Discover 100+ leadership skills comments examples for performance reviews. Learn how to write effective feedback that develops leaders and drives results.
Written by Laura Bouttell • Tue 7th October 2025
Writing meaningful leadership skills comments during performance reviews represents one of the most consequential responsibilities managers shoulder. Research demonstrates that 80% of employees who receive meaningful feedback within the past week are fully engaged, yet many managers struggle to articulate observations about leadership capabilities effectively.
Performance reviews offer a pivotal opportunity to shape organisational culture, identify emerging leaders, and cultivate the executive talent pipeline. When you document leadership competencies with precision and insight, you create a roadmap for professional development whilst establishing clear expectations for leadership excellence.
What you'll discover in this guide: A comprehensive framework for evaluating and documenting leadership skills, over 100 ready-to-use comment examples across multiple competency areas, proven techniques for delivering both affirming and constructive feedback, and strategic approaches to fostering leadership development through performance evaluations.
Leadership skills comments are specific, observation-based statements that evaluate an individual's ability to guide, inspire, and influence others toward achieving shared objectives. These comments document behaviours, decisions, and outcomes that demonstrate leadership competencies during performance reviews, 360-degree feedback sessions, or development planning discussions.
Leadership skills and traits include characteristics and talents that prepare an individual to lead a team or succeed in a supervisory or managerial role, encompassing both natural abilities and learned soft and technical skills.
Effective leadership comments differ from general performance feedback by focusing on competencies such as vision-setting, team development, strategic thinking, decision-making under uncertainty, conflict resolution, and the capacity to motivate others. Rather than merely noting what someone accomplished, these comments illuminate how they achieved results and the leadership qualities demonstrated in the process.
The strategic importance of documenting leadership capabilities extends far beyond administrative requirements. Consider these compelling reasons:
Succession Planning and Talent Identification Highlighting leadership skills when completing performance reviews helps identify potential leaders, supporting internal promotion which increases employee retention and saves organisations time and resources that recruiting efforts require. By systematically recording leadership observations, organisations build a clearer picture of their leadership bench strength.
Development and Capability Building Research shows that 82% of employees appreciate feedback, regardless of whether it's positive or negative, with highly engaged employees receiving feedback at least once weekly. Constructive leadership comments provide individuals with actionable insights for growth.
Engagement and Retention At least 75% of employees voluntarily leave their jobs due to poor management, making leadership development through feedback essential for retention. When organisations invest in developing leadership capabilities, they signal commitment to employee growth.
Organisational Performance Leadership competencies cascade throughout organisations. Strong leaders create strong teams, which collectively drive superior business outcomes. Documenting and developing these capabilities creates competitive advantage.
Before crafting leadership comments, understanding the fundamental competencies provides necessary structure. Whilst specific frameworks vary across organisations, several core competencies appear consistently in leadership models:
Vision and Strategic Thinking: The ability to envision future possibilities, identify long-term opportunities, and align organisational activities with overarching objectives.
Business Acumen: Demonstrating sound judgment, fiscal competence, and organisational knowledge to optimise operations and services.
Innovation and Adaptability: Creating environments that encourage creative thinking whilst demonstrating flexibility when circumstances change.
Communication: Conveying ideas clearly, listening actively, and adjusting communication style for different audiences and situations.
Emotional Intelligence: Understanding one's own emotions and those of others, managing relationships effectively, and demonstrating empathy.
Collaboration and Team Building: Fostering relationships, building cohesive units, and leveraging diverse perspectives for superior outcomes.
Decision-Making: Making timely, sound judgments based on available information, particularly in ambiguous or high-pressure situations.
Delegation and Empowerment: Distributing responsibilities appropriately whilst developing team members' capabilities and autonomy.
Accountability: Taking ownership of outcomes, holding others to high standards, and addressing performance issues constructively.
Coaching and Mentoring: Providing guidance, feedback, and opportunities that enable others to reach their potential.
Talent Development: Identifying strengths, addressing capability gaps, and creating pathways for career progression.
Change Leadership: Guiding individuals and teams through transitions whilst maintaining momentum and morale.
The difference between perfunctory feedback and transformative developmental commentary often lies in the specificity, balance, and forward-looking nature of observations. Follow these principles to craft comments that resonate and inspire action.
The SBI method—Situation, Behavior, Impact—was developed by the Center for Creative Leadership and is research-driven and proven effective. This framework ensures feedback remains specific and non-judgmental:
Situation: Describe when and where the behaviour occurred Behavior: Detail the observable actions taken Impact: Explain the consequences or results of those actions
Example: "During the Q3 planning session (Situation), you facilitated a structured discussion that ensured all stakeholders contributed their perspectives (Behavior), which resulted in a more comprehensive strategy that gained unanimous support (Impact)."
Avoid vague labels or personality judgments. Instead, describe specific actions and decisions that can be observed and measured.
Weak: "Sarah has good leadership qualities." Strong: "Sarah demonstrates leadership through her consistent practice of acknowledging team contributions publicly, which has strengthened team morale and encouraged continued excellence."
Aim to give feedback that's 75% positive and 25% negative overall. This balance maintains motivation whilst addressing improvement areas.
Growth-focused comments go beyond telling employees what they need to fix and offer actionable next steps to make it happen. Connect observations to specific developmental actions.
Give negative feedback as soon as possible after a key event, so the employee can accurately recall the event and avoid repeating the same behavior. Immediate feedback proves more effective than delayed commentary.
The following examples span various competency areas and performance levels, providing templates you can adapt to specific situations whilst maintaining authenticity.
Outstanding Performance
"Demonstrates exceptional communication skills by tailoring messages for diverse audiences, ensuring clarity and engagement across all organisational levels."
"Consistently articulates complex strategic concepts in accessible terms, enabling team members to understand their roles within the broader vision."
"Exhibits masterful active listening, creating space for others to contribute whilst synthesising diverse viewpoints into coherent direction."
"Commands respect through authentic, transparent communication that builds trust and psychological safety within the team."
"Demonstrates exceptional ability to influence stakeholders without formal authority, leveraging compelling narratives and data-driven insights."
Exceeds Expectations
"Communicates team objectives clearly and provides regular updates that keep everyone aligned and informed."
"Demonstrates growing confidence in public speaking situations, though occasionally could benefit from additional preparation for high-stakes presentations."
"Provides constructive feedback to team members in a manner that motivates improvement rather than discourages effort."
"Adapts communication style appropriately when addressing different stakeholder groups, though could further refine technical-to-non-technical translation skills."
"Maintains open channels of communication, making themselves accessible to team members for questions and guidance."
Meets Expectations
"Communicates adequately with direct reports, though could increase the frequency of one-on-one check-ins to strengthen relationships."
"Conveys information clearly in most situations, but occasionally provides insufficient context for team members to fully understand decisions."
"Responds to emails and messages promptly, demonstrating respect for others' time and maintaining workflow continuity."
Needs Improvement
"Would benefit from developing more concise communication habits, as lengthy explanations sometimes obscure key messages."
"Should focus on listening more actively during team meetings rather than dominating conversations, which would enable better collaboration."
"Needs to improve written communication clarity, particularly in email correspondence where tone can be misinterpreted."
"Could enhance effectiveness by soliciting input from quieter team members rather than relying primarily on vocal contributors."
Outstanding Performance
"Demonstrates exceptional strategic foresight by identifying emerging trends and positioning the team to capitalise on future opportunities."
"Consistently connects daily activities to long-term organisational objectives, ensuring the team understands how their work contributes to broader success."
"Exhibits remarkable ability to analyse complex situations, identify patterns, and develop innovative solutions that address root causes."
"Creates compelling vision statements that inspire commitment and provide clear direction for the team's efforts."
Exceeds Expectations
"Shows strong strategic thinking abilities by considering long-term implications before making significant decisions."
"Demonstrates growing capability in translating high-level strategy into actionable plans, though could further develop scenario planning skills."
"Effectively balances short-term operational demands with long-term strategic priorities in most situations."
Meets Expectations
"Understands departmental strategy and communicates objectives to the team, though could more frequently connect daily work to strategic goals."
"Participates constructively in strategic planning discussions, offering relevant perspectives based on operational experience."
Needs Improvement
"Should develop stronger strategic planning capabilities by engaging with industry trends and competitive analysis more regularly."
"Would benefit from thinking more holistically about how decisions impact other departments and the organisation as a whole."
"Needs to improve ability to prioritise initiatives based on strategic importance rather than urgency alone."
Outstanding Performance
"Demonstrates exceptional commitment to team development, consistently creating opportunities for members to expand their capabilities and take on stretch assignments."
"Provides coaching that balances support with challenge, pushing team members beyond comfort zones whilst offering necessary guidance."
"Has developed a strong succession pipeline by identifying high-potential individuals and creating personalised development plans that align with both individual aspirations and organisational needs."
"Demonstrates remarkable ability to recognise individual strengths and deploy them strategically for maximum team effectiveness."
Exceeds Expectations
"Invests significant time in mentoring team members, sharing knowledge generously and facilitating their professional growth."
"Creates learning opportunities through delegation, ensuring tasks provide developmental value whilst maintaining quality standards."
"Demonstrates commitment to team development by supporting training requests and encouraging knowledge-sharing within the group."
"Provides regular constructive feedback that helps team members understand performance expectations and identify improvement areas."
Meets Expectations
"Supports team development through annual training budget allocation, though could be more proactive in identifying specific capability gaps."
"Provides feedback during formal review periods, though could benefit from offering more frequent informal coaching conversations."
"Recognises team achievements publicly, which contributes to positive morale and motivation."
Needs Improvement
"Should invest more time in developing team members' capabilities rather than completing tasks personally when time pressures emerge."
"Would benefit from creating more structured development plans for direct reports rather than relying on ad hoc learning opportunities."
"Needs to improve delegation skills, as current reluctance to distribute responsibilities limits team growth and creates bottlenecks."
"Could enhance effectiveness by providing more specific, actionable feedback rather than general observations during development discussions."
Outstanding Performance
"Demonstrates exceptional decision-making ability under pressure, maintaining composure whilst analyzing complex situations and selecting optimal courses of action."
"Exhibits courage in making difficult decisions promptly, even when information is incomplete or outcomes uncertain."
"Consistently employs structured problem-solving methodologies, breaking down complex challenges into manageable components and engaging appropriate stakeholders."
"Makes decisions that balance short-term pragmatism with long-term strategic value, considering multiple perspectives and potential consequences."
Exceeds Expectations
"Shows strong analytical capabilities when addressing problems, gathering relevant data and considering alternative solutions before deciding."
"Demonstrates growing confidence in making autonomous decisions within their scope of authority, though occasionally seeks unnecessary approval for matters within their remit."
"Effectively manages decision-making processes, involving appropriate stakeholders and maintaining momentum toward resolution."
Meets Expectations
"Makes routine decisions effectively, though could develop greater comfort with ambiguity in more complex situations."
"Demonstrates sound judgment in most circumstances, seeking input when appropriate before committing to significant decisions."
Needs Improvement
"Should work on making more timely decisions, as excessive analysis sometimes delays necessary action and impacts team momentum."
"Would benefit from seeking diverse perspectives before making significant decisions rather than relying on limited input."
"Needs to develop greater comfort with calculated risk-taking, as current risk-aversion sometimes prevents the team from pursuing valuable opportunities."
"Could improve problem-solving effectiveness by addressing root causes rather than treating symptoms of recurring issues."
Outstanding Performance
"Demonstrates exceptional emotional intelligence, recognising and responding appropriately to the emotional states of team members and adjusting leadership approach accordingly."
"Builds remarkably strong relationships across the organisation, establishing trust and credibility that enables effective collaboration on complex initiatives."
"Exhibits outstanding self-awareness, acknowledging personal limitations openly and actively seeking feedback to enhance leadership effectiveness."
"Creates psychologically safe environments where team members feel comfortable expressing concerns, admitting mistakes, and taking appropriate risks."
Exceeds Expectations
"Shows strong empathy in interactions with team members, considering their perspectives and responding to concerns with genuine interest."
"Demonstrates cultural sensitivity and adapts leadership style to accommodate diverse working preferences and communication norms."
"Builds positive relationships with stakeholders, though could further develop strategic networking capabilities with senior leadership."
Meets Expectations
"Maintains professional relationships with team members and demonstrates respect in daily interactions."
"Shows awareness of team dynamics and makes efforts to address conflicts when they arise."
Needs Improvement
"Would benefit from developing stronger emotional regulation, as reactions to setbacks sometimes create unnecessary anxiety within the team."
"Should work on building relationships more proactively rather than limiting interactions to task-focused discussions."
"Needs to improve empathy and consideration for work-life balance, as current expectations sometimes place unreasonable demands on team members."
"Could enhance effectiveness by demonstrating greater vulnerability and authenticity rather than maintaining excessive professional distance."
Outstanding Performance
"Demonstrates unwavering accountability, taking ownership of both successes and setbacks whilst maintaining team morale and commitment."
"Consistently delivers exceptional results through effective planning, resource allocation, and performance management."
"Holds team members accountable to high standards in a manner that motivates excellence rather than creates fear or resentment."
"Takes responsibility for team outcomes without deflecting blame, whilst also generously crediting others for contributions to success."
Exceeds Expectations
"Demonstrates strong commitment to meeting commitments, consistently delivering quality results within agreed timeframes."
"Shows growing capability in holding difficult performance conversations when team members fall short of expectations."
"Takes ownership of mistakes and implements corrective actions promptly rather than making excuses."
Meets Expectations
"Meets most performance targets, though occasionally requires support in managing competing priorities effectively."
"Demonstrates accountability for own work, though could more consistently hold team members to similar standards."
Needs Improvement
"Should develop greater comfort with addressing performance issues directly rather than allowing problems to persist."
"Would benefit from taking stronger ownership of outcomes rather than attributing challenges to external factors beyond their control."
"Needs to improve follow-through on commitments, as inconsistent execution erodes team trust and credibility."
Outstanding Performance
"Demonstrates exceptional change leadership, guiding the team through significant transitions whilst maintaining productivity and morale."
"Exhibits remarkable adaptability, quickly adjusting strategies when circumstances change and helping others navigate uncertainty effectively."
"Creates positive momentum during organisational changes by communicating the rationale clearly and addressing concerns proactively."
"Demonstrates resilience in challenging circumstances, maintaining optimism and focus whilst acknowledging legitimate difficulties."
Exceeds Expectations
"Shows strong adaptability when facing unexpected challenges, adjusting plans appropriately whilst keeping stakeholders informed."
"Supports team members effectively during change initiatives, providing necessary guidance and resources for successful transitions."
"Demonstrates willingness to embrace new approaches and technologies, though could move more quickly from experimentation to full adoption."
Meets Expectations
"Adapts adequately to changing priorities, though sometimes requires time to adjust mindset before fully engaging with new directions."
"Supports organisational change initiatives when asked, though could be more proactive in championing transformation."
Needs Improvement
"Should work on embracing change more readily rather than maintaining attachment to established processes that no longer serve current needs."
"Would benefit from developing greater resilience when facing setbacks, as current responses sometimes negatively impact team morale."
"Needs to improve ability to lead through ambiguity rather than waiting for complete clarity before taking action."
Outstanding Performance
"Consistently encourages innovative thinking, creating environments where team members feel safe proposing novel approaches without fear of criticism."
"Demonstrates exceptional creativity in problem-solving, generating unique solutions that address challenges other approaches have failed to resolve."
"Challenges conventional thinking productively, asking questions that prompt deeper analysis and reveal new possibilities."
Exceeds Expectations
"Shows willingness to experiment with new approaches and learns from both successes and failures to refine future initiatives."
"Encourages team creativity by allocating time for exploration and innovation alongside routine operational responsibilities."
Meets Expectations
Needs Improvement
"Should develop greater comfort with ambiguity and experimentation rather than defaulting to proven approaches in all situations."
"Would benefit from encouraging more diverse perspectives in problem-solving rather than relying on familiar solutions."
Comprehensive leadership comments address multiple dimensions to provide actionable developmental insight:
Ground comments in observable actions rather than abstract qualities. Instead of "demonstrates strong leadership," describe the specific behaviours that constitute leadership: facilitating productive meetings, providing coaching that develops capabilities, or making decisive calls when facing ambiguous situations.
Connect behaviours to results. How did the leader's actions influence team performance, stakeholder satisfaction, or organisational outcomes? When explaining impact, help employees understand the full consequences of their actions—on you, on the team, on the company, and on their career.
Acknowledge the situational factors that influenced performance. Leading during a crisis requires different capabilities than leading during stable periods. Recognising context demonstrates sophisticated evaluation.
Growth-focused comments offer actionable next steps beyond identifying what needs fixing. Suggest specific actions, resources, or experiences that could enhance capabilities.
When appropriate, note improvement or regression relative to previous evaluation periods. This longitudinal perspective helps individuals understand their developmental trajectory.
Delivering developmental feedback requires particular finesse when addressing leadership capabilities, as these competencies often connect closely with professional identity.
Begin by clarifying your genuine desire to support the individual's development. Ask yourself: "Do I have the other person's best interest at heart? How would I feel in their shoes, receiving this feedback?"
Give constructive feedback for the behavior, not for the person, using sentence structures like "When you [action]" rather than "You are". This approach reduces defensiveness and focuses attention on changeable actions rather than fixed traits.
Vague criticism proves unhelpful. Rather than stating "your communication needs improvement," specify: "During yesterday's stakeholder meeting, when you shared the project update, several attendees appeared confused about next steps because the timeline wasn't explicitly stated."
Help leaders understand consequences of their actions by explaining effects on team performance, relationships, or outcomes. This builds awareness of blind spots.
Actionable feedback helps employees have a map for improvement by framing next steps. Suggest specific actions, training programmes, or developmental experiences that could address the identified gap.
Rather than delivering a monologue, invite perspective-sharing. Ask: "How do you see this situation?" or "What challenges have you encountered in this area?" This collaborative approach increases receptiveness and uncovers important context.
Create a favorable feedback environment where truth, courage, and coaching culture along with psychological safety can pay off when employees are comfortable receiving, seeking out, and using feedback.
Whilst specific competencies vary across organisations and roles, several capabilities appear consistently in leadership frameworks:
The foundation of leadership effectiveness. Evaluate ability to articulate vision, listen actively, adapt messaging for diverse audiences, and persuade without formal authority.
Assess capacity to envision future possibilities, identify patterns and trends, connect tactical activities to strategic objectives, and make decisions that balance short-term demands with long-term value.
Examine commitment to coaching, mentoring, and creating opportunities for others' growth. Strong leaders multiply their impact by developing capabilities throughout their teams.
Consider quality of decisions, willingness to make calls despite incomplete information, ability to balance multiple perspectives, and learning from outcomes to refine future judgment.
Evaluate self-awareness, empathy, relationship-building capabilities, and ability to navigate complex interpersonal dynamics effectively.
Assess ownership of outcomes, willingness to hold others accountable constructively, and consistent delivery of commitments.
Examine comfort with ambiguity, adaptability when circumstances shift, and ability to guide others through transitions whilst maintaining momentum.
Consider effectiveness at fostering cohesion, leveraging diverse perspectives, building trust, and creating environments where collaboration flourishes.
Comments like "good leader" or "needs improvement" provide no actionable insight. Specificity enables development.
Whilst developmental areas merit attention, acknowledging strengths proves equally important for maintaining motivation and building on existing capabilities.
Clarity trumps sophistication. Avoid leadership clichés that sound impressive but convey little meaning.
Focus on observed behaviors and their impacts rather than making judgments about character or personality.
Timely feedback enables accurate recall and prevents repetition of problematic behaviours. Don't wait months to address significant concerns.
Acknowledge circumstances that influenced performance. Leading through a crisis differs fundamentally from leading during stable periods.
Comments should illuminate pathways for growth rather than merely documenting past performance.
The most effective leadership comments combine specific behavioural examples with impact statements and developmental guidance. Use the SBI framework (Situation-Behavior-Impact) to structure observations, focus on observable actions rather than personality traits, and balance recognition of strengths with constructive feedback on improvement areas. Always connect comments to specific competencies within your organisation's leadership framework to maintain consistency.
Begin by evaluating performance against established leadership competencies such as communication, strategic thinking, people development, and decision-making. Document specific examples that demonstrate each competency, noting both exceptional performance and areas requiring development. Provide context for observations, explain the impact of leadership behaviours on team and organisational outcomes, and conclude with actionable developmental recommendations. Maintain a balanced perspective that acknowledges achievements whilst identifying growth opportunities.
Focus on observable leadership behaviours across key competency areas. Document how the individual communicates vision, develops team members, makes decisions under pressure, builds relationships, drives results, and adapts to change. Provide specific examples rather than general statements, explain the impact of their leadership approach, and offer constructive guidance for enhancement. Ensure comments align with your organisation's leadership framework and competency model.
Deliver constructive feedback by focusing on specific, observable behaviors rather than personal attributes. Use neutral language that describes actions and their impacts without judgment. Provide clear examples of when the behaviour occurred and explain consequences for the team or organisation. Balance developmental feedback with recognition of strengths, and always offer actionable suggestions for improvement. Create psychological safety by demonstrating genuine intent to support development and inviting dialogue about challenges and context.
Key leadership strengths include exceptional communication that inspires and aligns teams, strategic thinking that anticipates challenges and identifies opportunities, strong people development that builds capability throughout the organisation, sound decision-making under pressure, high emotional intelligence that builds trust and psychological safety, consistent accountability for outcomes, adaptability during change, and ability to foster innovation and collaboration. Document specific instances where these strengths created positive impact.
Leadership capabilities should be assessed through multiple touchpoints rather than relying solely on annual reviews. Conduct formal evaluations at least annually, with mid-year check-ins to review progress on developmental goals. Provide informal feedback continuously, particularly following significant leadership moments such as major decisions, change initiatives, or team development activities. Regular 360-degree feedback from peers, direct reports, and stakeholders provides comprehensive perspective on leadership effectiveness.
Leadership skills comments specifically evaluate competencies related to guiding, influencing, and developing others—capabilities distinct from individual contributor performance. Whilst general feedback addresses task execution, technical skills, and individual productivity, leadership comments assess behaviours such as vision-setting, people development, strategic thinking, and team building. Leadership feedback examines not just what was accomplished, but how it was achieved and the impact on others' performance and development.
Writing effective leadership skills comments represents far more than administrative obligation—it constitutes a strategic investment in organisational capability. When you document leadership observations with specificity, balance, and developmental intent, you create powerful catalysts for growth.
The most transformative leadership feedback possesses several distinguishing characteristics: it grounds observations in specific behaviours and outcomes rather than abstract qualities; it balances recognition of strengths with constructive guidance on improvement areas; it provides actionable pathways for development rather than merely noting gaps; and it demonstrates genuine investment in the individual's success.
As you craft leadership comments, remember that meaningful feedback doesn't hinder performance—it fuels it. Your observations, when delivered with clarity and care, become signposts that guide emerging and established leaders toward greater effectiveness.
The cultivation of leadership capability throughout your organisation begins with the willingness to observe carefully, document thoughtfully, and communicate authentically. Each comment you write represents an opportunity to shape the quality of leadership your organisation will enjoy for years to come.
Invest the time to make those comments count.