We determine how personality and experience have prepared an executive for the mammoth challenges and responsibilities inherent in leading any company.

Based on extensive behavioral interviews and in-depth assessments of senior executives at multiple Fortune 500 companies, our SaFE™ assessment methodology differentiates senior executives from one another based on their characteristic ways of thinking, relating to others and aligning themselves with their companies. Unique in that it does not rely on subjective impressions of other individuals (i.e., 360° feedback) or reported self-insights by the candidates themselves, the SaFE™ assessment is an objective methodology that utilizes information provided by executives during extensive behavioral (i.e., biographical and vocational) interviews.

Our research indicates that elite executive talent distinguishes itself from its intelligent, accomplished and driven peers in three broad areas we refer to as Savvy, Flexibility and Ego (SaFE™). Savvy refers to an executive’s self-awareness and interest in and skill at functioning harmoniously with others in the company. An executive’s Flexibility is seen in how he or she responds to challenges and appraises information. Finally, an executive’s Ego is determined by the degree to which his or her pride derives from organizational or individual successes. Though these qualities seem self-evident and desirable of any employee, determination of how much individuals possess them is less obvious and often speculative. Our SaFE™ assessment was designed to address this critical need.