Hogan
See what really drives your leaders, how they impact others, and what shifts when the pressure is on.
13 million+
people assessed
75%
of the Fortune 500
40+
languages
50+
countries
Every leader and every team operates from a blueprint: the values, traits and behavioural patterns that drive how decisions are made, how people show up and how they respond under pressure. Much of that blueprint sits outside our awareness, yet others experience it every day.
Hogan makes that blueprint visible by measuring more than 100 personality factors. The real value lies in the interpretation. Drawing on 20 years of working with Hogan, I translate the data into a clear, practical picture of how someone leads, collaborates and performs, and what will help them grow.
Much of that blueprint sits outside our awareness, yet others experience it every day.
Identity and ‘Reputation’
Most leaders judge themselves by their intentions. Everyone else judges them by what they actually say and do.
Identity
The story we tell ourselves about who we are, and what we intend by our actions and behaviour.
‘Reputation’
The story others create about us: what people actually think and feel. Each conversation, email, reaction and moment of silence adds to that story. Over time, it shapes trust, followership and the impact a leader can have.
Hogan captures how you see yourself, then predicts your ‘reputation’ and the impact you have on others.
Every leader has blind spots in the gap between how they see themselves and how they come across. That gap is often where the most valuable insight lies, and where the fastest progress is made.
Three assessments, one clear picture
HPI
Hogan Personality Inventory
How do your leaders impact others?
Day to day, some come across as calm and steady, others as tense or easily frustrated. Some are confident and competitive, others more modest and collaborative. Some relish detail and rules, others prefer freedom and new ideas. And beneath these broad patterns, we may surface levels of anxiety, guilt, self-doubt and negative self-talk, how someone takes criticism, and what might undermine their confidence.
MVPI
Motives, Values, Preferences Inventory
What really drives your leaders?
Some are driven by recognition: attention, approval and praise. Others by power: success, accomplishment, status and control. Some need security, stability and safety, and will steer away from risk. Others are motivated by money and commercial success. These drivers form early in life and work largely below the surface. They decide what a leader notices, rewards or ignores in others, and so shape the culture they create, often without them realising.
HDS
Hogan Development Survey
What shifts in your leaders when the pressure is on?
Under pressure, whether from deadlines, conflict, fatigue or even boredom, everyone falls back on familiar strategies, many of which are not helpful. Knowing which shifts are more likely allows leaders to recognise the early signs and adapt accordingly.
Not types or colours. Unlike tools that sort people into boxes, Hogan measures more than 100 personality factors on a continuum, backed by decades of research validated against real-world performance.
Under pressure, leaders react in different ways
Some…
- withdraw
- become guarded
- quietly resist
Others…
- push harder
- take bigger risks
- dominate the room
And others…
- become perfectionistic
- become overly eager to please
While some leaders mix and match all three.
How I use Hogan
The data is only the starting point.
Interpreting Hogan well means reading scores in combination and in context: the role, the team, the culture and what the business needs. Drawing on 20 years of working with Hogan, I see the patterns behind the numbers and turn them into conversations and actions that make a real difference.
Hiring at senior level
A senior hire is one of the most expensive decisions a business makes, and one of the hardest to undo. Interviews show how candidates present themselves. Hogan shows how they are likely to lead, what will drive them and how they will behave under pressure. Mapped against the role and the team they will join, it reduces the risk of a costly mismatch and gives a new leader a head start on their development from day one.
Executive coaching
Hogan is almost always where my coaching begins. Rather than spending months uncovering patterns, we start with a clear, objective picture of what drives a leader, how they come across and what happens under pressure. That makes every session more focused, and the progress faster and more lasting.
Developing leaders
Hogan feedback gives leaders an honest, objective view of how they come across, what drives them and what is likely to trip them up. It is often the moment the penny drops. From there, development is focused on the few things that will make the biggest difference, rather than generic training.
Building teams and culture
Combined across a team or leadership group, Hogan shows the culture people are likely to create, where they will pull together, where friction will arise and where pressure will show first. It gives teams a shared language to talk about how they work, and leaders the insight to shape the culture the business needs.
For larger programmes, I can draw on a trusted network of experienced business psychologists.
What my research shows
My own analysis of Hogan data, drawn from global studies of leaders, professionals and entrepreneurs, points to a consistent profile of successful leaders.
01
They are driven
A strong desire for success and influence, with the energy to get things done.
02
They stay steady under pressure
They don’t get frazzled, so unhelpful pressure behaviours are less likely to be triggered.
03
They have an edge
Confidence, presence and a willingness to take charge.
04
They stay visible
They remain available to their people, even in a crisis.
Two factors stood out above all: the ability to manage stress and pressure, and the ability to hold oneself in check. For leaders who are ambitious and willing, these can be managed with self-awareness, but they are hard to change, which makes them critical when hiring for people leadership roles.
50–75%
of founders studied shared the same five pressure patterns, which tend to surface as the business grows
FOUNDERS AND ENTREPRENEURS
What works for the founder can hold a growing business back
Founders often thrive on pressure. Their energy, passion, independence, creativity and appetite for risk are exactly what a new business or start-up needs. But as the business grows, and with it the need for more structure and role definition, the downside starts to show. Energy can turn into volatility, sharp insight into mistrust, and an appetite for risk into impulsiveness, and now other people feel the impact. The founder finds themselves at a tipping point: stay with the old patterns or adapt. Often the answer is to bring in an MD or CEO with the right leadership profile, and the right kind of HR support, freeing the founder to focus on what they do best. With self-awareness, coaching and the right team around them, that drive can be channelled into building something that lasts and can really grow.
Start with a conversation
Book a free 30-minute call to explore what Hogan insight could reveal about your leaders and teams.
