15+ Essential leadership survey questions & tips (+ free templates)

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15+ Essential leadership survey questions & tips (+ free templates)

Defne Çobanoğlu

A good leader can be the one crucial element that affects the success of the company. They are the ones that can make or break a business. To assess current leaders and find future leaders who can rise within the company, some smart questions should be regularly asked.

That’s why we have gathered more than 15 essential leadership questions for you to find the hidden gems in your team and how effective your leaders are. We also explained step-by-step how to create your survey with some useful tips!

What is a leadership survey?

A leadership survey is a means of assessment of leadership skills and manager performance within the company.

However, it is also a good way to collect information on how employees feel about their own strengths and weaknesses in leadership qualities. When conducting a leadership survey, your goal should be clear in mind, and you should know what questions you want to focus on.

If you want the team members to assess their managers, leadership style, and communication skills, you can build a leadership survey for employees. If your goal is to have existing managers give constructive feedback on themselves, you can create a leadership survey for managers.

Why do you need a leadership survey?

A leadership survey proves crucial for evaluating and enhancing leadership attributes within an organization. Feedback from team members helps identify strengths and weaknesses in leadership within the target context. Other benefits of a leadership survey include:

✔️The valuable feedback from colleagues can enable us to create improvement plans.

✔️It encourages a constructive and positive workplace.

✔️It ultimately plays a vital role in advancing the economic welfare of the company.

15+ Must-ask leadership survey questions

When you create your leadership survey, make sure you know what you want to achieve and focus on that. Then, you can choose the questions and collect the data in a planned manner. Here, we have more than 15 must-ask leadership effectiveness survey questions and good leadership survey questions for employees. Below every question, there are also some response options generated by the AI of forms.app.

Leadership survey questions for managers

Leadership evaluation survey questions are for managers to fill out as self-assessments about their professional development and management skills. Instead of being evaluated by an external being, this survey allows managers to reflect on their own performance, leadership skills, and effectiveness.

1. Have you met your expectations this year?

Yes, I have met my expectations this year.
No, I have not met my expectations this year.
I have exceeded my expectations this year.
I am still working towards meeting my expectations this year.

This is a good question to show the managers' self-awareness levels and how ambitious they are about their job. On paper, it may show that they have accomplished a lot, but they may think they need to achieve more. Or, vice versa, they may not have had a successful year but are satisfied with their accomplishments and learn lessons along the way.

2. How do you help others achieve their goals?

I provide clear and specific goals for each team member.
I offer support and resources to help team members reach their goals.
I encourage and facilitate collaboration among team members to achieve shared goals.
I provide constructive feedback and recognition to motivate team members.
I provide opportunities for team members to take on new challenges and responsibilities.

A good leader should lead their group to success and always be mindful of their needs as much as their successes. If a team member feels as though their needs to grow are overlooked, it is more than likely for them to leave for good.

3. Can you take the initiative when the situation requires it?

I take charge and lead the team.
I stay calm and handle the situation.
I think outside the box and come up with creative ideas.
I am flexible and adapt to changing circumstances.
I ask for help from my supervisors.

It is not preferable when an employee assigned with leadership goes to knock on their supervisor’s door every time they are asked to do something. A good leader should take the initiative when it comes to it and lead by example so that the workflow is not interrupted or delays are avoided when there is a task to be completed.

4. Do you take responsibility for the failure of your employees?

Yes, as the leader of the team, I take full responsibility for the failure of my employees.
While I may not be directly responsible for their actions, as their manager, I do take responsibility for the failure of my employees.
I am willing to take responsibility for the failure of my employees and work towards finding solutions to improve their performance.
It is my duty as a leader to take responsibility for the failure of my employees and guide them toward success.
I am only partially responsible for my employees' failures; they should take more ownership.

If a manager takes responsibility for the employees’ success but not their failures, it makes the employees distrust the managers. For a healthy and fruitful workplace, all managers should have this quality.

5. How do you handle conflict within your team?

I encourage open communication and active listening.
I use a collaborative problem-solving approach.
I set ground rules for respectful and constructive conflict resolution.
I encourage team members to express their perspectives and concerns.
I seek mediation or outside help if necessary.

Where there is a team, there is likely to be a conflict, be it personal or professional. It is up to the leader to solve the problems caused by these conflicts to ensure proper continuity of work and sustain a good culture between colleagues. Remember, resolving conflicts properly boosts morale in your team, enabling them to understand that their work and efforts do not hang by a thread

6. Were you able to meet the time-constrained goals set for your team?

Yes, we were able to meet all of the time-constrained goals set for our team.
Unfortunately, we were not able to meet all of the time-constrained goals set for our team.
We were able to meet some of the time-constrained goals set for our team, but not all of them.
We were able to meet the time-constrained goals set for our team but with some challenges and obstacles.
Our team was not able to meet the time-constrained goals due to unexpected circumstances.

The perk of being a team is working more efficiently and obtaining better outputs than working individually. Your leadership attributes are defined by whether you guided your team to meet the weekly, monthly, or annually set objectives. If surveys conducted at regular intervals do not show any improvements in this aspect, some changes in management are clearly needed.

7. Do you have confidence in the workflow's continuity?

Yes, I have complete confidence in the workflow's continuity.
I have concerns about the continuity of the workflow.
I have no confidence in the continuity of the workflow.

When a specific workflow is reliant solely upon a single person guiding others, it is highly likely that the work will be interrupted once that person leaves or is replaced. If you are a good leader, you should not give your team members “the fish”; you should teach them how to catch “the fish.”

8. Do you take into account the personal factors in work without compromising professionalism?

Yes, we prioritize personal factors while maintaining professionalism.
We strive to balance personal and professional considerations in our work.
Our approach takes into account both personal and professional factors.
We take personal factors into consideration while maintaining a high level of professionalism.
Our work is guided by a balance of personal and professional considerations.

As human beings, we can be affected by a great deal of things. Our emotions and the events in our lives directly affect our performance. A leader should look out for their team members by respecting what they are going through and offering them solutions while also ensuring stability and sustainability within the team.

Leadership survey questions for employees

Leadership survey questions for employees can include questions about the work environment, management, and how they feel about being part of the company, as well as whether they perceive themselves as effective leaders.

9. Do you feel that your managers respect you?

Yes, I feel that my managers respect me.
No, I do not feel that my managers respect me.
I am unsure if my managers respect me.
I feel that my managers respect me, but not my time or personal boundaries.
I feel that my managers do not respect me, but they do respect my colleagues.

This simple question easily shows the problems beneath the surface. If the problems of the employees are not addressed by the management and are simply brushed under the rug, it results in an unhealthy work environment. And employees feel as if the company does not respect them and their needs.

10. What are the major gaps in leadership that you observe within the organization?

Lack of clear communication
Failure to adapt to changing market trends and technologies
Lack of transparency and trust between leaders and employees
Failure to recognize and utilize the strengths of team members
Inability to handle conflicts and resolve issues

By answering this question, employees provide valuable insight into the supervisors and leaders. There may be areas where they need to be more strict, or there may be some projects that do not get as much attention as the others.

I attend monthly team meetings with the leadership.
I submit suggestions and feedback through an online platform.
I take part in surveys or polls to gather opinions and ideas.
I participate in performance reviews and provide feedback on leadership.
I attend company-wide retreats or conferences where leadership is present.

Leaders should listen to the employee’s ideas and opinions and make them feel heard. The ideas the employees offer during discussion can open doors to many great projects. If the managers do not listen to the employees and bounce ideas with them when needed, this shows bad leadership.

12. What improvements could your manager make as a leader?

Implementing regular check-ins and one-on-one meetings with team members.
Encouraging open communication and creating a safe space for employees to share their ideas and opinions.
Setting clear and achievable goals for the team and providing the necessary resources and support to achieve them.
Recognizing and rewarding employees for their hard work and contributions to the team.
Providing opportunities for growth and development for employees to feel motivated and engaged.

The employees working under managers can tell the most about them when it comes to being a leader. Nobody is perfect, and everyone can improve themselves after some quality feedback. This question also shows the upper management if the current supervisors lack in anything major that may endanger the company.

13. How well does your leader empower team members to take initiative and make decisions?

Encouraging open communication and idea-sharing within the team
Providing resources and support for team members to pursue their own ideas
Recognizing and rewarding team members for taking initiative and making successful decisions
Creating a safe and non-judgmental environment for team members to share their ideas
Providing regular feedback and constructive criticism to help team members improve their decision-making abilities

In an environment where taking initiative and making decisions are not encouraged, there would be no room for growth. The employees do not trust themselves to make any changes and feel limited. That kind of space is not good for the improvement of the company and employees as individuals.

14. Does your leader acknowledge and appreciate the contributions of team members?

My leader does a great job of recognizing and valuing the contributions of team members.
My leader makes it a priority to acknowledge and appreciate the contributions of team members.
My leader rarely appreciates the contributions of team members.
My leader never acknowledges or appreciates the contributions of team members.

A good leader lets employees know when they make mistakes, helps them improve themselves, and acknowledges their contributions and success. Managers should not give all credit to themselves when there are positive results; instead, they should reward those who help them.

15. Do you have an interest in leading a team?

Yes, I am interested in leading a team
No, I prefer to work independently
Maybe I would like to learn more about leadership roles
I am already a team leader and enjoy it
Not at the moment, but I may be open to it in the future

This question shows potential future leaders and who want to take on more responsibilities and move up in the work. When the time comes, and there is a need to have somebody within the group promoted, you can have this answer in mind.

16. If you become a manager today, what would you change?

Implement a mentorship program for new employees
Increase communication and transparency within the team
Create a more flexible work schedule for employees
Implement performance-based bonuses for employees
Improve employee benefits and perks

This question can also be asked in an open-ended manner. The main goal of this question is to identify areas that need improvement and also find employees who have a sharp eye for finding solutions.

How to craft a leadership survey

Building a leadership survey is quite effortless with the right tool. Using an online survey maker, such as forms.app will help you create a survey in no time with its many smart and useful features. Now, let us see how to craft a leadership survey.

1 - Go to forms.app and build your survey

Go to forms.app and create your free account. Then, you will have access to more than 5000 ready-to-use templates. You can find the best survey template for your needs, and in this case, a leadership survey template can help you just fine. Then, click “USE TEMPLATE” and edit it however you like. But if you want, you can also build your own from scratch without the help of any templates.

Choose a template

2 - Add questions using forms.app AI

If you click on “Generate with AI” on the “My Forms” page, you can start using the AI tool. Then, you give a prompt for it to work with. For instance, if you write, “Give me a leadership survey with 10 questions”, you will see it happen before your eyes in seconds.

💡PRO TIP #1: The AI tool has other features that help you with your survey needs. For instance, you can make the AI rephrase the questions in a formal or friendly way. Additionally, you can also have the AI generate answer options for you to write under the questions.

Generate a leadership survey with forms.app AI

3 - Customize the survey

After you are satisfied with the questions, you can edit the design of the survey completely. You can customize the colors, background image, and fonts according to the colors of your company.

Customizing the design of your form

Once you are satisfied with the changes you made, click on the eye icon on the upper right side and make sure it looks just as you want. The last step is to share the unique URL link via email or other means of communication or even as a QR code with your employees and managers.

Share your leadership survey

Key points to take away

Upper management can not get all the information without a clear line of open communication about employee satisfaction and effective leadership. Only when the employees and managers are presented with time to express their opinions can the company fix its mistakes and be better.

That’s why we gathered example questions to use in a leadership survey and also explained how to use the AI tool of forms.app for your questions. You can build your survey for managers or employees and easily collect the data you need. For more information, you are welcome to check out the blog of forms.app, and we wish you good luck with your next survey!

Defne Çobanoğlu

Defne is a content writer at forms.app. She is also a translator specializing in literary translation. Defne loves reading, writing, and translating professionally and as a hobby. Her expertise lies in survey research, research methodologies, content writing, and translation.