LEADERSHIP ASSESSMENT
A gap in the leadership development model described earlier was lack of a rigorous assessment process. Subjective views of people were used to make developmental and succession decisions. Southern Company supplemented internal views with data from assessments done by an external industrial psychology firm. In partnership with this firm, changes were made to increase rigor and alignment. The new process, used for executives and high-potential leaders, measures an individual against the nine core leadership competencies listed above. The process takes half a day and consists of a battery of psychological-related tests, a simulation exercise, and a structured interview. Participants receive ratings on the nine leadership ...