again – Resilience used to be a term used mostly in psychology and
sports, but it’s creeping into the business lexicon. It refers to one’s ability to bounce back
from setbacks, losses, or simple failure. Your grace in the face of such challenges and your
ability to get back on the horse will communicate your resilience.
• Think solutions – Where there’s a problem, there’s always a solution (or at least a brave
attempt at one). Identifying problems is an important part of any job, but looking deep into
the heart of a problem and coming up with a recommended course of action is what
separates the truly nimble from the rest of us.

Communicating Effectively
When everyone around you is bombarded with information, how do you get your message
across? Start by calling to mind those people who get your attention. Chances are they’re




Communicating Effectively: Blind Spots (Cont'd)

skilled communicators. It is also likely that they draw from these essential strategies:
• Keep it simple – Pulling the salient points from a jumble of information, using an analogy
to bring to life a complex issue, or using images and stories to illustrate a point are all
examples of simplifying to increase the impact of a message. Brevity is much more difficult
than long explanations, and much more powerful.
• Take care – Technology has given us a million ways to communicate and even more ways
to goof up communication. Respect the medium you’re using and use good sense when
deciding what you write down and where. Pay attention to etiquette, be mindful of your
audience, and know when it’s time to communicate in person.
• Listening is communication – Quieting the thoughts in your head, turning away from the
handheld, and giving your full attention to another person is a very powerful way of
communicating respect, conscientiousness, and interest. People who say less and listen
more are actually very skilled communicators and are able to command the attention of
others when they do speak.





Potential Hidden Strengths
Hidden strengths are characteristics that you underestimate. You are likely to see yourself as weaker in these
skills than others see you. A self assessment can give you insight on potential areas for self improvement,
however, asking others for their input by doing a network assessment will give you far greater insight on your
hidden strengths. Here are your potential hidden strengths:

This assessment did not generate any hidden strengths for you.





Problem Areas
Problem areas can be hard to talk about. However, we want to arm you with as much information as possible
about the roots of success as well as known causes of derailment. Through studying the career trajectories of
thousands of individual contributors, managers, and executives, we’ve identified the five most common barriers
to career success. If you suspect one or more of these areas is a problem for you, the section below will provide
initial steps toward improvement.

Doesn't Relate Well to Others
Everyone knows someone who has enjoyed unbridled career success, despite their less-than-
winning interpersonal skills. Those exceptional people are out there, but they are exceptions
indeed. Far more often than not, people who lack openness, flexibility, graciousness, and
social sensitivity tend not to advance as quickly in their careers as people who do possess
those skills. If you find yourself cutting people off in mid-sentence, reacting defensively when
your ideas are challenged, pulling rank instead of negotiating, or losing patience with people
who differ from you, there’s a good chance that you’re not relating to others as effectively as
you could be. Improving in this area will be essential to your success, and not doing so is likely
to slow or stall your career progress.
• Open up to feedback – Negative feedback, upsetting as it may be, is also incredibly
valuable information. And the person who gave you that honest feedback has done you a
favor. Practice active listening, thanking the source for his or her thoughts, and
summarizing what you heard. This will increase the likelihood that that person will come to
you with similar concerns in the future.
• Demonstrate humility – Ironically, as people become more self-assured, they also tend to
let go of their need to be “right” and allow for more healthy debate and flexibility in their
thinking. If you catch yourself digging in your heels or shutting down people who disagree




Doesn't Relate Well to Others: Problem Areas (Cont'd)

with you, challenge yourself to slow down, take a breath, and really consider other ways of
looking at the issue.
• Foster collegiality – The people who work with you may not be your friends, and you may
not even like them very much. But they most certainly are your colleagues, and because
they also serve your organization, you have a very important goal in common. Try to foster
professional respect for your colleagues, even if true admiration or friendship is unlikely.

Self-Centered
Who can argue with ambitiousness and self-esteem? No one. You have to believe in yourself
and promote yourself to get ahead in this world. But in the absence of real self-awareness,
your efforts at self-promotion could be backfiring on you. Bringing self-awareness into the mix
means paying close attention to your strengths and your weaknesses, opening yourself up to
lessons and insights from others, and sharing wins with everyone who contributed along the
way. A little humility can help you tone down the potential negative effects of healthy self-
confidence. Letting go of your need to impress others will have the paradoxical effect of
increasing your overall likability. Holding on to a self-centered approach with others can tax
your relationships and ultimately slow or stall your career progress.
• Trace the source of your success – It’s easy, in the wake of a big success, to recall the
ingenious contributions you brought to the table. But the simple reality is that practically
nothing gets accomplished in a vacuum. Think back on all the doors that were opened,
thoughts shared, and even extra grunt work done that helped push that ball toward the
goal. Then hand out the thank-yous.
• Work on your brand – Who are you to the people around you? Who are you in your
organization? You might be charismatic and bright and talented and assertive, but unless
you have the real support of others, your personal brand may be suffering. Try adding
“good listener, facilitator, collaborator, and encourager” to your repertoire.




Self-Centered: Problem Areas (Cont'd)

• Team build – Teams form around a sense of shared vision, effort, risk, and reward. People
connect to efforts they feel personally invested and involved in. When someone on the
team is overdriving or dominating the effort, the fabric of the team begins to fray. Hang
back, draw people out, and let the synergy begin.

Doesn't Inspire or Build Talent
One of the toughest career transitions you’ll ever face is making the switch from individual
contributor to leader. When you’re used to relying entirely on yourself, it can be a shock to find
yourself at the mercy of a team. Anyone in a new leadership role struggles with how to
relinquish control, trust others, inspire people to bring their best, build a sense of team
cohesion, identify individual strengths, and grow leadership capabilities in others. If you
struggle in these areas, welcome to the club. But if you want to be a leader, it’s essential that
you learn how to inspire and grow the people on your team by providing the right balance of
direction, coaching, and support. You will see improvements in this area as you begin to give
up some control and depend upon others. Not doing so will likely slow or stall your career
progress.
• Be a leader – Contrary to what many people believe, emerging as a leader is not about
dominating, outshining, and beating others to the punch. Great leaders are people who
know how to elicit outstanding work from their team and help develop leadership
capabilities in others. Great leaders listen closely to their team, cue into individual
strengths, and step aside so others can practice taking the lead.
• Keep it safe – Healthy debate is part of any strong team, but triangulation, favoritism,
trash-talking, or sabotage is not. If you’re leading a team, you’re also helping to set the
tone for what’s acceptable. Allowing for bad behavior makes the team unsafe and
unhealthy. It’s all right to be the downer sometimes, set limits, and referee so that people
can relax and connect and do their best work.




Doesn't Inspire or Build Talent: Problem Areas (Cont'd)

• Delegate to develop – Delegation is not only about leveraging your team and increasing
efficiency, it’s also about developing the members of your team. Bringing them closer to
tough decision making, complex problem solving, and personal investment means you’re
not overburdened, and they’re stretching and growing on the job.





Korn/Ferry Insights
Here’s how you compare to others:

Getting Organized
Getting Organized is important at all leadership levels, particularly at the individual contributor
and manager levels where it is highly correlated with strong performance. Most people are
moderately skilled at Getting Organized, and for those who need to improve, it is easier to
develop than most leadership skills. Planning, marshalling resources, and multi-tasking are
key, especially for leaders who are charged with efficient execution.

Focusing on the Bottom Line
Focusing on the Bottom Line is critically important. It is highly correlated with performance and
promotion at the individual contributor and manager levels. Most people tend to be good at
this, partially because organizations clearly communicate their desire for people who get
results, and it’s easy to identify and measure this skill in others. Focusing on the Bottom Line
is a non-negotiable for anyone who wants to succeed at work.

Inspiring Others
Inspiring Others is very important at the manager and executive levels. It is highly correlated
with strong performance at the executive level. However, very few people are skilled in this
area. One of the reasons few people have this skill is that it’s difficult to learn. Rallying people
around a common vision and motivating them to embrace change and give their best will
differentiate you and your organization. Begin honing your ability to inspire others at the
manager level because it can be a critical asset for you as you move up the leadership ladder.

Dealing with Trouble




Dealing with Trouble: Korn/Ferry Insights (Cont'd)

Dealing with Trouble is highly correlated with strong performance at the manager level.
Dealing with Trouble is a rare skill among individual contributors but is more common at the
manager and executive levels. It takes courage to handle conflict, deliver tough feedback, and
stick your neck out for an unpopular idea. These are the things that make Dealing with Trouble
harder to develop. It is a good idea to begin to develop this skill as early as possible in your
career so that by the time you lead and manage others, you are prepared to handle tough,
controversial situations.

Creating the New and Different
Creating the New and Different is correlated with strong performance at the manager and
executive levels. Most people’s skill level in Creating the New and Different is low, and it is
harder to develop than most leadership skills. For these reasons, it is a good idea to focus on
developing this skill as early as possible in your career. Your ability to generate breakthroughs
will be noticed, appreciated, and sought after because it is the source of competitive
advantage that companies seek.

Demonstrating Personal Flexibility
Demonstrating Personal Flexibility is a very low skill for most people. It is also harder for
people to develop because it involves the willingness to respond to feedback and to change.
Change can be hard for people, and personal change can be even more challenging. People
often overestimate their ability in this area; it is a common blind spot across all levels of
leadership. Enhancing your ability to adjust, adapt, and flex in response to feedback or
changing conditions will make you a resilient and nimble leader.

Communicating Effectively
Communicating Effectively is particularly important at the individual contributor level. The
number of people who are good communicators tends to be lower at the individual contributor




Communicating Effectively: Korn/Ferry Insights (Cont'd)

level but steadily increases among managers and executives. With a little effort, this skill is not
hard to develop. The ability to tailor your delivery and clearly articulate your points will build
credibility for both you and your message.

Doesn't Relate Well to Others
Doesn’t Relate Well to Others is a staller that can slow your career progress. Doesn’t Relate
Well to Others is somewhat likely to be a problem across all levels of leadership; however, it is
somewhat more common at the executive level. While it is less harmful than other stallers, it is
a factor that can lead to flame-out at the manager and executive levels. Many leaders
underestimate this problem to some degree. Defensiveness, inflexibility, being too private or
self-reliant can derail your career or cause it to prematurely plateau.

Self-Centered
Self-Centered is a staller that can slow your career progress. Compared to other stallers, it is
less likely to be a problem for most people. It is somewhat harmful to success, and it is a
known derailer, particularly at the manager level. Being too ambitious, arrogant, or
untrustworthy will be perceived negatively and can derail your career or cause it to
prematurely plateau.

Doesn't Inspire or Build Talent
Doesn’t Inspire or Build Talent is a staller that can slow your career progress. Compared to
other stallers, Doesn’t Inspire or Build Talent is the most likely to be a problem, and it is more
harmful to success. Many leaders underestimate this problem to some degree. This area is a
known derailer, especially at the manager and executive levels. The inability to select,
develop, and empower talent will choke your ability to get results and lead a healthy,
productive team.



Korn Ferry - Stefano Pazzaglia's ProSpective Assessment 2012

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