Most leadership assessments measure what your team sees. They capture leadership style, communication, and competencies visible in behaviors. They miss what drives those behaviors.
The Mattone Leadership Enneagram Inventory (MLEI) reaches the inner core: the character, values, and self-concept that determine how leaders perform under pressure. Prescription before diagnosis is malpractice. The MLEI gives leaders an honest picture of who they are.
Key Takeaways
What Is the MLEI?
The MLEI is a 20-minute, 108-item diagnostic created to measure inner-core maturity across nine leadership profiles. Unlike personality assessments or behavioral leadership skills assessments, this leadership assessment tool evaluates the character, values, self-concept, and beliefs that determine effectiveness under pressure.
Most assessment tools tell you what your team thinks. The MLEI tells you who you are.
It identifies whether patterns beneath the surface serve you or undermine you. The MLEI is the starting point for every Intelligent Leadership engagement.
How Do Leadership Assessments Work?
Leadership assessments evaluate management skills, identify leadership potential, and measure competencies relevant to supervisory roles using standardized instruments. Organizations use leadership assessments to compare leadership candidates, inform succession planning, provide data for future training, and guide further development. Most assessments fall short because they assess surface behaviors without reaching the inner core.
What Do Leadership Assessments Measure?
Leadership assessments measure the following competencies:
- Self-confidence, self-awareness, and the ability to manage their own emotions
- Emotional intelligence, vision, and ability to motivate others
- Strategic thinking, problem solving, and decision making
- Effective communication and building strong relationships
Leadership style shapes how managers develop team trust. Assessments that measure emotional intelligence and self-awareness help organizations identify employees with the communication skills and leadership skills to become an effective leader.
What Types of Leadership Assessments Exist?
Leadership assessments fall into two categories: personality and behavioral tools that measure traits and leadership style, and specific assessment tools that evaluate competencies, perceptions, or inner-core patterns. The right choice depends on whether you need a surface-level insight for hiring or an in-depth diagnosis for development.
Personality and Behavioral Assessments
- DISC Assessments: among the most popular leadership assessments for team communication
- Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): a personality assessment tool used for leadership development
- Hogan Assessments: predict future performance and leadership style
- The Kolbe Index: evaluates conative strengths and soft skills
- Neethling Brain Instrument: evaluates thinking methods
Specific Assessment Tools
- Leadership Circle: Leadership Circle assessments analyze how team members perceive skills
- CliftonStrengths: focuses on what candidates naturally do best
- Energy Leadership Index (ELI): analyzes how perceptions affect behaviors
- Saville Wave: a leadership skills assessment across multiple dimensions
- The MLEI: the only leadership assessment tool that diagnoses inner-core maturity
What Makes the MLEI Different?
The MLEI differs from standard assessments because it diagnoses inner-core patterns rather than observable behaviors. It categorizes leaders into three Core Leadership Groups (Heart, Head, and Gut) and identifies the limiting factors that can derail business success, including impulsiveness, self-doubt, and rigidity.
Steve Jobs took the MLEI in 2010. It became the centerpiece of his coaching engagement. The same assessment that maps a Fortune 500 CEO maps any leader willing to look under the hood.
What Are the Three Core Leadership Groups?
| What group does the leader belong to? | What drives their behavior? | What types does each group include? |
|---|---|---|
| Heart Leaders | Empathy, connection, trust | The Helper, The Entertainer, The Artist |
| Head Leaders | Planning, analysis, structure | The Thinker, The Disciple, The Activist |
| Gut Leaders | Decisive action, clarity, momentum | The Driver, The Arbitrator, The Perfectionist |
How Does the MLEI Compare to a Standard 360?
| What does each tool address? | Standard 360 | MLEI |
|---|---|---|
| What does it measure? | Observable behaviors | Inner-core patterns |
| What does it reveal? | What others see | Why they see it |
| What development does it drive? | Behavioral change | Root-cause transformation |
| How sustainable are results? | Moderate | High, because inner-core shifts endure |
The MLEI works alongside the STLI-360 to create a complete picture. The MLEI maps the inner core. The STLI-360 captures how the outer core shows up through stakeholder feedback. Leaders need both assessments.
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How Should You Choose a Leadership Assessment Tool?
Choosing the right leadership assessment tool depends on your goals: hiring, leadership development, succession planning, or a combination. For hiring, behavioral assessments provide quick candidate comparisons. For development, a validated diagnostic like the MLEI identifies root-cause patterns that determine leadership effectiveness.
1. For Identifying Leadership Potential
Leadership assessments help managers evaluate candidates for management positions and leadership positions. For example, behavioral interview questions require candidates to provide evidence of leadership skills. A validated leadership assessment tool captures patterns that predict future leadership effectiveness.
2. For Developing Current Leaders
Assessments like the MLEI identify root-cause patterns. Understanding of leadership strengths deepens and blind spots surface. Helping leaders develop the ability to lead their team with vision is critical to an organization's success.
3. For Succession Planning
Leadership assessments identify which employees have the potential for expanded leadership roles. For example, middle managers who complete a leadership self assessment gain understanding of their readiness. These assessments focus on reducing turnover through improved employee satisfaction and training.
What Happens After You Complete the MLEI?
After completing the MLEI, you receive a Client Interpretive Report that maps your inner-core profile across nine types, with data on mature strengths and derailing tendencies. A certified executive coach debriefs the results, builds a development plan, and guides coaching that transforms diagnosis into measurable change.
1. Assessment
Complete the MLEI to map your inner-core profile. This generates your Client Interpretive Report.
2. Debrief
Work with a certified executive coach to interpret answers. Identify where the gap between current state and full potential is widest.
3. Development Plan
The Assessment-Driven IDP integrates MLEI results with STLI-360 team feedback. It identifies leadership strengths, needs, and focus areas.
4. Coaching
Execute the plan through IL coaching. Strengthen character, clarify values, and apply growth to real challenges.
5. Measurement
LeaderWatch captures stakeholder feedback to verify transformation. The typical result is 57% improvement in leadership effectiveness (LeaderWatch validated).
Who Should Take the MLEI?
The MLEI serves C-suite executives reassessing whether past competencies still drive success, high-potential managers on accelerated tracks, candidates in succession pipelines, and coaches seeking a deeper assessment tool. Any leader whose growth depends on understanding inner-core patterns benefits from this diagnostic.
- C-suite executives who need to assess whether past competencies will keep driving success
- High-potential managers identified for accelerated development and future leadership roles
- Leadership candidates evaluated for succession planning with data beyond interview answers
- Executive coaches and HR professionals seeking an assessment tool that develops understanding of skills
The MLEI is central to the IL Certification program, now used by 750+ coaches in 55+ countries.
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What Is the MLEI Experience Like?
The MLEI is a 20-minute, 108-item self-assessment that maps your inner-core profile across nine leadership types. It does not ask about your leadership style on a good day. It reveals the pattern you run when you are under pressure, including derailing tendencies most leaders have never seen mapped.
Most leaders who take the MLEI describe a recognition moment. The results explain patterns they have been noticing for years but could not name. That recognition is where lasting transformation begins.
The MLEI allows leaders to benchmark their inner-core maturity against a global database of successful executives. Created in 1996, it has been administered to 10,000+ leaders globally over 25+ years.
Why Start the Inside-Out Journey Now?
Leaders who achieve lasting transformation start with honest diagnosis, not a personality label. The MLEI maps the inner-core patterns that determine how you lead under pressure, build trust, and create impact across your organization. That is where lasting transformation begins.
When organizations discuss leadership assessments, most focus on leadership skills at the surface. The key difference: the MLEI goes deeper. It reaches the character, values, and self-concept that no behavioral assessment can touch.
If you are ready to see what no 360 can show you, explore the MLEI or schedule a conversation about executive coaching and leadership development. Calculate your coaching ROI to see the measurable impact.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does MLEI stand for?
MLEI stands for Mattone Leadership Enneagram Inventory, a leadership assessment tool to evaluate inner-core maturity, including character, values, thinking patterns, and emotional make-up.
How is the MLEI different from a leadership assessment test?
Most leadership assessment tests measure personality or behaviors. The MLEI maps inner-core patterns that drive those behaviors, identifying mature and immature expressions for each type.
Can I take a free leadership assessment test first?
A free leadership assessment test gives a starting point. A validated leadership skills assessment like the MLEI provides in-depth understanding of patterns that determine your ability to develop as a leader.
How do leadership assessments help with hiring?
Leadership assessments reveal whether candidates have the leadership skills for leadership positions. These assessments help managers identify which candidates to focus on, providing answers about potential, skills, and personality for hiring decisions.
About the Author
John Mattone
World's #1 Executive Coach
World's #1 Executive Coach and author of 11 books. Former coach to Steve Jobs and PepsiCo CEO Roger Enrico. Pioneer of Intelligent Leadership, transforming nearly one million leaders across 55 countries.
