The Added Value of Assessment in Executive Coaching

And what mine taught me about ego and reputation.

When senior leaders come to coaching, they are rarely short on experience. What they often lack is clean data about how they are perceived and what truly drives them.

That is where assessment adds real value. Used well, it does not label. It illuminates patterns. How you show up under pressure. What motivates you. How your strengths are experienced by others. And where your reputation may be helping or quietly limiting you.

As part of my ongoing coach development, I completed the same Hogan Assessments I use with clients. I wanted to experience the process properly, not just interpret it for others.

The results were reassuring. They reflected emotional steadiness, strong relational awareness and a deep learning orientation. In simple terms, the foundations for coaching senior leaders are there. Which is really good news as the ability to stay calm, read nuance and create psychological safety is not optional in the work that I do!

But the more interesting insight came from the motives data.

My need for recognition and status came out low. I am not driven by visibility or title. It's something I suppose I already knew. In my last corporate role an HR Director I was working with said to me, “Jane is one of those rare creatures without ego.”

It was meant as a compliment.

And it is. A low ego can mean you are not competing with your client. You are not performing. You are not attached to being right. That creates space for honest thinking.

But here is the question the assessment encouraged me to face: is having little ego always a strength?

In leadership systems, and in the work that I do, reputation matters. New assignments or promotions rarely go to the invisible. Boards do not reward quiet contribution if they cannot see it. If your need for recognition is low, you may under-signal impact. You may assume good work speaks for itself. Often, it does not.

That was my watch out.

Assessment surfaced the gap between contribution and visibility. Between capability and reputation.

This is the additional value clients gain from assessments. Clarity. Not just about who they are at their best, but about how their motivational drivers shape their career trajectory. It allows us to separate intent from impact and to make conscious choices.

Ego is not the enemy. Unchecked ego is. Too little ego can also limit influence.

The goal is not to become someone else. It is to understand the system you operate in and decide, deliberately, how you want to be seen.

Assessment gives us that mirror.

And sometimes, that mirror tells us we are well aligned to our role.

It also tells us where we might need to step forward more visibly, even if it does not come naturally.

And that is powerful data to coach from.

If you are interested in learning more about the assessment tools we use at @WorkStoriesCoaching, click on this link Contact | Work Stories and we'll get straight back to you.

Author: Jane Cox

Jane is one our Work Stories founders and resident executive coach. To find out more about Jane click HERE