High Potential Trait Indicator

Mr. Dhananjay Mori

High Potential Trait Indicator: Leadership Potential

30/03/2024
Private & Confidential
Norms : HPTI 2016 norms
 Table of Contents
3 Introduction
4 Results Dashboard
5 Acting On Your Report
6 Conscientiousness
7 Adjustment
8 Curiosity
9 Risk Approach
10 Ambiguity Acceptance
12 Competitiveness

©Thomas International UK Limited 2012 - 2024 2

About this report Interpreting your scores
The High Potential Trait Indicator (HPTI) measures six key traits which
affect work performance. Most importantly for you, it also indicates the
sorts of approach someone may use if they achieve a senior leadership
position, and suggests where that style might be most effective.

What is potential? What is personality?

There are as many different Personality is a stable psychological
definitions of potential as concept that influences our thoughts,
there are types of success. emotions and behaviour. Personality is
Broadly speaking, ‘high unlikely to change significantly
potential’ means a high throughout adulthood.
probability of success. In this
case, it is the probability of Each trait measured in the HPTI is stable
succeeding in a senior and consistent across career spans,
leadership position. although particular traits are less variable We tend to interpret high scores on tests as ‘good’
over time and more important to and low scores as ‘bad’. This is often not the case,
particular careers or situations than and is definitely not true for the HPTI.
other traits.
As you will see from your results, scores on each
trait are described as ‘Low’, ‘Moderate’, ‘Optimal’ or
Understanding your report ‘Excessive’.
The HPTI traits are important, but are not the only ingredients of
senior leadership potential and effectiveness. The following factors Optimal scores fit very well with most senior
will also play a part: leadership roles.

You may be able to adapt your moderate traits to

senior leadership roles, particularly if it is quite close
to the Optimal zone.

A ‘Low’ or ‘Excessive’ personality trait may reduce

your senior leadership effectiveness in certain
contexts, but may suit other specific roles.

The key point is that every set of scores indicates a

preferred leadership style and the report offers
The more you understand your strengths and development needs some ideas which could help develop leadership
in all these areas, the more likely you will match your actual behaviours: just because you scored outside the
performance to your potential. Effective leaders continually work optimum band does not mean you cannot lead.
on self-development.

Each section in this report discusses how personality traits are

related to senior leadership capacity.

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 Mr. Dhananjay Mori's Results Dashboard

Conscientiousness Adjustment Curiosity

Those who rate themselves as being High adjustment scores suggest Those with high curiosity scores often
highly conscientious tend to be focused calmness under pressure and fewer like novelty, learning and variety. By
on goals and how to reach them. They feelings of stress. Those who report contrast, lower curiosity suggests a
will usually be self-motivated. Those lower adjustment tend to experience liking for tried and tested methods and
who score lower on this trait tend to more stress and worry. consistency.
be more easy-going, spontaneous and
open to new insights.

Risk Approach Ambiguity Acceptance Competitiveness

Those who score high on risk approach Those with high ambiguity acceptance High competitiveness scores are typical
tend to be proactive in confronting usually thrive on uncertainty and of people who enjoy positions of
challenging situations and difficult complexity. Those who find it more power, influence and recognition. Less
conversations. A lower risk approach difficult to cope with ambiguity may like competitive people prefer cooperation
typically indicates a more passive or situations where there are clear-cut and collaboration; they may dislike the
reactive response to potential risk. answers and solutions. spotlight.

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Acting on your report
HPTI does not claim to predict your future career and whether you will become a senior leader. Many factors contribute to achieving
our goals: some are outside our control; we can work on others such as our skills and knowledge. While the traits that HPTI measures
are relatively stable, you can develop and change the behaviours that they drive, and find types of work and environment that suit your
style best.

As you read: Set SMART goals to develop skills, experience

and knowledge. SMART goals are:
• Try to think of specific relevant examples from your own work that
illuminate the points made. • Specific: identifies a very particular
behaviour that can be developed. It’s
• Tick statements you particularly agree with and put a cross beside not a matter of opinion whether the
those you disagree with. No assessment can sum up a human being goal has been reached or not.
with absolute accuracy.
• Measurable: has a particular number
• This report reflects your responses. Think about why you might have or quantity which can be measured.
described yourself in that way.
• Actionable: involves doing very
• Try to think about which trait or traits, will help you to achieve your specific things.
own goals in your present role.
• Realistic: is possible and achievable not
• This report might prompt you to articulate your longer-term goals just a piece of wishful thinking.
more fully and clearly. A lot of us never do this explicitly. You might
begin to see the career developments that are realistic. • Timely: within an appropriate and
clearly defined time frame.
• Think about your colleagues. How are they similar or different from
you? Are there any of your own traits that you see in others? Do you
find others, with very different personality traits, challenging to work
with? It may be useful to ask them to take HPTI and then compare
results.

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 Conscientiousness
Your Score
You seem to like to see work tasks done well and are quite motivated
by success. You are fairly organised, but could plan some things better.
However, you may be less interested in detail compared with some
colleagues. Starting and completing tasks is sometimes a challenge,
though you can work well at the last minute when necessary. This
means you can probably work very efficiently, but may also let small
errors or details slip through unnoticed.

Conscientiousness is an asset for most types of work though in excess

it can lead to perfectionist and workaholic behaviours and, in some
roles, might stop creativity and innovation. This should not be a
problem for you. You probably like to feel a sense of achievement at
work, value your successes and use them to motivate yourself.
Definition
Conscientiousness is important for most senior leadership positions.
Conscientiousness combines self-discipline, an Your level of conscientiousness is appropriate for these sorts of roles;
organised approach to work and the ability to neither obsessed with detail nor too relaxed about it. You have good
control impulses which others might give in to. levels of motivation without the danger of workaholic or obsessive
Highly conscientious people tend to make work behaviours.
concrete plans. They motivate themselves to
work. They seem driven to achieve goals.
Developing your senior leadership style
Individuals with lower conscientiousness are If you want to build on your existing characteristic behaviours to get a
more casual about deadlines and quality control more rounded leadership style, these ideas may help:
but may be open to new ideas. They seem to
‘go with the flow’. • Learn about different leadership positions to discover where
you would fit best. Different levels of seniority require
Implications for senior different levels of organisation vs. adaptability.

leadership • Experiment with different types of leadership role on smaller

projects and team exercises. Given your profile here and other
Those who are highly conscientious are strengths, which areas do you feel most effective in: creative or
attentive to detail and ensure tasks are process-driven roles; those relating to people or to things?
completed to higher standards, but there is a
danger that over-conscientious leaders may • Ask for feedback on your strengths and challenges to add to
the information you can work on.
undervalue more spontaneous insights and
hunches, thus missing opportunities. • More senior levels of leadership often require greater
conscientiousness; identify the level of responsibility that you
Leaders with low conscientiousness can miss would feel most comfortable with by testing yourself with
details, may have trouble setting individual and challenging assignments.
team goals, but are very adaptable, open to new
insights and tend not to get stressed or
overworked.

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 Adjustment
Your Score
You react much more calmly to stress at work than others and are
unlikely to blame yourself for events that are beyond your control. At
work you are usually even-tempered, calm and productive, even in
stressful situations. You are much less likely to experience anxiety or
frustration with yourself or others at work. Instead, you feel positively
about your work and others’.

Your score suggests you have real potential as a senior leader in this
respect (remembering the other skills and characteristics that
contribute to great leadership which are mentioned earlier in this
report.) Ability to adjust to pressure and stress becomes more
important the more senior the job as more is at stake.

Definition Whatever their score on the traits HPTI measures, everyone should
continue to work on them and develop their skills to be prepared for
Adjustment scores indicate how individuals react new challenges, changing times and more responsibility. Below are
emotionally to stress, external events, pressures. some ideas for development activities. Choose the ones which seem
most relevant to your present situation and for your future career.
People with low adjustment scores tend to think
more negative thoughts and become
preoccupied with negative emotions. They are
Developing your senior leadership style
more likely to be self-conscious about their If you want to build on your existing characteristic behaviours to get a
work and how they behave around others. They more rounded leadership style, these ideas may help:
can become preoccupied with the opinions of
others and may worry about what others would • Other people react more overtly to stress than you. Your
see as trivial issues. calmness might be misread as disengagement and coldness, so
ensure you talk to people and sympathise if they are obviously
High adjustment is often related to feeling stressed.
positive about one’s own work and • Some stress aids performance: too much calmness might
relationships. Those with higher adjustment can reduce performance below optimum levels. Occasionally seek
shrug off stresses and strains. out situations which challenge you and make you slightly
uncomfortable. That is the essence of senior management; the
Implications for senior ability to manage change rather than be derailed by it. You may
be suited to change management in terms of organisational
leadership activity.
Adjustment is important at higher levels of • Because you are resilient to most stress, you may have less
leadership. Senior leadership positions involve practice than others in dealing with strong reactions to
greater pressure and stress, and typically involve extremely stressful or challenging situations. Test out your
more varied and sometimes emotionally limits when you feel prepared, the consequences of failure are
charged interactions with others. So being able low and you have support.
to shrug off pressure ensures that a leader’s
• Everyone needs activities that can reduce general stress. So try
performance is unaffected by external
to do physical exercise, avoid excessive working hours and find
conditions. However, too much adjustment can hobbies that relax you.
also be a problem. It can make leaders seem
cold and make them underestimate the real • Be mindful of how your actions affect others, and consider
difficulties individuals and organisations face. how you communicate with others with low adjustment. Things
that do not bother you may worry others.

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 Curiosity
Your Score
You will tend to be interested in new ideas and methods at work and
enjoy learning them. You may take the time to consider the advantages
and disadvantages of different ideas and methods. However, you are
unlikely to be so focused on novelty that you innovate for its own sake.
You will not throw out tried and trusted methods just to prove you
can.

You are happy to share new information with others and to discuss
different alternatives and viewpoints. On occasion, you may become
frustrated with people who block justified innovation and novelty.

Leadership often involves carrying people through change. However,

some functions require the consistent application of quality-assured
Definition techniques and some teams and organisations have to be relatively
stable. You have an appropriate attitude to curiosity and novelty. This
This describes how people approach innovation, suggests you have real potential as a senior leader in this respect
change, new information, methods and (remembering the other skills and characteristics that contribute to
approaches. great leadership, which are mentioned earlier in this report.) An
optimum amount of curiosity will allow leaders to steer organisations
High scorers tend to search for new through all stages of the business cycle.
information and alternative methods of getting
work done but may undervalue existing work Whatever their score on the traits HPTI measures, everyone should
methods. continue to work on them and develop their skills to be prepared for
new challenges, changing times and more responsibility. Below are
Lower curiosity values tried and tested some ideas for development activities. Choose the ones which seem
approaches, can be suspicious of new most relevant to your present situation and for your future career.
information and may dislike experimenting with
new techniques.
Developing your senior leadership style
Implications for senior If you want to build on your existing characteristic behaviours to get a
more rounded leadership style, these ideas may help:
leadership
It is often said that to stay the same is to lose • Develop your knowledge and skills in a number of different
ground, so good leaders must constantly areas. Good leaders know enough about an area to be credible
evaluate information and look for ways to without necessarily being a leading expert in any one. Wider
knowledge is important for senior leadership as opposed to
change and improve performance. Leaders who
specialist knowledge for focused management.
are not open to new information can stick to
old ways of working long after they’ve become • Use different areas of your life; sports, work and family to get
a problem. On the other hand, leaders who used to different kinds of people and different approaches to
implement change for change’s sake can problems.
demotivate staff and can drop perfectly good,
• Learn more about change management and creativity in
established ways of doing things. Different
business. These are likely to be areas where you will find
attitudes to new ideas will be valuable at
yourself working.
different stages in the business cycle.
• Increase your professional network and learn from others who
have experience of change. A coach or confidant will help you
try out ideas and examine their possible effects.

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 Risk Approach
Your Score
You seem to prefer to confront difficult situations straightaway and
solve any problems as soon as they arise. Solving problems will tend to
be more important to you than how this impacts on other people’s
feelings. You take risks at work, and handle challenging projects even
when they may be stretching your own knowledge or abilities.

Senior leaders deal with risk everyday: some say it’s the defining
element in the leadership role. Calculated risk-taking is a key part of
certain leadership jobs. Sometimes, as in the need to make
redundancies, leaders find themselves disliked and blamed, while still
needing to take unpopular decisions. Senior leadership positions in
expanding and changing organisations, or those seeking to recover
from a difficult period will really appeal to you. You are likely to be
Definition comfortable handling these sorts of issues but you may be prone to an
excessive interest in risk and enjoyment of confrontation, which may
Risk approach indicates how someone deals reduce your effectiveness. Your tendency to take risks will allow you to
with challenging, difficult or threatening seize opportunities, but at times may lead to major mistakes as you go
situations. beyond your skills and knowledge. You may get a reputation as
someone who does not weigh up the consequences of your actions.
People who score high consider a broad range
of options, choose whichever they believe to be
the best one and then act quickly. They are
Developing your senior leadership style
willing to confront challenges directly and If you want to build on your existing characteristic behaviours to get a
immediately. more rounded leadership style, these ideas may help:

Individuals with lower risk approach scores tend • Learn more about your colleagues’ levels of risk approach and
to avoid challenges or conflict until they have no understand when you need to be a bit more cautious or
other choice. diplomatic with certain people.

• Focus your energy on the problems or challenges that offer the

Implications for senior greatest benefits. Avoid getting caught up in conflicts that are
not a good use of your time.
leadership
• Your risk approach style has many advantages, but others with
Leaders should be able to confront problems,
a more cautious approach may find you aggressive or
take calculated risks, have difficult conversations confrontational. Be aware of this. Add to your arsenal of
and consider a range of options. They often techniques for addressing difficult issues: assertiveness training
need to react as quickly as possible rather than will be important for someone with your style.
putting off difficult tasks. In essence, courage is
an important part of a leader’s armoury. • Risk can be stressful. Make sure you look after your physical
However, if leaders react in an emotional way, health and develop mental techniques for relaxing.
without thinking, they may find they are making • Risk can be addictive. Make sure you put in place systems to
problems worse. This might cause stress and a evaluate the riskiness of new ideas: the more fully developed
feeling of being out of control. the better. Always insist on a downside analysis for any plan to
assess the worst case scenario.
So, different leadership roles will require
different attitudes to risk: for some leaders, risk
must be addressed quickly, in other cases a
more considered attitude is essential.

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 Ambiguity Acceptance
Your Score
You are likely to accept complex, unclear situations, even though you
prefer a degree of stability and structure at work. You see complexity
and uncertainty as challenging and sometimes interesting. However, if
people or situations get too ambiguous you may find yourself feeling
less comfortable. Structured tasks, objectives and methods should
form the basis of your work, but they should not be too structured:
you prefer some flexibility in how you get things done.

You may enjoy some complex problems, but dislike it when people
regularly send mixed messages or are not direct with you. You usually
like to have a yes or no answer to a question, and clear solutions for
most problems.

Definition Senior leadership often involves dealing with a lot of ambiguity. Leaders
face problems where there are many solutions, basing their decisions
Ambiguity acceptance describes people's on uncertain and incomplete information given by people with mixed
reaction to complexity and contradictory motives. You slightly prefer simpler, clearer problems and information
information: situations where outcomes, so your leadership potential would probably suit an organisation that
decisions and evidence are not immediately has some structure, with clear guidelines for performance and
obvious or clear. behaviour and relatively straightforward success criteria. However, you
may not enjoy working in organisations that take away all judgement
Individuals with high ambiguity acceptance enjoy and present work pre-packaged. You are likely to get bored without
such situations. some complexity and ambiguity. You may find organisations or business
that you see as overly rigid, dogmatic or authoritarian difficult to work
Individuals with low ambiguity acceptance prefer with.
straightforward problems, situations and
solutions.
Developing your senior leadership style
If you want to build on your existing characteristic behaviours to get a
Implications for senior more rounded leadership style, these ideas may help:
leadership
• The capacity to make use of mixed information and thrive in
Ambiguity acceptance becomes more important complex situations is very important for leadership. Use your
at higher levels of leadership. Leaders are moderate level of ambiguity acceptance to search out
constantly presented with mixed information, information and thrive in complexity when possible, but to also
conflicting opinions and different options. They be decisive when necessary.
must be able to cope and thrive when faced • Learn and consider the value of people who have much higher
with them, deciding on important issues without and lower levels of ambiguity acceptance. Those with lower
being overwhelmed. ambiguity acceptance tend to be better with detail and
structure, while those with higher ambiguity acceptance thrive
High scorers will often like and thrive in this sort with uncertainty and complexity. Your mid-point range means
of situation. Ambiguity acceptance can be a you may be able to understand both approaches more than
characteristic of businesses and organisations those with extreme scores and help to clarify communication
which have flexible policies. between many different colleagues.

• Explore different situations and understand the level of

On the other hand, people with lower scores specificity you need in your job, and the level of flexibility in
may be fitted to lead organisations where clearly your job where you work most effectively.
documented business processes and guidelines
are essential to meet contract requirements,
ensure quality, or meet technical necessities. In

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 such cultures, high scorers might get bored or
over-complicate simple issues.

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 Competitiveness
Your Score
You can probably work in fairly competitive environments, but may
find intense competition stressful or difficult. Friendly competition is
enjoyable, in your view, but very aggressive, ‘winner takes all’
competition does not appeal to you. You care less than some people
about winning, though when you do you are quite pleased.

You can be equally happy leading and being led. However, you are
likely to get less satisfaction than other people from being in a position
of power or from feeling you are better than others at your work.
This means you can be flexible in different types of roles at work and
may not need frequent recognition or awards to stay motivated.

While you could lead in moderately target driven, competitive

Definition environments, you will also need a degree of collaboration to feel
completely at home.
Competitiveness describes people's relative
desire to win, need for power and reaction to
winning and losing. Developing your senior leadership style
If you want to build on your existing characteristic behaviours to get a
Individuals with higher competitiveness need to more rounded leadership style, these ideas may help:
feel that their achievements are recognised and
appreciated. Higher competitiveness can drive • Use less important, perhaps leisure, activities to test out your
performance and a desire to self-improve. competitive instincts.

• Strengthen a range of leadership skills in emotional intelligence,

Individuals with lower competitiveness feel less
influencing and assertion.
need for control and are less focused on
rewards or recognition. • Learn more about how teams work. This is a growing area of
organisational focus. Good leaders will often build strong teams
round them and this would suit your style.
Implications for senior
leadership • Identify less competitive team members and let them set
competitive targets. Both very competitive and more
Many leaders are very competitive and collaborative parts of an organisation are critical to
competition can be used to improve team effectiveness
performance. Competitive people often rise to
• Praise others’ work. They may be more reliant on external
positions that give them more power or
praise than you.
influence. Competitiveness is positive when it is
used to encourage group performance • Look at the sector your organisation works in and rate exactly
improvements, but not when leaders compete how competitive it is. On this basis look at your internal
simply to bolster their egos. Where group procedures and systems.
efforts are key, a leader with low
competitiveness is essential to draw in varying
talents.

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 HPTI is part of a range of assessments that empower
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