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    Interactive assessment

    Career Strengths Audit

    A 24-question audit mapping your professional strengths across six career-critical clusters: strategic thinking, influencing, delivery, people, learning, and leadership.

    Research consistently shows that people who use their strengths daily are significantly more engaged at work, yet most professionals have never taken a structured look at where their genuine strengths sit. Leadership competency research identifies six clusters that predict career advancement and performance: strategic thinking, influencing, delivery, people capability, learning agility, and leadership courage. This audit maps your profile across all six so you can make informed decisions about where to invest your development and where to position yourself for greatest impact.

    Questions or items
    24 questions or items
    Completion time
    Around 12 minutes
    Dimensions
    Strategic Thinking, Influencing & Communication, Delivery & Execution, People & Relationships, Learning & Adaptability, Leadership & Courage
    What you receive
    Personalised results with result bands, section scores and development guidance.

    What it covers

    • Strategic Thinking
    • Influencing & Communication
    • Delivery & Execution
    • People & Relationships
    • Learning & Adaptability
    • Leadership & Courage

    For each statement, rate how accurately it describes you from 1 (not at all like me) to 5 (very much like me). Rate yourself on how you actually perform, not how you aspire to perform.

    Results: Personalised results with result bands, section scores and development guidance.

    How this interactive diagnostic works

    Read what it covers here first. Nothing is saved or sent until you continue. Your result is calculated once every required item is answered.

    If it asks for your first name and work email, you enter them in the diagnostic itself. This page sends nothing.

    Statements in this diagnostic

    Statements are grouped by section. Answer each one for the situation named in the instructions, using the scale shown.

    Strategic Thinking

    Your ability to think beyond the immediate and connect your work to the bigger picture. Strategic thinkers see patterns, anticipate consequences, and understand context in ways that make their contributions disproportionately valuable.

    1. I regularly think about the bigger picture beyond my immediate tasks or team
    2. I can connect what I am working on to broader organisational goals and context
    3. I spot patterns and trends in information that others often miss
    4. I am comfortable thinking several steps ahead and anticipating future challenges

    Influencing & Communication

    Your ability to communicate clearly, adapt your style, and move people without relying on authority. At every career level above entry, influencing is what separates those who get things done from those who know what should be done.

    1. I can communicate complex ideas clearly and compellingly to different audiences
    2. I am effective at persuading and influencing people, even without formal authority
    3. I adapt my communication style depending on who I am talking to
    4. I can hold difficult conversations and address conflict or challenge with confidence

    Delivery & Execution

    Your track record of following through, managing complexity, and taking accountability for outcomes. Delivery is the foundation of professional credibility, without it, all other strengths are undermined.

    1. I consistently deliver what I commit to, on time and to a high standard
    2. I am good at prioritising effectively and focusing on what matters most
    3. I manage complexity and competing demands without losing quality or pace
    4. I take responsibility for outcomes, not just activity, and hold myself accountable

    People & Relationships

    Your ability to build genuine trust, understand others, and contribute positively to team and organisational culture. The quality of your relationships is one of the most reliable predictors of career success and satisfaction.

    1. I build genuine, trusting relationships across different levels and functions
    2. People come to me for support, advice, or perspective when they are navigating challenges
    3. I understand what motivates different people and adapt my approach accordingly
    4. I contribute positively to the culture and relationships in the teams I work in

    Learning & Adaptability

    Your capacity to seek feedback, adapt to change, and continue growing. In a rapidly changing environment, the ability to learn faster than the pace of change is itself a competitive advantage.

    1. I actively seek feedback and use it to improve, even when it is uncomfortable
    2. I adapt well to change and find ways to thrive in uncertain or ambiguous situations
    3. I invest consistently in my own development and take learning seriously
    4. I can let go of what has worked before and adopt new approaches when the situation demands it

    Leadership & Courage

    Your willingness to step up, challenge the status quo, and create conditions for others to do their best work. Leadership courage is relevant at every career level, not just for those with formal responsibility.

    1. I step up and take responsibility in difficult situations, even when it is uncomfortable
    2. I am willing to challenge the status quo and advocate for change when it matters
    3. I create conditions where others can do their best work
    4. I am comfortable making decisions with incomplete information and committing to a direction

    How the result is read

    Your answers are totalled for each section and overall. Each total falls into one of the bands below.

    • Broad Strengths Profile, 96 to 120: You have well-developed capability across most or all of the six areas. This breadth is genuinely unusual and gives you significant versatility. Your section scores will show where your strongest base lies, this is where you will create most value if you deliberately lean into it. At this score, the development question is usually about depth and application rather than building new capability from scratch.
    • Solid Base, 72 to 95: You have strong capability in most areas with identifiable development edges. Look at your two highest-scoring sections, these are your primary strengths to build your career and personal brand around. Look at your two lowest-scoring sections, these are your development edges. At this score, it is usually more valuable to double down on your highest sections than to try to improve equally across all six.
    • Distinct Strengths, 48 to 71: You have clear strengths in some areas and meaningful gaps in others. This is a normal and workable profile, particularly earlier in a career. Your highest two sections are your current competitive advantage. Your lowest two sections are important development areas. The question is not 'how do I improve everywhere?' but 'which gaps are most likely to limit my progression in the direction I want to go?'
    • Developing, 24 to 47: Your strengths are still developing, or you are significantly under-rating yourself in several areas. If you are in the early stages of your career, this profile is entirely expected, you are building. If you are more experienced, consider whether you are rating yourself accurately: many people underestimate themselves on strengths they use naturally. Review your highest-scoring section, this is your starting point for career positioning.

    Sources named in this diagnostic

    • Buckingham, M. and Clifton, D.O. (2001) Now, Discover Your Strengths. New York: Free Press.
    • Korn Ferry (2015) FYI: For Your Improvement: Competencies Development Guide, 6th edn. Los Angeles: Korn Ferry.
    • Lombardo, M.M. and Eichinger, R.W. (2000) 'High potentials as high learners', Human Resource Management, 39(4), pp. 321-329.
    • Peterson, C. and Seligman, M.E.P. (2004) Character Strengths and Virtues. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Where to take the next step

    Explore coaching support for leadership reflection, challenge and sustained performance.

    Explore Executive Coaching

    Frequently asked questions

    What does the Career Strengths Audit measure?

    Research consistently shows that people who use their strengths daily are significantly more engaged at work, yet most professionals have never taken a structured look at where their genuine strengths sit. Leadership competency research identifies six clusters that predict career advancement and performance: strategic thinking, influencing, delivery, people capability, learning agility, and leadership courage. This audit maps your profile across all six so you can make informed decisions about where to invest your development and where to position yourself for greatest impact.

    How many questions are in the Career Strengths Audit?

    It contains 24 questions grouped into 6 dimensions: Strategic Thinking, Influencing & Communication, Delivery & Execution, People & Relationships, Learning & Adaptability, Leadership & Courage.

    How is the Career Strengths Audit scored?

    Responses are totalled within each section and across the diagnostic, and each total falls into a result band.

    What happens after I complete the Career Strengths Audit?

    Once the required items are answered, you enter your first name and email to see your results: an overall interpretation, section scores and development guidance.

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