DDI Leadership Spotlight℠

See Leadership in Action to Focus Development

Manager feedback and 360 results offer valuable perspectives. But perceptions alone leave gaps in knowing where to focus development.

DDI Leadership Spotlight℠ delivers competency-based simulations that assess frontline and mid-level leaders’ strengths and development needs. Each simulation measures one competency through realistic workplace challenges, providing objective data to target development priorities and specific feedback to help leaders improve.

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Sample Leadership Spotlight group report rating eight leaders on four mid-level competencies, from very low to very high. Each leader shows a different pattern of strengths and development needs.?fm=webp&q=65

Same Leadership Level. Different Development Needs.

A shared job title doesn’t mean a shared skill gap. Yet leaders often receive the same development, regardless of what they can already do or where they struggle.

Leadership Spotlight brings those differences into focus, so you can make deliberate choices about where to invest.

  • Take stock of critical capabilities. See where strengths are concentrated and where development needs are greater across your leaders.
  • Prioritize development investments. Direct program or coaching resources toward the capabilities that need attention.
  • Turn talent reviews into action plans. Ground discussions in behavioral evidence and leave with specific development priorities.
  • Personalize development plans. Give each leader clear direction on the behaviors to strengthen.

Target the Skills That Matter at Each Level

From coaching direct reports to influencing across the organization, see how leaders perform on the competencies their role demands. Leadership Spotlight shines a light on what's critical for success.

Frontline Leaders

Frontline managers face people challenges that test their skills every day. See where supervisors and managers need to sharpen their approach or build capabilities for expanded responsibilities. Choose from 10 competencies, including Coaching, Decision Making, Delegation and Empowerment, and Facilitating Change.

Mid-Level Leaders

Leading leaders brings greater complexity and a wider circle of influence. See how mid-level leaders apply four critical competencies: Cultivating Networks and Partnerships, Establishing Strategic Direction, Leading Change, and Strategic Influence.

How It Works

From Leadership Challenges to Development Priorities

See how leaders apply their skills when the answers aren’t obvious. Each simulation assesses one competency, giving you a focused view of the behaviors behind performance.

Choose Your Focus

Identify the leaders participating and the competencies you want to assess based on strategic priorities.

Put Skills into Action

Leaders review reports, emails, video messages, and other information, then respond to realistic challenges relevant to their leadership level.

Review the Evidence

See behavioral strengths and opportunities for improvement. Use individual feedback and group patterns to identify development priorities.

Focus Development

Build personalized development plans and group programs based on the findings.

Sample Leadership Spotlight feedback report for Leading Change, showing a score of Low (2 out of 5), behaviors the leader did well, such as clarifying others’ reactions, and behaviors to improve, such as engaging and involving others.

Actionable Insights

Behavior-Level Feedback Shows What to Work On

“Improve your influencing skills” leaves a leader with a lot to figure out.

Leadership Spotlight goes deeper, identifying behavioral strengths and specific opportunities for improvement. That detail gives leaders a concrete starting point for development and helps managers and coaches focus their feedback.

Group results give HR and talent teams a broader view of where capabilities are strong and where development needs attention. Use those insights to build a leadership development program around your leaders’ needs.

Explore Leadership Development Programs
A woman at her laptop beside the leadership assessment start screen, which explains that the assessment is proctored and that AI, websites, and outside help aren’t allowed.?fm=webp&q=65

Built-In Safeguards Protect Assessment Integrity

AI-generated responses can obscure the very skills you’re trying to understand. Leadership Spotlight uses required full-screen mode, embedded reference materials, and paste restrictions to discourage unauthorized AI use and help protect the integrity of results.

Ready to Get Started?

Give your development investments a clearer focus. Use behavioral evidence from Leadership Spotlight to build programs around what your leaders need most.

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Have a Question?

Frequently Asked Questions About Leadership Spotlight

  • What is DDI Leadership Spotlight℠?

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    DDI Leadership Spotlight provides competency-based simulations that assess frontline and mid-level leaders. It gives organizations objective evidence of leadership behaviors to help organizations identify strengths, focus development investments, and personalize development plans.

  • What competencies does Leadership Spotlight assess?

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    For frontline leaders, organizations can choose from 10 competencies: Coaching, Cultivating Networks and Partnerships, Customer Focus, Decision Making, Delegation and Empowerment, Driving Innovation, Facilitating Change, Influencing, Inspiring Others, and Managing Relationships. For mid-level leaders, Leadership Spotlight assesses Cultivating Networks and Partnerships, Establishing Strategic Direction, Leading Change, and Strategic Influence.

  • How long does Leadership Spotlight take?

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    Each frontline simulation takes approximately 10–15 minutes. Each mid-level simulation takes approximately 20–25 minutes. Total assessment time depends on the number of simulations assigned. No prework is required.

  • How does Leadership Spotlight differ from 360 feedback?

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    360 feedback gathers others’ perceptions of a leader’s behavior. Leadership Spotlight captures objective data on how leaders respond to realistic simulated challenges. The two approaches offer complementary perspectives for development.

  • What results do leaders and HR teams receive?

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    Leaders receive competency ratings, behavior-level feedback, and development recommendations. HR and talent teams can review group results through a dashboard to identify patterns across their leader populations. Optional feedback sessions and aggregate data reviews support interpretation and development planning.