Leadership Versatility Index^®

U.S. Patent No. 7,121,830

The Leadership Versatility Index® (LVI) is a unique tool that brings clarity to the real complexities of leadership. Its powerful yet compact framework takes into account the many facets of a leader. Designed to pick up on strengths that, if taken too far, become weaknesses, it is the only 360 assessment tool that assesses leaders for balance and imbalance.

The LVI® measures versatility on two major pairs of opposing but complementary leadership dimensions:

• Forceful vs. enabling
• Strategic vs. operational

Each pair is a combination of opposites. To be good at both sides is to be versatile. Many leaders, however, are better at one side than the other. The Leadership Versatility score will give you a reading on the extent to which you are versatile - and effective. See the leadership model image.

Strengths overdone

We all know that one way leaders get themselves into trouble is by overdoing it—doing too much of a good thing; whether that be talking too much, pushing too hard, delegating too much authority, getting too caught up in the details, and so on. That’s how strengths become weaknesses.

Yet most 360 instruments do not directly measure overdoing. Their rating scales are only designed to pick up deficiencies. The LVI® scale captures both underdoing it and overdoing it, as well as the right amount for a given attribute. It captures the tensions and tradeoffs that make management a balancing act.

In addition to doing too much of one thing, leaders often do too little of the opposite thing; they are lopsided. For example, some drive hard for results but neglect the people side. Others have great strategic vision but struggle to make it operational. To identify lopsidedness, a two–sided thing, the leadership model must also be two–sided. Most aren’t. Ours is.

A summary of the LVI® results are captured in compact visual profile, making it easy to understand and use. See the leadership profile image.

As featured in

Harvard Business Review - Stop Overdoing Your Strengths, February 2009

MIT Sloan Management Review - Developing Versatile Leadership, July 2003
A panel of CEOs and Chairmen recognized the article for enhancing and advancing the practice of management.

See a snapshot of the innovative features, an example profile and what others say here.