60+ Self-Evaluation Leadership Examples to Inspire Current and Future Leaders

Leadership is a journey of continuous learning. And self-evaluations serve as the compass guiding that journey. They offer leaders the opportunity to reflect on their performance, understand their strengths, identify areas for improvement, and plan their personal growth.

In this article, we'll share over 60 self-evaluation examples designed to inspire those in leadership roles. These examples will cover various leadership aspects, from communication and decision-making to teamwork and coaching.

Self-evaluation leadership examples

Leadership in the workplace doesn't always have neat borders. While some leadership roles are clearly defined and evident to everyone, leaders can spring up unexpectedly from anywhere in an organization.

Companies that are slow to recognize natural leaders within their ranks are missing out on free talent that can be utilized and nurtured to create future managers and executives. This can be solved with a career progression framework.

1. In the past year, I've actively sought opportunities to take on leadership roles within our team. For instance, I volunteered to lead our project on [project name], where I successfully coordinated tasks, managed timelines, and facilitated communication between team members. As reflected in our project delivery metrics, we achieved our objectives on time and within budget. Going forward, I'd like to further refine these skills and take on more leadership responsibilities.
2. I enjoy working as part of a team. Combining everyone's strengths to pursue a common goal and achieve significant results is exciting.
3. I want to move up and use my skills and knowledge to help the company. I could see myself as a team leader or project manager, and I would enjoy the challenge.
4. Others appreciate my ability to make tough decisions. I have good instincts and often make the right calls, even when there isn't a clear answer.
5. I plan to continue to move up the ladder and advance as a result of my hard work and ability. Leading by example is essential, and I think I can inspire others with my work ethic.
6. As part of my commitment to self-development and aspiring leadership, I have sought feedback from my peers and managers and taken steps to improve the areas identified. I've also enrolled in a leadership training course to enhance my managerial skills. These steps have positively impacted my work, as seen in my improved performance metrics. I plan to continue investing in my self-development to advance my leadership journey.

Create a leadership development plan to identify and capitalize on existing talent in your organization.

Team leadership self-evaluation examples

As a team leader, you are often balancing your direct performance with the performance of those on your team.

Sometimes, it is easy to lose sight of one side or the other, but taking a step back and looking at the big picture during self-evaluations is essential.

Here are some team leadership self-evaluation examples that address different areas of this unique position.

Managing team performance

1. I take great pride in the fact that we achieved our team goals and have hit all KPIs this quarter.
2. Balancing my work and overseeing my team's performance is a challenge. Still, I am usually satisfied with the quality of my work and my team's work.
3. With the many projects I am actively involved in, managing everyone on my team has fallen by the wayside. Their performance has been adequate, but we can do better.
4. I like to maximize the efficiency of my team to ensure everything gets done, even if that means delegating some of my duties to others on my team. I have a talent for project management and find our performance is better when I focus on them first.

Giving feedback

1. Providing frequent and constructive feedback to my team is vital to ensure an open communication style and continued improvement.
2. 360-degree feedback has been instrumental in optimizing team performance and accountability. Strong team members are getting the recognition they deserve, while others are aware of areas they can improve.
3. I struggle with feedback because my team isn't receptive or open to criticism. I want to find an innovative solution for delivering unbiased, honest feedback that doesn't hurt morale.
4. As a new team leader, I am having trouble acting as an authority and providing feedback. I feel like my team sees me as a peer rather than someone in a leadership position. I could use some help instituting an impactful process involving HR.

Team member growth and wellbeing

1. I am happy to report that my team shows positive growth in job performance and satisfaction across the board! I am proud of our teamwork and dedication.
2. On the one hand, it is challenging to lose productive team members. I know they were excited about their promotions, which is best for the company. I appreciate that our company values everyone's professional growth.
3. While my team has done well with KPIs and deadlines, their job satisfaction has declined. I must find a way to improve their work-life balance without affecting their performance. We may need to expand our team.
4. I prioritize workplace happiness on my team, but sometimes, I think my coworkers take advantage of my leniency. I need to be firmer when we are behind deadlines or underperforming.

Creating a culture of learning

1. I am happy with everyone on my team's progress with the new LXP. Everyone is progressing and learning new skills, and many enjoy the program.
2. The video training library has been a big hit on my team! My coworkers enjoy taking a break and watching videos throughout the day, making it a great way to learn.
3. The members of my team who opted for microlearning are showing much better results than the rest of the team. Many find it challenging to make time for training when they have so much work on their plate.
4. While our performance evaluations are always satisfactory, I haven't seen much ambition to learn and grow on my team. I worry some team members will fall behind as we adopt new processes and software.

Receiving feedback

1. The new 360 feedback software has been great. I see what my team thinks, and all team members know their opinions are being heard. It's an excellent opportunity for quiet individuals to share their thoughts.
2. My review scores were lower than I anticipated from my team. While this was disappointing, it gave me areas to focus on improving. I hope for more positive feedback the next time around.
3. As a team leader, I sometimes feel held to unfair expectations and blamed for problems out of my control. This can be frustrating, but I understand letting everyone voice their opinions is important.
4. I feel like some of the feedback I receive is unhelpful, especially when it comes from underperformers.

Personal and team performance

Self-evaluations can also follow performance reviews, allowing individuals to reflect on their performance comments for self-appraisal. Here are a few self-performance appraisal examples.

1. I was pleased to see my performance review scores were as high as I had hoped. I work hard to ensure my team has everything they need to succeed, and the numbers seem to reflect that!
2. While my personal employee performance metrics were high, the performance of some of my team members was lacking. I will shift my focus so I know everyone is excelling.
3. I was disappointed to see some of my and our department's performance scores. However, this gives me some areas to focus on and improve, which I think we can do.

Senior manager self-appraisal examples

For senior management, there is often not much in the way of downward feedback, making self-appraisal all the more valuable.

People operations should pay special attention to these influential individuals, find ways to solve their problems, and make suggestions to improve their efficiency.

Competency-based performance appraisals may need to rely on self-assessments as much or more than external feedback. Here are some examples of self-appraisal comments on leadership competencies from senior management.

Business acumen

1. I am happy to announce that the recent restructuring efforts were a rousing success. Virtually all KPIs are up, while business expenditures for the past quarter are down.
2. Thanks to our 360-degree feedback system, making company-wide decisions has become much easier for me. I can see data and perspectives that help me make more educated choices regarding the future of our brand.
3. As CEO, the burden of impossible decisions sometimes falls on me. The recent decision to enforce our attendance policy resulted in a few departures. Still, now we have a more dedicated and dependable team.
4. It is clear to me now that removing the remote work option for our employees was a mistake. While I am more efficient and comfortable working in the office, my situation does not reflect everyone else. There will be a meeting to discuss the future of hybrid work options.

Strategy

1. Our new company-wide initiatives are showing great promise for the coming year. Some team members were reluctant to try something new, but if you aren't growing, you're dying.
2. I am the first to embrace new ideas to make things better. While risk is always involved, I believe these opportunities pay off more than hold us back.
3. While our hiring efforts are taking longer than expected, putting us behind schedule. I still think it is the right move, even if we must push back the launch date.
4. I often find myself so busy handling the company's day-to-day needs that I don't give much thought to our long-term strategy. I want to dedicate more time to future planning.

Vision

1. The advent of AI technology could be a great boon for our organization. I pledge that we will embrace this technology to increase our potential, not replace our hard-working associates. I aim to maximize our efficiency through restructuring and new workflows.
2. Our direction strikes a healthy balance between new ideas and keeping what works. While taking more considerable risks can create opportunities for more significant rewards, feedback has shown that most people are happy with our current approach.
3. I believe a long-term view is often more rewarding than short-term goals when it comes to business. That may mean more challenges along the way but better big-picture success.
4. I am often guilty of an "if it isn't broken, don't fix it" mentality when it comes to how we do things. While a conservative approach may have worked for us in the past, I fear we are falling behind the pack with the many technological advances in recent years.

Industry trends

1. We invested a lot of resources in new software to stay ahead of the curve. There was some pushback from shareholders, but our efforts have paid off, as our market share doubled over the past year.
2. The shift to remote and hybrid work came with many challenges, but thanks to everyone's hard work, we not only survived but thrived. Several competitors folded under pressure, but our team is stronger than ever.
3. Though we tried to migrate to a new ERP system, ultimately, the challenges began to outweigh the benefits in many departments. We may attempt again in the future, but for now, the short-term concerns have taken precedence over the potential long-term advantages.
4. Unfortunately, we needed to automate some roles to remain competitive. This decision wasn't easy, but I believe it was necessary for the company's success.

Self-evaluation leadership skills examples: Strengths and areas for improvement

Skill analyses are vital for people operations and provide more objective metrics for employee enablement. To create a system for upskilling and cross-skilling, you need current skill assessment data as a starting point.

Leadership abilities can be challenging to manage since they revolve more around soft skills than technical skills and certifications. Still, a leadership competency model can provide valuable benchmarks.

Here are some leadership performance review phrases for self evaluation you might see during a leadership skills self evaluation.

Decision making

1. I think my biggest strength as a leader is my decision-making instincts. Most people can make the right call when they have all the information, but sometimes, we don't have that luxury or the time to figure it out. I'm proud of my track record when it comes to difficult decisions.
2. My biggest weakness is a lack of confidence in my decision-making. I made a few bad calls my first year when I was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and I'm hesitant to make uncertain decisions now. But I realize as a leader, this is unavoidable, and all I can do is learn from my mistakes.

Coaching

1. One aspect of the role I enjoy is coaching new team members. I am a good teacher and enjoy helping others reach their full potential.
2. Something I would like to work on next quarter is my coaching. I often get so focused on my own tasks that I lose sight of my mentorship responsibilities. As a leader, helping those on my team should be a priority.

Time management

1. My best strengths in my role are my time and project management skills. I enjoy coming up with efficient plans to tackle demanding projects and maximize the effectiveness of my team.
2. I would like to improve my time management skills. I'm used to handling one project at a time, so juggling multiple jobs and people simultaneously has been challenging.

Conflict resolution

1. Some of my best leadership traits are my conflict resolution and interpersonal skills. I have a good relationship with almost all of my coworkers, which is really beneficial when it comes to mediating disputes and ensuring everyone is happy.
2. Conflict resolution is an area I don't have much experience with. I'm generally non-confrontational, so getting involved in interpersonal disputes is a little out of my comfort zone. However, I realize this is unavoidable in a leadership role, and I would like to work on it.

Emotional intelligence

1. I feel that emotional intelligence is one of my best qualities. I always put on a friendly, professional face at work and prioritize the mental health and happiness of those on my team. They know they can talk to me if they are struggling with something.
2. I scored low on emotional intelligence, which doesn't overly surprise me. I often get so focused on the job that I'm not aware of my tone when dealing with others. This is something I would like to improve on.

Delegation

1. I try to delegate as much as possible. If a task can be handled competently by someone else, I let them do it so I can focus on the tasks unique to my position.
2. I sometimes struggle with giving work to others if I can do it myself. I don't want to inconvenience or interrupt them with more work, but, as a result, I'm left with too much on my plate.

Problem-solving

1. No matter what challenges my team is up against, we can always overcome them with creative solutions.
2. While my team is really efficient with the day-to-day, we often screech to a halt when a new problem arises. We want to keep things more predictable.

Communication

1. Communication skills are vital to being a good leader and are one of my talents. I am sure to check in with my fellow team members daily, and they know they can come to me to discuss anything, work or personal.
2. Since I was promoted to leadership, I feel like a wall separates me from my department. They seem reluctant to converse with me any more than necessary. Is this normal?

Create a feedback and growth culture with Deel Engage

Data-driven decisions are the future of people operations. While many other business areas were quick to adopt data-centric models, HR needed technology solutions that made it feasible to track trends among individuals on a large scale. Deel Engage does just that.

For example, our 360 feedback software is fully customizable, allowing upward, downward, and self-evaluation feedback. But that's not it. Deel Engage offers a comprehensive range of solutions to transform feedback into actionable results:

• Advanced feedback analytics to understand each employee's strengths and areas of improvement—you can use tools like the 9-box grid to identify leadership potential
• Employee development plans
• Extensiv training library with thousands of resources to help bridge skill gaps
• AI recommendations to help employees define the action items on their growth plans (according to the feedback they received, their current role level, the competency framework associated with the role/level, and potential career path)

Our solutions make managing all aspects of employee development and engagement a breeze.

Additionally, Deel HR, our truly global HRIS solution, is always included for free.

Book a demo to see how our solutions will help you build a high-performance workforce.