Unlocking Student Potential: The ‘How Do You Lead?’ Self-Assessment
Leadership looks different for every student. Some are quick to act, some naturally step into visionary roles, others bring empathy to the forefront, and many excel in analyzing problems with logic and care. Helping youth recognize these differences—and value them in a team setting—is an essential step in building confident, collaborative leaders.
That’s the purpose of the “How Do You Lead?” Self-Assessment, an activity designed for high school students (grades 9–12) to reflect on their unique leadership style and how it shapes the way they work with others. Rooted in the Leadership Compass framework, this tool gives students a vocabulary for describing their decision-making and processing styles while deepening their appreciation for the diverse strengths their peers bring to the table.
Goals of the Activity
Give students language to understand and discuss leadership differences
Build appreciation for multiple strengths and work styles within a team
Encourage reflection on personal growth and areas for improvement
Highlight the risks of taking leadership strengths to extremes
Inspire students to develop into stronger, more balanced leaders
Using the Self-Assessment
Educators can guide students through a series of statements, asking them to check the ones that best describe how they approach decisions and group work. At the end, students tally their checks to identify their dominant style:
North (Action): Bold, decisive, and results-oriented
East (Vision): Creative, future-focused, and big-picture thinkers
South (Empathy): Relational, supportive, and justice-minded
West (Analytical): Careful, thorough, and detail-driven
Each style comes with unique strengths—and potential pitfalls when overused. Reflection and discussion help students understand not only themselves, but also how to collaborate effectively across different leadership styles.
Download the full self-assessment, including instructions, student prompts, and the Leadership Compass descriptions, here:
How Do You Lead? Self-Assessment (Google Doc)
Why This Matters
Developing leadership skills isn’t just about preparing students for future careers—it’s about equipping them to thrive right now in classrooms, clubs, service projects, and their daily lives. By helping youth reflect on their natural tendencies and learn to value the perspectives of others, educators create space for more inclusive, effective teamwork.
At Magnified Giving, we see firsthand how understanding leadership styles strengthens youth philanthropy projects and empowers students to step into roles where they can truly shine.
If you’d like to integrate more tools like this into your teaching, we invite you to explore our Youth Philanthropy Program. This program provides hands-on experiences in leadership, teamwork, and giving, equipping students to make an impact in their communities today while building skills they’ll carry into the future.