Assessment tools and scorecards
Search-led judgement. Psychologist-led evidence. Leadership evaluation needs more than one form of evidence.
Our consultants use structured scorecards to assess commercial judgement, CFO capability, character, potential and fit with the role context.
Where useful, our psychologists add selected diagnostics to test behavioural patterns, leadership style and risk.
The aim is not to label a leader. It is to give decision-makers clearer evidence before they commit.
Tools support judgement. Context turns evidence into a decision.
No scorecard or diagnostic makes the decision on its own.
Each tool is interpreted against the role, the business context and the leadership question being tested. We consider the evidence alongside interviews, career history, scenario responses, referencing and the commercial demands of the appointment.
That matters because the same result can mean different things in different contexts. Growth stage, capital structure, board expectations, stakeholder pressure and the decisions the leader will face all shape what the evidence means.
The question is not whether a leader scores well. The question is whether the evidence supports confidence in the appointment, succession decision or leadership judgement being made.
The output is practical: clearer strengths, named risks and a better view of whether the leader can perform at the next stage.
Philanthrope scorecards
Structured judgement for finance leadership decisions.
Our scorecards give structure to consultant judgement. They help compare leaders against the real demands of the role, not a generic leadership profile. They are used to assess whether a leader can make sound decisions, influence under pressure and support growth, capital, governance or transition.
CFO Five Pillars Scorecard
This scorecard tests whether a finance leader can operate across the full demands of the CFO role.
It looks beyond reporting and control to the judgement required to protect value, improve performance, influence decisions and support capital confidence.
It can assess:
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Custodian: protects assets, controls and cash
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Operator: runs finance with discipline and pace
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Leader: builds teams, trust and decision quality
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Driver: improves performance and resource use
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Financier: shapes funding, investors and capital
Strategic CFO Scorecard
This scorecard assesses whether a finance leader can operate as a strategic partner to the CEO, board and investors.
It is useful when the CFO must connect the value creation plan with financial reality, capital choices and execution capacity.
It can assess:
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Control: protects cash, controls, compliance and downside
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Foresight: sees round bends and prepares early
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Execution: turns plans into pace, discipline and results
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Team building: builds a strong, scalable finance bench
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Insight: explains performance, risks and what matters
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Judgement: makes sound calls in ambiguity and trade-offs
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Influence: shapes decisions through clear narrative
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Capital: understands funding, liquidity and headroom
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Boardroom: handles Chairs, boards and investors well
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Independence: forms fact-based views, free from bias
Leadership Character Scorecard
This scorecard tests how a leader is likely to behave when pressure increases.
It is useful when the role requires trust, objectivity, accountability and the ability to challenge without losing credibility.
It can assess:
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Industry: works hard, prepares well and respects detail
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Steadiness: remains reliable, calm and consistent over time
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Grace: uses authority with tact, care and restraint
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Courtesy: shows respect, especially in disagreement
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Humility: knows limits, seeks challenge and learns openly
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Impartiality: treats people fairly and avoids favouritism
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Objectivity: uses evidence well and revises views fairly
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Courage: raises hard truths and acts despite pressure
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Accountability: owns decisions, outcomes and mistakes clearly
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Judgement: makes sound calls with imperfect information
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Integrity: acts consistently, even when pressure is high
Potential Scorecard
This scorecard assesses whether a leader has the capacity to grow with the role.
It is useful when the decision involves succession, promotion, scale-up complexity or a stretch appointment.
It can assess:
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Curiosity: learns fast, seeks feedback and adapts to change
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Determination: stays focused, resilient and accountable
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Engagement: builds trust, aligns people and influences well
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Insight: sees patterns and judges well in complexity
Natural Athlete Scorecard
This scorecard tests the underlying traits that often help leaders keep improving as complexity rises.
It is useful when the role demands pace, learning agility, resilience and coachability.
It can assess:
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Curiosity: asks why, learns fast and seeks improvement
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Hunger: wants more, competes hard and keeps improving
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Energy: brings drive, intensity and resilience
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Logic: thinks clearly, learns patterns and makes sound calls
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Humility: stays coachable, grounded and team-first
Psychologist-led diagnostics
Additional evidence where the decision needs it.
Where useful, our psychologists add selected diagnostics to deepen the evidence base. These tools are not used in isolation. They are chosen for the role, interpreted by experienced psychologists and considered alongside commercial context, interviews, references and scenario evidence.
Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ)
The MLQ helps clarify how a leader motivates others, sets direction and creates accountability.
It is useful when the role requires influence across teams, investors or board stakeholders.
It can help identify:
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Transformational leadership: ability to mobilise others around shared goals
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Transactional leadership: ability to set structure, expectations and accountability
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Passive or avoidant leadership: risk of delay, deferral or disengagement from decisions
Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ)
The ALQ explores patterns linked to trust, credibility, self-awareness and consistency.
It helps assess whether a leader can stay steady under pressure, communicate with candour and weigh evidence before deciding.
It is useful when the role requires judgement that can hold up with boards, investors, teams and other stakeholders.
It can help identify:
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Self-awareness: understanding strengths, limits and impact
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Relational transparency: openness, candour and credibility
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Internalised perspective: consistency under pressure
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Balanced processing: ability to weigh evidence before deciding
CliftonStrengths
CliftonStrengths identifies dominant talent themes and how a leader is likely to create momentum at work.
It is useful for role fit, team composition and development planning.
It can help clarify:
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Strengths-based contribution: where the leader naturally creates value
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Operating style: how they approach work, relationships and execution
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Team dynamics: where complementary support may be needed
360-Degree Feedback
360 feedback gathers confidential input from peers, stakeholders and, where appropriate, direct reports.
It is useful when the decision depends on how the leader is experienced by others in practice.
It can help identify:
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Multi-source perspective: a broader view across stakeholders
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Leadership impact: how behaviour affects confidence and execution
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Development priorities: specific areas to support performance
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Context fit: alignment between role expectations and actual behaviour
Big Five Personality Traits
The Big Five provides a well-established framework for understanding behavioural tendencies across five dimensions.
It is useful when senior roles require resilience, learning agility, collaboration and steadiness under pressure.
It can help identify:
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Openness: learning agility and comfort with ambiguity
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Conscientiousness: reliability, discipline and follow-through
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Extraversion: energy, assertiveness and social influence
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Agreeableness: collaboration and trust-building
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Emotional stability: steadiness under pressure and stress response