Examples
See What You Get: Real Examples
View annotated examples of all three Readiness Engine™ outputs—so you can see exactly what insights you'll receive before booking a call.
These are illustrative examples using realistic but anonymized data from a fictional tech company (TechFlow Inc).
Want to see how this would work for your specific leadership team and organizational context? Book a call below to discuss a customized sample.
1. Execution Risk Heatmap
A grid of key leaders and critical roles highlighting where role transitions carry the highest execution risk—before you make the move.
Promotion Risk Heatmap
TechFlow Inc. | Q1 2026 Leadership Assessment
| Leader | Current Role | Director | VP | C-Suite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Alex T. VP Product | Ready | Ready | Coaching | High Risk |
Jordan M. SVP Sales | Ready | Ready | Ready | Coaching |
Casey R. VP Engineering | Ready | Coaching | Coaching | High Risk |
Morgan K. VP Operations | Coaching | Coaching | High Risk | High Risk |
Riley P. Director Finance | Ready | Ready | Coaching | Coaching |
Taylor S. VP Marketing | Ready | Ready | Ready | Ready |
Cameron L. Director HR | Coaching | Coaching | Coaching | High Risk |
Drew B. VP Customer Success | Ready | Coaching | Coaching | High Risk |
⚠ Risk Alert: Morgan K. (VP Operations) shows promotion risk at current level. Recommend development plan before any advancement.
📊 Insight: Multiple leaders require coaching for VP→C-Suite transitions. Consider executive development program.
How to Read This Heatmap
Rows: Each row represents a current leader in your organization with their name and current role.
Columns: Role levels from current position to C-Suite advancement.
Color Coding:
- Green (Ready): Leader shows strong readiness for this role level based on assessment scores across key constructs.
- Yellow (Needs Coaching): Moderate readiness—leader could succeed with targeted development and executive coaching.
- Red (High Risk): Promotion to this level would be high-risk given current capacity; recommend significant development before advancement.
What's Present AND What's Missing:
Red cells don't just show low scores—they reveal missing capacities that are critical for the next role level.
Example: If "Adaptive Capacity" shows red, it means the leader lacks the ability to adjust their approach when context shifts. They may rigidly apply past playbooks even during market pivots or strategic changes—a pattern that's absent, not just weak.
What You Can Do With This:
- Identify which planned promotions need coaching support first
- Prioritize external hiring vs. internal development investments
- Create targeted succession plans for high-risk roles
- Target development specifically to build missing capacities, not just strengthen existing ones
2. Leadership Spine Map
A map of your leadership spine across functions and regions, color-coded by readiness for current and next-step roles.
Leadership Spine Map
TechFlow Inc. | Readiness Scores Across Leadership Spine (1-6 Scale)
Executive Leadership
Product
Engineering
Sales
Finance
Operations
✓ Strong Bench: Product and Sales functions show exceptional depth with multiple leaders scoring 5-6.
⚠ Gap Identified: Operations leadership gap (VP Operations score: 3/6). Recommend succession planning or external hiring.
How to Read This Spine Map
Structure: Leaders are organized by function (Product, Engineering, Sales, Finance, Operations) showing your organizational spine at a glance.
Readiness Scores (1-6 Scale):
- 6 (Exceptional): Mastery under pressure, ready for advancement
- 5 (Strong): Solid readiness with targeted development needs
- 4 (Moderate): Capable but needs coaching for next level
- 3 (Developing): Notable gaps require significant development
- 2 (Limited): Not currently ready for current or next role
Color Patterns Show You:
- Which functions have strong bench strength (multiple 5-6 scores)
- Where succession gaps exist (functions with 3-4 scores or below)
- Hidden high-performers who may be underutilized
- Leaders at risk of being promoted beyond their readiness
What's Present AND What's Missing:
Color patterns reveal absence across functions—where certain capacities are systematically missing, not just individually weak.
Example: If an entire function shows low "Relational Intelligence" scores (3-4 across multiple leaders), it may indicate a culture of siloed execution where cross-functional collaboration is absent from how work gets done.
Example: If "Coachability" is missing across senior leaders (scores of 2-3), it signals an organizational pattern where feedback loops are broken—leaders aren't integrating input, which creates blind spots at scale.
What You Can Do With This:
- Plan succession moves based on readiness, not tenure or politics
- Identify which functions need external hiring vs. internal development
- Spot exceptional leaders who should be fast-tracked
- Build targeted development programs where gaps are concentrated
- Diagnose cultural or systemic issues when absence patterns cluster by function or level
3. Executive Readout (1-Page)
A board- and EXCO-ready summary that surfaces top risks, ready-now leaders, and clear 90-day actions.
Leadership Readiness
Executive Summary
TechFlow Inc.
Q1 2026
Confidential
Assessment of 15 leaders across Product, Engineering, Sales, Finance, and Operations. Overall leadership bench shows strength in Product and Sales functions, with identified gaps in Operations leadership requiring immediate attention before planned expansion.
Top 3 Risks
VP Operations Promotion Risk
Morgan K. scores 3/6 on Adaptive Capacity and 2/6 on Strategic Complexity. Planned promotion to SVP Operations in Q2 carries high risk. Recommend 6-month development plan with executive coaching before advancement decision.
CFO Succession Gap
Current CFO (Sarah K.) planning retirement in 12 months. No internal candidates score above 4/6 for CFO-level complexity. Recommend initiating external search now or extending CFO timeline to develop Director of Finance (Riley P., currently 5/6 at Director level).
C-Suite Readiness Pipeline
Multiple VPs show yellow flags for C-Suite advancement (4 of 8 scored 4/6 or below for next-level readiness). Consider structured executive development program focused on strategic ambiguity tolerance and adaptive capacity before scaling.
Ready-Now Leaders
Taylor S. - VP Marketing
Scores 6/6 on Adaptive Capacity and Team Climate IQ
Ready for CMO or SVP role
Riley P. - Director Finance
Scores 5/6 across all constructs
Ready for VP Finance promotion
Quinn R. - VP Sales (Americas)
Scores 5/6 on Strategic Complexity and Execution
Ready for SVP Revenue consideration
Avery T. - Director Product Marketing
Scores 5/6 on Adaptive Capacity and Coachability
High potential, ready for VP track
90-Day Action Plan
Pause VP Operations promotion. Initiate 6-month executive coaching engagement focused on adaptive capacity and strategic complexity. Reassess in Q3 2026.
Begin CFO succession planning. Engage executive search firm for external CFO candidates OR extend current CFO timeline to develop Riley P. (Director Finance) through stretch assignments.
Accelerate high-potential leaders. Create fast-track development for Taylor S. (VP Marketing) and Riley P. (Director Finance) - both ready for advancement within 6 months.
Launch VP-to-C-Suite development cohort. Design 9-month program for 4 VPs showing moderate readiness (scores 4/6) to strengthen C-Suite pipeline.
Re-assess Operations bench strength. Evaluate need for external SVP Operations hire given current gap and planned expansion into APAC market in H2 2026.
Prepared by Readiness Group
Assessment Period: January 2026
Page 1 of 1
Confidential & Proprietary
How to Read This Executive Readout
Format: Designed for board meetings, EXCO presentations, and executive team discussions—one page, scannable in under 3 minutes.
Three Key Sections:
1. Top 3 Risks
Specific leaders or roles where promotion, succession, or capacity gaps present the highest organizational risk. Each risk includes the leader's name, assessment scores, and recommended action.
2. Ready-Now Leaders
High-performing leaders who are ready for advancement or stretch assignments within 6 months. Use this to accelerate high-potential talent and prevent attrition.
3. 90-Day Action Plan
Concrete, prioritized actions with specific timelines. These aren't vague recommendations—they're decision-ready moves you can implement immediately.
What's Present AND What's Missing:
The "Top 3 Risks" section specifically highlights what's NOT showing up—missing patterns that create organizational risk, even when other strengths are present.
Example: A leader might score 5/6 on "Strategic Complexity" (strong analytical thinking) but "Coachability" is conspicuously absent (2/6). This means they can think strategically, but they won't integrate feedback or adapt their approach—creating a blind spot that undermines their strategic value.
Example: The CFO succession risk isn't just about low scores—it's about the absence of bench strength. No one in the Finance function is showing the pattern of complexity-handling needed for the CFO role, making external hiring the only viable path.
What You Can Do With This:
- Present leadership risk and opportunity to the board with data, not gut feel
- Create an actionable 90-day roadmap for talent decisions
- Align EXCO on promotion, hiring, and development priorities
- Document leadership decisions for compensation committee review
- Explain to the board not just who's weak, but what critical capacities are missing from the leadership team
From Insight to Action: How Operating Executives Use These Reports
Here's how Operating Executives translate readiness scores into concrete leadership operations decisions.
Pre-Promotion Risk
IF YOU SEE THIS:
VP of Sales scores 3/6 on "Adaptive Capacity" and 2/6 on "Strategic Complexity" before planned promotion to SVP Revenue
IT MEANS:
They may struggle with the increased ambiguity and cross-functional complexity of the SVP role, particularly during market shifts or strategic pivots
YOU SHOULD:
- Delay promotion by 6 months
- Pair with executive coach focused on strategic thinking
- Create stretch assignment: lead cross-functional initiative
- Reassess readiness in Q3 with follow-up evaluation
Succession Gap Identified
IF YOU SEE THIS:
No leaders in Finance function score above 4/6, with CFO planning retirement in 12 months
IT MEANS:
Insufficient internal bench strength for CFO succession; promoting current VP of Finance would be high-risk given readiness gap
YOU SHOULD:
- Begin external CFO search immediately
- Accelerate development for VP of Finance as backup option
- Consider interim CFO if external search extends beyond CFO departure
- Document knowledge transfer plan before CFO exit
Hidden High Performer
IF YOU SEE THIS:
Director of Product Operations scores 6/6 on "Adaptive Capacity" and 5/6 on "Team Climate IQ" but hasn't been on promotion radar
IT MEANS:
Underutilized high-potential leader who could handle VP+ complexity; risk of losing them to competitor if not developed
YOU SHOULD:
- Fast-track to VP consideration with targeted development plan
- Assign executive sponsor/mentor for visibility
- Include in leadership offsites and strategic planning
- Discuss career trajectory in next 1:1 to prevent attrition
See How This Would Work for Your Leadership Team
These are illustrative examples. Book a call to discuss a customized sample based on your org structure, use case, and specific talent challenges.