Anchoring Talent Decisions in Science: Insights from Senior Leader Research in the Royal Navy
Discover how a major study in the Royal Navy showcased the power of objective assessments in predicting leadership success—and why understanding competencies, behaviors, and motivations is critical for every organization's talent strategy.
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Objective assessments: the gold standard for real talent insights
For years, HR and leadership decisions have relied heavily on experience, intuition, or traditional practices. While these approaches offer value, they are often clouded by bias or incomplete information.
My recent research into senior Royal Navy officers demonstrates that objective, criterion-anchored competencies measured through validated assessments can reliably predict success—providing a robust alternative to guesswork and gut feel. This approach allows organizations to move from anecdotal judgments to more evidence-based decisions, improving accuracy and success in selection, management and development.
Mapping competencies to real-world outcomes
A key lesson from this work was the importance of well-defined competencies. The most recent study builds on my previous research into what makes the difference between successful and less successful leaders in the Royal Navy. The result is further validation of the Command, Leadership, and Management (CLM) Competency Model, centered around four "supra-competencies":
- Conceptualize: Grasping and communicating what needs to be achieved
- Align: Focusing controllable activity
- Interact: Working with and through others
- Create Success: Habitually delivering results
These competency clusters were mapped to established personality and motivation scales, measured through three SHL assessments that were given to senior officers within the Royal Navy:
- Verify G+ to assess cognitive ability and general intelligence
- OPQ to capture occupationally relevant personality traits
- MQ to explore motivational drivers
The results were clear: the CLM model is both reliable and valid, with each supra-competency significantly linked to key organizational outcomes withing the Royal Navy such as performance ratings, promotion potential, and actual rate of advancement.
Behaviors and Motivations: The Drivers of Success
The results of the research showed that motivation traits were standout predictors, with motivators such as achievement, drive and resilience being key differentiators among senior officers who progressed faster. This highlights the importance of understanding "why" a leader acts as well as understanding "how." Ignoring these deeper drivers risks promoting the wrong people—those who might tick the "competence" box on paper but lack the underlying fuel to thrive long-term.
Also, while general intelligence supports higher-level thinking, it alone is not enough to differentiate great from merely good leaders. Instead, it appears to become a threshold competency—leaders need a certain level to be effective, but beyond that, other factors appear more important.
From Military Ranks to Corporate Boardrooms: Broader Implications
The real power of objective science-based assessments lies in the actionable insights they generate. While my study focused on senior military leaders, the principles are widely applicable. Any organization can benefit from a deeper understanding of skills and competencies to underpin talent decisions with clarity, consistency, and confidence—outcomes every HR team should demand.
A data-driven approach can provide analytics beyond basic reporting to informing strategic decision-making such as refining selection processes, targeted workforce planning, personalized development plans, and justifying HR investments with measurable evidence.
Read more about how the Royal Navy partnered with SHL to modernize their leadership selection and development.
