Assess for the Best: The Top 5 Team Coaching Assessments That Actually Move the Needle.

Assess for the Best: The Top 5 Team Coaching Assessments That Actually Move the Needle. 

Hey leaders! 👋 

Let's talk about something that's been driving me crazy in the executive coaching space: The assessment overwhelm. 

I've got CHROs calling me saying, "We've done Myers-Briggs, DISC, StrengthsFinder, Enneagram, and three other assessments I can't even pronounce, but our team dynamics still aren't where they need to be." 

Sound familiar? Here's the problem: Not all assessments are created equal, and most organizations are using the wrong tools for team development. 

After working with hundreds of C-suite teams and seeing what actually creates breakthrough results, I'm giving you my definitive countdown of the 5 best team coaching assessments that will transform how your leadership team operates. 

#5: Team Diagnostic Survey (TDS) - The MIT Approach to Team Effectiveness 

Starting at number 5, the Team Diagnostic Survey from MIT's Center for Collective Intelligence brings academic rigor to team assessment. 

This tool measures the six conditions that research shows are essential for team effectiveness: real team structure, compelling direction, enabling structure, supportive context, expert coaching, and adequate resources. 

What I appreciate about TDS is that it doesn't just look at individual personalities—it examines the systemic conditions that make teams succeed or fail. When teams are struggling, TDS often reveals it's not about personality conflicts, but missing foundational elements like unclear direction or inadequate support systems. 

The limitation? It's more diagnostic than developmental. You'll get a clear picture of what's wrong, but you'll need additional tools and interventions to fix it. 

Best for: Teams that suspect their challenges are more about structure and systems than individual personalities, and organizations committed to evidence-based team development. 

#4: CliftonStrengths - Playing to Individual Strengths 

At number 4, we have CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder). Marcus Buckingham revolutionized leadership thinking with this approach, and for good reason. 

When teams understand and leverage individual strengths, performance improves dramatically. Your Strategic thinker stops trying to be the Relationship Builder, and your Achiever stops getting frustrated with your Deliberative planner. 

The challenge? It's primarily individual-focused. You get great insights about each person, but translating that into team dynamics and collaborative effectiveness requires additional work most organizations don't do. 

Best for: Teams needing to optimize individual performance and reduce friction caused by mismatched expectations. 

#3: Everything DiSC Work of Leaders - Behavioral Adaptability 

Number 3 goes to Everything DiSC Work of Leaders. This isn't your basic DISC assessment—this is behavioral science applied to leadership challenges. 

What I love about this tool: It focuses on behavioral flexibility in leadership situations. It helps leaders understand how their natural style impacts others and when they need to stretch beyond their comfort zone. 

The insight that a High D (Dominant) leader needs to slow down and involve others in decision-making, or that a High S (Steady) leader needs to create more urgency—these are game-changers for team effectiveness. 

Best for: Established leadership teams that need to improve their collective leadership effectiveness and adaptability. 

#2: Predictive Index (PI) - The Science of Team Dynamics 

At number 2, Predictive Index brings data-driven precision to team assessment. This isn't just personality profiling—this is workforce science. 

PI gives you objective data about behavioral drives, cognitive ability, and team dynamics. When you can see exactly how much dominance, extraversion, patience, and formality each team member brings, you can engineer team composition for optimal performance. 

The team chemistry reports are incredibly powerful for understanding why certain combinations work and others don't. Plus, the simplicity of the four-factor model makes it practical for ongoing application. 

Best for: Data-driven organizations that want scientific precision in team optimization and succession planning. 

#1: The 6 Types of Working Genius - The Game Changer 

And the number 1 assessment for team coaching effectiveness: Patrick Lencioni's 6 Types of Working Genius. 

Here's why this tool is revolutionizing how I work with C-suite teams: It's the only assessment that directly addresses how work actually gets done. 

Every other assessment tells you about personality, behavior, or strengths. Working Genius tells you about the six stages of work that every project, initiative, or strategic objective must go through: 

• Wonder: Pondering and questioning 

• Invention: Creating and coming up with new ideas 

• Discernment: Intuiting and evaluating ideas and situations 

• Galvanizing: Rallying and inspiring others 

• Enablement: Providing and caring for others 

• Tenacity: Pushing through and sustaining 

Each person has 2 areas of Working Genius, 2 areas of Working Competency, and 2 areas of Working Frustration. 

Why Working Genius Transforms Team Effectiveness 

Here's what makes this assessment unprecedented for executive teams: 

It explains why your brilliant strategic planning sessions fall apart in execution. Maybe you have too much Wonder and Invention but no one with Galvanizing or Tenacity genius. 

It shows why some team members seem disengaged. They're being asked to work in their areas of frustration instead of their genius. 

It creates immediate operational improvements. You can literally redesign how your team approaches projects based on everyone's Working Genius. 

I've seen C-suite teams have breakthrough moments within 30 minutes of understanding their Working Genius profiles. Suddenly, the CFO understands why they hate brainstorming sessions (no Invention genius) but love refining ideas (Discernment genius). The CHRO realizes why they're energized by rallying people around change initiatives (Galvanizing genius) but drained by long-term project management (no Tenacity genius). 

The Practical Application 

This isn't just insight—it's immediate operational transformation. Teams start assigning work based on Working Genius, structuring meetings to leverage everyone's gifts, and stopping the energy drain of forcing people to work in their areas of frustration. 

The result? Teams that actually enjoy working together while achieving better results. 

The Bottom Line 

Most assessments give you interesting insights that sit in binders on shelves. Working Genius gives you a framework that transforms how work gets done every single day. 

When Josh Bersin talks about the future of work, when Marshall Goldsmith focuses on behavioral change that sticks, when Marcus Buckingham emphasizes playing to strengths—they're all pointing toward what Working Genius actually delivers: teams that work in their natural genius zones while covering all the essential stages of getting work done. 

What's your take? Have you been using assessments that give you insights but not transformation? 

Drop a comment below and let me know which assessment has created the biggest breakthrough for your team. And if you're ready to move beyond personality profiling to actual work optimization, reach out. Working Genius integration is exactly the kind of practical transformation that separates high-performing teams from everyone else. 

Like and share if you want to use the best assessments and want your fellow leaders to know the tools that actually transform how work gets done. Also, share what your go to assessments has been, below. 

Keep optimizing for genius, 

Dr. Lepora