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Performance Review Templates → Skills-Based → Leadership

Leadership Skills Performance Review Template

Use this template to evaluate leadership competencies for managers, directors, and senior ICs. Includes behavioral anchors, example phrases, and guidance for calibrating leadership across levels.

See how Confirm evaluates leadership →
For Managers & Directors

People Manager Leadership Template

1. Direction-Setting & Vision

Clarity of team direction. Ability to translate organizational strategy into team-level priorities that people understand and act on.

Exceeds Team has a shared, clear understanding of priorities even in ambiguous periods. Connects day-to-day work to company strategy without prompting. Others borrow their frameworks.
Meets Team understands priorities and direction. Communicates strategy effectively in team settings. Adjusts direction as context changes with minimal confusion.
Below Team members have inconsistent understanding of priorities. Direction shifts without clear communication. Reports frequently escalate to skip-level for clarity.
Example phrases:
  • "When the company pivoted strategy in Q3, this manager re-aligned the team within two weeks—no attrition, no confusion."
  • "Their team OKR structure is regularly referenced by other managers as a clarity benchmark."
  • "Team members can articulate why they're working on each project. Rare in any org."

2. People Development & Retention

Growth trajectory of direct reports. Promotion rate, attrition risk signals, and quality of coaching conversations.

Exceeds Multiple promotions in their team this cycle. Confirm flight risk scores are low. Engineers or ICs actively seek to join this manager's team.
Meets Direct reports are developing. Attrition is at or below org average. Coaching conversations are consistent and substantive.
Below Stagnant team development. Elevated flight risk on Confirm. Promotion readiness is lagging relative to tenure and expectations.
Example phrases:
  • "Three direct reports received promotion recommendations this cycle—highest promotion rate in the org."
  • "Confirm's ONA shows their team has the highest internal collaboration density, suggesting strong team health and low isolation risk."
  • "Two reports who previously showed flight risk signals recovered to engaged status after structured coaching from this manager."

3. Cross-Functional Influence

Ability to drive outcomes across teams without formal authority. Partnership quality with peer leaders.

Exceeds Sought out by peer leaders for strategic input. Shapes decisions beyond their org. Confirm's ONA shows they are a top connector across departments.
Meets Effective cross-functional partner. Represents their team's perspective clearly. Drives alignment on shared dependencies.
Below Cross-functional relationships have friction. Other teams work around them. Limited influence on decisions outside their direct scope.

4. Resilience & Composure

Modeling calm under pressure. Response to setbacks, failure, and organizational change. Impact on team morale during difficult periods.

Exceeds Team morale stays high through difficult periods because of this manager's composure. Setbacks are processed and reframed constructively. Failure is treated as learning.
Meets Manages stress without visibly destabilizing the team. Acknowledges difficulty without catastrophizing. Team remains functional during pressure periods.
Below Anxiety or frustration is transferred to the team. Setbacks produce blame or paralysis rather than learning. Team morale tracks manager's mood too closely.
For Senior ICs (Staff / Principal / Distinguished)

Senior IC Informal Leadership Template

1. Influence Without Authority

Ability to drive change and shape decisions without a management title. Degree to which others seek their guidance.

Exceeds Regularly drives org-wide decisions. People seek their input before making significant technical or strategic choices. Confirm's ONA shows them as a top network connector.
Meets Influences their domain effectively. Colleagues seek their expertise on relevant decisions. Respected voice in team and adjacent team discussions.
Below Influence is limited to their direct work. Rarely sought for input outside immediate tasks. Good work isn't generating broader credibility.
Example phrases:
  • "ONA data shows they are the most-consulted person on security architecture decisions across 5 teams—despite having no direct reports."
  • "Drove the API versioning standard that 4 teams now follow. No mandate required—teams adopted it because the proposal was that good."

2. Mentorship & Talent Development

Investment in growing more junior colleagues. Quality of mentorship conversations and knowledge transfer.

Exceeds Actively develops multiple junior colleagues. Their mentees visibly grow. Knowledge they've shared has reduced team dependency on any single person.
Meets Responsive mentor to team members who approach them. Code reviews are teaching opportunities, not just bug catches. Documents institutional knowledge.
Below Knowledge stays siloed. Junior colleagues are reluctant to ask for help. Their departure would create a significant knowledge gap.

Leadership reviews shouldn't be based on manager impressions alone.

Confirm's ONA surfaces actual influence networks—who people turn to for guidance, who's a connector, who's becoming isolated. Leadership reviews backed by behavioral data produce more accurate assessments and fairer promotion decisions.

40%
reduction in rating bias
80%
time saved on performance reviews
3 mo.
early flight risk detection
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