Leadership Needs Assessment · 2026

Is There a Gap Between Who You Are
and How You Lead?

A structured inquiry into the formation needs of faith-based, marketplace, and organisational leaders — with specific attention to identity, purpose, and authority as integrated dimensions of sustainable leadership.

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Section 1 of 6

Respondent Profile

The following questions establish the demographic and contextual parameters of your leadership experience. This information enables disaggregated analysis across role types and contexts.

Question 1

Which of the following most accurately describes your current leadership identity? *

Select all that apply.

Faith-based leader / pastor / minister Business owner / entrepreneur Corporate professional / executive Team leader / manager Non-profit or social sector leader Other

Please select at least one option.

Question 2

How long have you been exercising a formal or recognised leadership role? *

Less than 2 years 2–5 years 6–10 years More than 10 years

Please select one option.

Question 3

Which of the following best characterises the primary context in which you exercise leadership? *

Faith / church / ministry context Marketplace / corporate context Both faith and marketplace contexts Other

Please select one option.

Section 2 of 6

Identity & Self-Concept in Leadership

The following items examine the degree to which leaders operate from a stable and internalised sense of personal identity, as distinct from externally-contingent self-regard. Respond in terms of your consistent experience, not your ideal or aspirational state.

Question 4

With what regularity do you find yourself seeking external validation or approval in order to sustain confidence in your leadership judgements? *

Rarely — my confidence is generally stable and internally grounded Occasionally — most pronounced in high-stakes situations Frequently — I regularly require affirmation to feel certain Almost consistently — this is a pervasive pattern in my leadership

Please select one option.

Question 5

To what extent is your sense of personal worth contingent upon your leadership performance and outcomes? *

Not at all contingent on performance Entirely contingent on performance

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Please select a value on the scale.

Question 6

Have you experienced a leadership season in which your sense of personal identity — distinct from your role or function — was significantly unclear or unstable? *

Yes — and I continue to navigate this presently Yes — though I have since arrived at greater clarity Periodically, in specific seasons of transition No — my sense of identity has remained consistently stable

Please select one option.

Question 7

When your leadership is subjected to challenge or criticism, which of the following most accurately reflects your habitual response? *

I receive it from a position of security — it does not destabilise my sense of self I process it cognitively but it produces an emotional reaction disproportionate to the situation It reliably produces self-doubt or defensive posturing My response is highly variable depending on the source and context

Please select one option.

Section 3 of 6

Vocational Clarity & Purposive Alignment

The following items assess the degree to which leaders operate from a coherent and explicitly-articulated sense of vocational purpose — and whether that purpose is functionally integrated with their current leadership activity.

Question 8

How precisely are you presently able to articulate your specific vocational purpose or God-given leadership assignment? *

No articulable clarity Fully articulated and confirmed

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Please select a value on the scale.

Question 9

Which of the following most accurately characterises your current relationship with vocational purpose? *

Select all that apply.

I can identify my gifts but struggle to integrate them into a coherent assignment I am engaged in meaningful work but cannot confirm it corresponds to my current season I am aware of leading from personal ambition rather than divine direction I have clarity about my calling but lack a framework sufficient to operationalise it I understand purpose to be seasonal but am uncertain which season I currently occupy I consider myself presently aligned — purpose and activity are coherent

Please select at least one option.

Question 10

With what regularity do you find yourself operating in your area of primary gifting and vocational assignment, as distinct from filling a role that does not fully correspond to your design? *

Rarely — the majority of my work does not reflect my primary gifting Occasionally — alignment exists in specific moments but not consistently Frequently — I am largely in my sphere with residual misalignment Consistently — I lead from my design across most of my responsibilities

Please select one option.

Section 4 of 6

Authority, Boundaries & Sustainable Exercise of Leadership

The following items explore how leaders relate to the authority they carry — including their capacity to remain within appropriate boundaries, exercise influence without overreach, and sustain leadership without structural depletion.

Question 11

Which of the following most accurately describes your current relationship with leadership authority? *

Select all that apply.

I experience persistent uncertainty in decision-making, leading to hesitancy or second-guessing I tend toward over-functioning — assuming responsibilities that exceed my delegated sphere I withdraw from situations requiring direct authority, particularly in conflict I find delegation and releasing control structurally difficult There is inconsistency between my public leadership presentation and my private conduct I exercise authority with confidence and operate within appropriate boundaries

Please select at least one option.

Question 12

To what degree do you experience ease and congruence in the exercise of authority within your current leadership role? *

Significant discomfort or incongruence Full ease and congruence

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Please select a value on the scale.

Question 13

Have you experienced leadership exhaustion, burnout, or the sustained sense of carrying responsibilities beyond your appropriate mandate? *

Yes — this describes my present experience Yes — I have navigated this in a previous season with significant impact Periodically, during particular seasons of intensity No — my leadership has remained within a broadly sustainable pace

Please select one option.

Question 14

Have you encountered tension between the authority you carry and the cultural, institutional, or theological expectations placed upon you as a leader — whether on the basis of gender, role, or context? *

Yes — this represents an ongoing and unresolved tension Yes — I navigated this in a prior season Occasionally, contingent on the specific context or institution This has not been a feature of my leadership experience

Please select one option.

Section 5 of 6

Integration, Formation & Developmental Needs

The following items examine the degree to which identity, purpose, and authority are experienced as integrated dimensions of leadership — and whether leaders currently possess a formative framework capable of sustaining that integration.

Question 15

To what degree do your sense of identity, clarity of purpose, and exercise of authority presently function as an integrated and coherent whole, rather than as disconnected or competing dimensions? *

Largely fragmented — each dimension operates independently Fully integrated — all three dimensions are mutually reinforcing

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Please select a value on the scale.

Question 16

Which of the following most precisely characterises your present developmental experience? *

I have a stable sense of identity but cannot translate it into a coherent vocational direction I have clarity regarding my vocation but lack the personal security required to pursue it fully I understand my calling but have not developed sufficient authority or confidence to enact it Identity, purpose, and authority are presently integrated and mutually reinforcing

Please select one option.

Question 17

Do you currently have access to a structured framework or formative programme that addresses your development as a leader at the level of person — not merely at the level of competency or skill? *

No — and I am actively aware of the absence of such a resource No — this framing has not previously been part of my developmental thinking I have some resource, though it does not adequately address formation at this level Yes — I have an established framework that addresses formative development comprehensively

Please select one option.

Section 6 of 6

Framework Relevance & Respondent Insight

The final section introduces the IPA framework and invites your assessment of its relevance to your stated needs. The open-response items at the close of this section are optional but highly valued.

Question 18

A leadership formation framework has been developed that works through three sequential and interdependent pillars: Identity (the grounding of leadership in a secure and divinely-anchored sense of personhood), Purpose (the articulation and alignment of vocational assignment with divine design), and Authority (the confident and accountable exercise of delegated influence within a defined sphere). To what degree does this framework correspond to developmental needs you have identified in the preceding questions? *

Not at all relevant to my developmental needs Directly and urgently relevant

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Please select a value on the scale.

Question 19

Which pillar of the IPA framework represents the most urgent developmental priority for you at this time? *

Identity — I require greater security and stability in my foundational sense of self Purpose — I require greater clarity regarding my specific assignment and current season Authority — I require greater confidence and structure in the enactment of my mandate All three pillars — they represent interconnected and simultaneous developmental needs

Please select one option.

Question 20

Which of the following delivery formats would best facilitate your engagement with a formation programme of this nature? *

Select all that apply.

Residential retreat or intensive (in-person) Live online cohort (structured, peer-accompanied) Self-directed online programme Small group or church-based curriculum Individual mentoring or coaching engagement Printed workbook or self-study journal

Please select at least one option.

Question 21 (optional)

What conditions would need to be satisfied for you to consider a programme of this nature a substantive and worthwhile investment of your time and resources?

Question 22 (optional)

In your own words, what is the single most significant developmental challenge you are presently navigating as a leader — the one for which you most urgently need a structured response?

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Thank You

Your responses have been recorded. They will contribute directly to the continued development of the IPA framework — ensuring that it addresses the genuine and documented needs of leaders, rather than assumed ones.

If you left your contact details, you will receive information about early access opportunities as the programme develops.

"Identity anchors leadership. Purpose directs it. Authority follows."
— Marilyn · Identity Architect

Is There a Gap Between Who You Areand How You Lead?

Participant Information

Thank You

Is There a Gap Between Who You Are
and How You Lead?