08 People & Leadership
Scorecard
Leadership Self-Audit
A 25-statement leadership scorecard that shows where you are strong and where you are the bottleneck, then turns the results into a focused 90-day action plan you can start this week.
How to use this tool. This scorecard is for owners and senior managers of small and medium businesses who want an honest read on their leadership. It takes about 30 to 40 minutes in one sitting. At the end you will have an overall score, your weakest area identified, and a 90-day action plan with dates against it.
Why it matters
In a small business, the owner's leadership sets the ceiling for everything else. If priorities are fuzzy, people guess. If you are the only one who can decide, work queues up behind you. If feedback is rare, small problems become resignations or lost customers.
Most owners know this in general terms but never measure it. A scorecard turns a vague sense of "I should be better at this" into a short list of specific habits you can change. The aim is not a high score. The aim is a clear choice about what to fix first.
How the audit works
- Set aside the time. Find 40 minutes without interruptions. Print this page or copy it into a document.
- Score on evidence, not intention. For each statement, ask: "What did I do in the last 90 days that proves this?" If you cannot point to an example, score it lower.
- Go with your first instinct. Do not agonise over a single statement. A 2 or a 3 rarely changes the overall picture.
- Total each area, then the whole. Each area has five statements and is worth 20 points. The full audit is worth 100.
- Optional but powerful. Ask a trusted second-in-command or supervisor to score you on the same statements, separately. Compare the gaps. Where their score is lower than yours, that is usually where the learning is.
The scoring scale
| Score | Meaning | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Not in place | I do not do this, or have not thought about it |
| 1 | Rarely | It happens occasionally, mostly by accident |
| 2 | Sometimes | I do it when things are quiet, but it slips |
| 3 | Usually | It is a habit most weeks, with the odd lapse |
| 4 | Consistently | It is a reliable habit and I can show recent evidence |
The scorecard
Area 1: Direction and priorities
| No. | Statement | Score (0 to 4) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I can state in two sentences where the business is heading over the next 12 months, and my team could repeat it. | |
| 2 | We work on no more than three business priorities at a time, and everyone knows what they are. | |
| 3 | I say no to work, customers or projects that do not fit our direction. | |
| 4 | Every team member can explain how their role supports our priorities. | |
| 5 | I review progress against our priorities at least monthly, using numbers rather than impressions. | |
| Area 1 total (out of 20) |
Area 2: Accountability and delegation
| No. | Statement | Score (0 to 4) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Every role has clear outcomes written down, not just a list of tasks. | |
| 7 | When I delegate, I set the outcome, the deadline and what "done" looks like. | |
| 8 | I raise missed commitments within a week, calmly and specifically. | |
| 9 | I hold myself to the same standards I expect from staff (punctuality, follow-through, behaviour). | |
| 10 | My team makes routine decisions without checking with me first. | |
| Area 2 total (out of 20) |
Area 3: Communication and feedback
| No. | Statement | Score (0 to 4) |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | We hold a regular team meeting with a set rhythm, a short agenda and recorded actions. | |
| 12 | I give specific, positive feedback to someone on my team at least weekly. | |
| 13 | I hold a one-to-one conversation with each direct report at least monthly. | |
| 14 | I ask my team for feedback on my leadership and act on what I hear. | |
| 15 | Staff hear about important changes from me first, along with the reasons. | |
| Area 3 total (out of 20) |
Area 4: Time, energy and owner dependency
| No. | Statement | Score (0 to 4) |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | I spend at least half a day each week working on the business, not in it. | |
| 17 | The business could run for two weeks without me without serious problems. | |
| 18 | Our key processes are documented well enough for someone else to follow. | |
| 19 | I protect my sleep, rest and health so I make decisions with a clear head. | |
| 20 | I know which tasks only I should do, and I have stopped doing the rest out of habit. | |
| Area 4 total (out of 20) |
Area 5: Developing people and making decisions
| No. | Statement | Score (0 to 4) |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | I know who could step up into a senior role within two years, and I am preparing them. | |
| 22 | Each team member has at least one development goal for this year. | |
| 23 | I make major decisions using facts and a clear process, and I record why I decided. | |
| 24 | When a decision goes badly, we review it to learn rather than to blame. | |
| 25 | Hiring, performance and conduct matters are handled consistently and documented, and I get professional advice on complex cases. | |
| Area 5 total (out of 20) |
| Overall | Result |
|---|---|
| Grand total (Areas 1 to 5, out of 100) | |
| Percentage (total divided by 100) | |
| Weakest area | |
| Strongest area |
Reading your result
| Percentage | Band | What it usually means | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 39% | Reactive | You are running on effort and memory. The business depends heavily on you. | Fix one foundation: priorities (Area 1) or delegation (Area 2). Do not try to fix everything. |
| 40 to 59% | Developing | Good habits exist but are inconsistent. Things work when you are present. | Lift your weakest area by at least 5 points. Build rhythm: meetings, one-to-ones, monthly reviews. |
| 60 to 79% | Solid | The team is well led most of the time. Gaps are specific. | Target every statement you scored 0 or 1, then work on succession and development. |
| 80 to 100% | Strong | Leadership habits are reliable and visible. | Guard against complacency, re-score every six months and invest in developing your next leaders. |
Two further checks matter more than the headline number:
- Your lowest area. If one area is 6 or more points below the others, it is your first priority.
- Every 0 and 1. List them all. A single 0 on a statement such as number 8 or 25 can cause more damage than a middling score elsewhere.
Worked example (fictional)
Kalamunda Ridge Electrical is a made-up 14-person electrical contractor in Perth. The owner, Dean, scored himself as follows.
| Area | Score (out of 20) |
|---|---|
| 1. Direction and priorities | 14 |
| 2. Accountability and delegation | 9 |
| 3. Communication and feedback | 11 |
| 4. Time, energy and owner dependency | 6 |
| 5. Developing people and decisions | 12 |
| Total | 52 (52%) |
Dean sits in the Developing band. His lowest area is Area 4, and he scored 0 on statements 17 and 18 (the business cannot run without him and nothing is documented). His 90-day plan was modest and specific:
- Days 1 to 30: block every Friday morning for business work, and document the quoting process.
- Days 31 to 60: give the leading hand authority to approve variations up to an agreed dollar limit.
- Days 61 to 90: take a planned three-day absence and review what broke.
He re-scored at day 90 and moved Area 4 from 6 to 11.
Your 90-day action plan
Choose no more than six actions. Start with your lowest area and any statements scored 0 or 1.
| Timeframe | Statement number | Specific action | How I will know it is done | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 30 | ||||
| Days 1 to 30 | ||||
| Days 31 to 60 | ||||
| Days 31 to 60 | ||||
| Days 61 to 90 | ||||
| Days 61 to 90 |
- I have booked a re-score date 90 days from today.
- I have told one person on my team which area I am working on.
Common mistakes
- Scoring on intention. "I mean to do one-to-ones" is a 1, not a 3.
- Inflating scores to feel better. An honest 45% you act on beats a flattering 75% you ignore.
- Choosing too many actions. Six habits changed beat twenty ideas noted.
- Fixing the team instead of yourself. If your lowest area is delegation, the answer is rarely "hire someone better".
- Never re-scoring. Without a second measurement you cannot tell whether anything changed.
- Treating Area 5, statement 25 as a formality. Fair Work obligations apply to hiring, performance and dismissal. This tool is general guidance only. For specific situations, get professional advice.
Put it to work this week
- Complete the scorecard today, in one sitting, and write your total and percentage at the top of the page.
- Circle your lowest area and every statement you scored 0 or 1. Choose the two that would make the biggest difference to your week.
- Put your first two actions in the 90-day table with dates, and block time in your diary for them.
- Ask one trusted person to score you independently on the same 25 statements, and set a 30-minute conversation to compare.
- Book your 90-day re-score in your diary now.
Where Lotus helps
Lotus works with owners to turn audit results into practical leadership routines: priorities, delegation, team rhythms and succession plans that suit the size of the business. We can also facilitate the comparison between your score and your team's, so the conversation is useful rather than awkward. Book a free 30-minute discovery call at lotusstrategic.com.au.