This assessment measures your optimism as a leader across four dimensions drawn from Seligman's research. Answer each question honestly based on how you typically respond, not how you think you should respond. Results include a dimension breakdown and practical steps tailored to your score.
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Permanence — how you explain duration
Permanence
When something goes wrong at work, I tend to think it will keep being a problem for a long time.
Almost never trueAlmost always true
Permanence
When I face a setback as a leader, I tell myself it is temporary and something I can move past.
Almost never trueAlmost always true
Permanence
When things go well on my team, I assume the conditions that created the success will not last.
Almost never trueAlmost always true
Pervasiveness — how far you let it spread
Pervasiveness
When one area of my leadership is struggling, I find it hard to feel effective in other areas.
Almost never trueAlmost always true
Pervasiveness
I am able to keep a failure in one domain from bleeding into how I show up in other areas of my work.
Almost never trueAlmost always true
Pervasiveness
A difficult conversation with one team member can derail my confidence for the rest of the day.
Almost never trueAlmost always true
Personalization — where you place the cause
Personalization
When my team misses a goal, my first instinct is to assume I am the primary reason it happened.
Almost never trueAlmost always true
Personalization
When things go wrong, I can usually identify contributing factors beyond my own actions without letting myself off the hook entirely.
Almost never trueAlmost always true
Personalization
When a decision I made does not produce the result I expected, I tend to carry that with me and question my judgment broadly.
Almost never trueAlmost always true
Constructive memory — what you draw on
Constructive memory
I regularly and intentionally reflect on what went well and what I did effectively as a leader.
Almost never trueAlmost always true
Constructive memory
My mental picture of my own leadership capability is shaped more by past mistakes than by past wins.
Almost never trueAlmost always true
Constructive memory
Before a high-stakes meeting or decision, I draw on specific examples of when I have performed well under pressure.
Reference
Seligman, M. E. P. (1991). Learned optimism: How to change your mind and your life. Knopf. The three-dimension framework — permanence, pervasiveness, and personalization — is drawn from Seligman's research on explanatory style and its relationship to performance, resilience, and psychological well-being. The constructive memory dimension reflects applied extensions of this work as developed in performance psychology, including Zinsser, N. (2022). The confident mind: A battle-tested guide to unshakable performance. HarperCollins.
