The 42 Test

What does The 42 Test measure?

It measures what you do, not what you believe about yourself. Each of the 42 questions describes a specific behaviour, like “When my team is stuck, I give the answer before they’ve had a go,” and you say how often it’s true, from 1 (never) to 5 (always).

Your answers place you on three axes:

• Solve or Grow: do you fix it yourself, or grow people to fix it?
• Leave room or Spell it out: how explicit are you about expectations and hard truths?
• Shield or Stretch: do you protect the team’s focus, or push for more?

Three axes with two ends each give 8 combinations, and each one is a Leader Code with a name, a strength and a trade-off. None of them is a flaw.

What do I do with my Leader Code?

Use it to pick one habit worth changing, then talk about it with someone you trust. You can compare codes with a colleague, which is often where the useful conversation starts. If your code leans towards Solve, this post on giving answers too fast is a good next read.

It’s live now, it’s free, and your answers stay in your browser. Take The 42 Test. When Blind Spot arrives, your team will be able to answer the same questions about you.