From gut to substantiation: the power of reliable leadership measurements

However, many organizations still rely on intuition for recruitment, leadership development and change processes, for example.

Intuition is valuable — but not objective. And certainly not enough at a time when leadership requires conscious, substantiated choices.

Measure what you don't see

Behavior is visible, but it doesn't tell the whole story. Beneath the surface lie beliefs, values, and motives — the real engine behind someone's choices. That's the explanation for why someone thrives or gets stuck, why teams stay in balance or clash.

An employee who is apparently successful can work against their own values every day. A manager who maintains control can lose energy precisely because their need for autonomy or significance is ignored.

A proven reliable motive measurement makes that undercurrent visible. Not to label, but to understand. And that makes the difference between responding and leading.

Why is reliability important?

When you're sailing on the open sea, you're not relying on a gamble.
You rely on your instruments, such as a reliable weather app.
One that shows what is really coming, and not what you think, hope or feel.

This is also how it works with motives in organizations.

An instrument only has value if it is reliable, consistent and independent of background or context.

Profile Dynamics' recent Cotan registration confirms that our driver questionnaire is exactly that: reliable, consistent and stable over time, with one standard group for everyone — regardless of age, gender, or cultural background.

For organizations, this means that decisions are no longer based on interpretation or coincidence, but on data that really says something about motivation and behavior.

Proven reliability is not an academic label; it is a prerequisite for honest leadership.

From behavior to meaningful decisions

What does that mean in practice?

At an organization in the healthcare sector, teams use driver analyses to determine who fits into their self-organizing structure. Not based on “who looks like who”, but on what the team needs. This ensures a balance between decisiveness and cooperation.

A municipality uses motive measurements in job interviews and conflict mediation. The question changes from “does this person fit the bill?” to “does this work match what this person really cares about?” The result: more ownership and less turnover.

And at a national implementation organization, insight into motives helps with cultural change — from top-down to learning and responsible.

In all these situations, the measurement acts as a compass: it reveals what was previously undiscussed.

The pitfall of assumptions

Without a substantiated measurement, we ourselves fill in what we think drives someone. We project our own values onto others:

A leader with a drive to perform primarily recognizes ambition. A harmony-oriented manager sees cooperation above all else.

These assumptions color selection decisions, assessments, leadership development, and cost organizations energy, time and talent.

A scientifically based motive measurement removes the noise from that process. She makes space for conversations based on insight rather than interpretation.

Leadership that measures what matters

Today's leaders face complex issues: hybrid work, diversity, mental health, talent scarcity.

All these themes ultimately revolve around one factor: motivation. What drives people determines how they deal with change, responsibility and cooperation.

If you want to understand that, you have to dare to measure. Not to pigeonhole people, but to do justice to their differences.

Substantive measurement requires professionalism — and builds trust. Trust that decisions are fair, that development processes are compatible, and that leadership not only provides direction, but meaning.

From gut to substantiation

Successful organizations don't base their decisions on accidental impressions, but on insight that lasts.

Proven reliable measurements are not a luxury, but a strategic foundation. They make leadership predictable, fair, and effective.

Whether it's about selection, cultural change or leadership development: it all starts with knowing what drives people.

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Explore here how scientifically based motive measurements help your organization make decisions with human insight

^{*Schmidt, F. L., & Hunter, J.E. (1998). The validity and utility of selection methods in personnel psychology: Practical and theoretical implications. Psychological Bulletin, 124 (2), 262—274 and; Google People Analytics (Project Oxygen, 2013—2019). Manager effectiveness and selection fit studies.}

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