A Capacity Building Solutions Tool

The leadership your people actually experience, not the one you intend.

A self-assessment for small business owners and managers, drawn from almost three decades of coaching CEOs.

The strength of a small business almost always reflects the strength of its leadership. Leaders set the tone, shape the culture, and determine whether teams feel empowered or disengaged. Yet even well-intentioned leaders fall into blind spots—micromanaging, avoiding tough conversations, prioritizing short-term wins over long-term trust. Left unchecked, these habits quietly erode performance and morale.

This tool helps you step back and take an honest look at your own leadership. Through self-assessment statements, a red flag checklist, reflection questions, and an action-planning framework, it surfaces both strengths and destructive tendencies. It’s not about judgment—it’s about clarity.

Purpose: To help small business owners reflect honestly on their leadership behavior, identify early signs of toxic leadership, and take actionable steps toward ethical, effective, and empowering management.

What’s involved

Part 1 — Self-Assessment: 16 statements rated 1–5, scored out of 80.
Part 2 — Red Flag Checklist: 7 yes/no questions. A single “Yes” is a trigger for further examination.
Part 3 — Reflection Questions: 10 written prompts—optional, but this is where the real insight happens.
Part 4 — Action Planning: Turn what you found into concrete next steps.

About 10–15 minutes. Your written answers stay in your browser and are never transmitted. At the end you’ll get your scores plus a full report you can save as a PDF—and the option, if you want it, to have your score summary emailed to Ed.

Part 1 of 4

Self-Assessment of Leadership Behaviors

Rate each statement from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree). Answer as you actually lead today—not as you intend to.

Please answer all 16 statements to get an accurate score.

Part 2 of 4

Toxic Leadership Red Flag Checklist

Answer Yes or No to each. A single “Yes” is a trigger for further examination—this section isn’t scored, it’s a mirror.

Please answer every red flag question before continuing.

Part 3 of 4

Reflection Questions

These prompts deepen your insight. Write your answers for full impact—they’ll be included in your report. Every field is optional.

Part 4 of 4

Action Planning Framework

Identify concrete leadership behaviors to improve. Be specific—“listen better” is a wish; “ask two follow-up questions before responding in every one-on-one” is a behavior.

Area to Improve	Specific Behavior	First Action Step	Deadline

Fill in at least one—or leave it blank and use the printed report as a worksheet.

Your Results

Part 1 — Leadership Behavior Score

0 / 80

72–80Exemplary Leader — Continue leading by example and mentoring others.
60–71Effective with Areas to Improve — Review weaker areas and focus on one improvement.
45–59Warning Zone — Reassess priorities and address blind spots with urgency.
Under 45Toxic Traits Present — Immediate corrective action required; consider coaching or outside evaluation.

Where You Stand by Category

Each category is scored out of 20 using the Stoplight Review Framework. 16–20 reinforce 11–15 adjust 10 or below correct now

Part 2 — Red Flag Checklist

Part 3 — Your Reflections

Your written answers, captured for your records.

Part 4 — Your Action Plan

Warning Signs of Destructive Leadership

If any of the following persist in your behavior, act immediately:

Justifying unethical decisions “for the greater good.”
Blaming others consistently for your team’s failures.
Ignoring employee complaints or assuming they’re “just whining.”
Treating business relationships purely as transactions, not partnerships.
Creating loyalty by fear or favoritism instead of mutual respect.

Bonus Tools & Concepts

Tools referenced or inspired by these materials:

Leadership 360 Reviews: Gather feedback from employees, peers, and even clients to uncover blind spots.
Leadership Ethics Council: Assemble a small peer board to review ethical and strategic decisions.
Morning Mindset Reset: Start each day reflecting on: “What will make me a better leader one year from today?”

Stoplight Review Framework

GreenHealthy behavior—reinforce it.

YellowNeeds attention or adjustment.

RedRequires immediate correction.

“Leadership is about power—and power, unchecked, can easily corrupt. We must shift from blind admiration to disciplined discernment, from applause to accountability.” Barbara Kellerman

Closing Thought

The health of your business, your people, and your reputation depends not just on your strategy—but on the character and consistency of your leadership. Use this tool as a mirror and a guidepost. Be courageous. Be humble. And above all, lead well.