Articles / Leadership Skills Comments for Appraisal: Complete Examples
Development, Training & CoachingFind leadership skills comments for appraisal that communicate effectively. Access examples and frameworks for writing meaningful performance review feedback.
Written by Laura Bouttell • Fri 9th January 2026
Leadership skills comments for appraisal represent one of the most challenging aspects of performance management—capturing complex leadership behaviours in written form that is both accurate and constructive. Managers struggle to articulate what distinguishes effective leadership, often defaulting to vague phrases like "good leadership" or "needs to develop leadership skills" that provide little actionable guidance. Well-crafted leadership comments, by contrast, specify behaviours, acknowledge impact, and provide direction for continued growth.
What makes leadership comments difficult is leadership's multidimensional nature. A single leader might excel at strategic thinking whilst struggling with team communication, demonstrate strong decision-making whilst avoiding difficult conversations, or inspire during crisis whilst neglecting routine management. Effective appraisal comments capture this complexity rather than flattening it into simplistic ratings, providing the nuanced feedback that enables genuine development.
Effective leadership comments follow principles that maximise their value.
Effective leadership appraisal comments are: specific (citing observable behaviours), balanced (acknowledging strengths and development areas), evidence-based (grounded in examples), constructive (enabling improvement), clear (unambiguous meaning), and actionable (pointing toward development). Comments lacking these qualities—vague, one-sided, or unclear—fail to provide the feedback that supports leader development.
Effective comment characteristics:
| Characteristic | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Specific | Observable behaviours | "Provides weekly team briefings" not "communicates well" |
| Balanced | Strengths and development | Both areas addressed fairly |
| Evidence-based | Grounded in examples | Specific situations referenced |
| Constructive | Enables improvement | Forward-looking, not just critical |
| Clear | Unambiguous meaning | No confusion about assessment |
| Actionable | Points toward development | Specific improvement suggestions |
Structure leadership comments using: observation (what the leader did), impact (effect on team, outcomes, organisation), and development (recognition or growth direction). This structure ensures comments aren't merely descriptive but explain significance and provide direction. For strengths, development might mean continued application or stretch; for weaknesses, it provides improvement pathway.
Comment structure framework:
Recognising leadership strengths reinforces effective behaviours.
Comments about strong leadership should specify what the leader does well, acknowledge the impact of their effectiveness, and encourage continued development or application in new contexts. Avoid generic praise; instead, identify particular leadership behaviours that distinguish this leader's contribution.
Strong leadership comment examples:
| Leadership Area | Example Comment |
|---|---|
| Team development | "Consistently invests time in developing team members through regular coaching conversations. Three team members have been promoted during this period, directly attributable to the development opportunities and guidance provided." |
| Strategic thinking | "Demonstrates strong ability to connect team activities to organisational strategy. Successfully led the team through strategic pivot by clearly articulating the rationale and implications, maintaining engagement throughout transition." |
| Decision-making | "Makes timely decisions under pressure without sacrificing quality. During the system outage, provided clear direction that enabled rapid resolution whilst maintaining stakeholder confidence." |
| Communication | "Excels at adapting communication style for different audiences. Board presentations are strategic and concise; team communications are detailed and engaging. Feedback from both stakeholders consistently positive." |
| Change leadership | "Led significant process transformation with minimal disruption. Engaged stakeholders early, addressed concerns proactively, and maintained team morale throughout implementation. Change adopted successfully ahead of schedule." |
Phrases describing excellent leadership should be specific enough to be meaningful whilst professional in tone. Avoid superlatives without substance; anchor praise in observable behaviour and impact.
Excellent leadership phrases:
Addressing development areas requires honesty balanced with constructive framing.
Constructive leadership criticism describes specific behaviours needing improvement, explains the impact of current performance, and provides clear direction for development. Avoid personal attribution ("lacks confidence") in favour of behavioural description ("hesitates to share perspectives in senior meetings"). Suggest specific development activities rather than leaving improvement undefined.
Development area comment examples:
| Leadership Area | Example Comment |
|---|---|
| Team communication | "Team members have reported uncertainty about priorities and expectations. More frequent, structured communication—such as weekly team meetings with clear agendas—would address this gap and improve team alignment." |
| Delegation | "Tendency to retain tasks that could be delegated limits both personal capacity and team development opportunity. Practising deliberate delegation of suitable tasks, with appropriate support and follow-up, would benefit both leader and team." |
| Difficult conversations | "Avoidance of performance conversations has allowed issues to persist longer than necessary. Addressing concerns earlier and more directly, whilst maintaining respect, would prevent escalation and support team performance." |
| Strategic contribution | "Contributions in management meetings tend toward operational detail rather than strategic perspective. Preparing strategic observations before meetings and practising concise delivery would increase leadership visibility and impact." |
| Stakeholder management | "Relationships with key stakeholders have not been actively maintained, affecting collaboration on cross-functional initiatives. Scheduling regular stakeholder touchpoints would build the relationships needed for effective delivery." |
Phrases addressing leadership weaknesses should be direct about the issue whilst maintaining constructive tone. Avoid euphemisms that obscure meaning, but frame criticism as development opportunity rather than personal failing.
Constructive improvement phrases:
Different leadership competencies require tailored comment approaches.
Team leadership comments should address: direction setting (clarity of expectations), team development (investment in members), team climate (psychological safety and engagement), performance management (addressing issues and recognising success), and results (what the team achieved). Balance individual leadership behaviours with team outcomes.
Team leadership comment examples:
| Aspect | Strength Example | Development Example |
|---|---|---|
| Direction | "Provides clear direction that enables team members to work autonomously whilst remaining aligned" | "Team would benefit from clearer articulation of priorities and expectations" |
| Development | "Actively coaches team members, evidenced by capability growth across the team" | "Greater investment in team development would build capability for future challenges" |
| Climate | "Has created positive team climate where members support each other and raise concerns openly" | "Team engagement has declined; attention to team climate and individual concerns would help" |
| Performance | "Addresses performance issues promptly and fairly whilst recognising contributions appropriately" | "Consistency in addressing performance issues would improve team standards" |
| Results | "Team consistently delivers against objectives with high quality" | "Team delivery has been inconsistent; more structured oversight would improve reliability" |
Strategic leadership comments should address: vision (articulating direction), strategic thinking (long-term perspective), organisational awareness (understanding context), change leadership (guiding transitions), and strategic communication (engaging stakeholders). These capabilities matter increasingly at senior levels.
Strategic leadership comment examples:
| Aspect | Strength Example | Development Example |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | "Articulates compelling vision that engages team and stakeholders in shared direction" | "Would benefit from developing and communicating clearer long-term direction" |
| Strategic thinking | "Consistently considers long-term implications and positions initiatives for sustainable success" | "Tendency toward short-term focus; developing strategic perspective would improve decisions" |
| Organisational awareness | "Demonstrates sophisticated understanding of organisational dynamics and political landscape" | "Greater awareness of organisational context would improve initiative success" |
| Change leadership | "Successfully guides team through change whilst maintaining engagement and performance" | "Change initiatives have faced resistance; more attention to change management would help" |
| Communication | "Communicates strategy effectively to diverse audiences, creating understanding and commitment" | "Strategic messages don't consistently reach or resonate with stakeholders" |
Comments should reflect overall performance level appropriately.
Exceptional leader comments should: recognise outstanding contribution without exaggeration, identify specific distinguishing capabilities, acknowledge impact on others and organisation, and suggest stretch development even for strong performers. Exceptional leaders benefit from recognition that validates their contribution and development that challenges continued growth.
Exceptional leader comment framework:
Comments for leaders needing significant improvement should: clearly describe the performance gap, explain impact on team and organisation, set specific expectations for improvement, and identify support available. Clarity matters—avoiding difficult messages does the leader no favours.
Improvement-needed comment framework:
Effective leadership comments are specific (citing observable behaviours), balanced (acknowledging strengths and development areas), evidence-based (grounded in examples), constructive (enabling improvement), clear (unambiguous meaning), and actionable (pointing toward development). Comments lacking these qualities fail to provide feedback that supports genuine leader development.
Structure leadership comments using: observation (what the leader did), impact (effect on team, outcomes, organisation), and development (recognition or growth direction). This ensures comments aren't merely descriptive but explain significance and provide direction for continued effectiveness or improvement.
Write constructive criticism by describing specific behaviours needing improvement (not personal traits), explaining the impact of current performance, and providing clear direction for development. Frame criticism as opportunity rather than failing, and suggest specific activities for improvement rather than leaving development undefined.
Effective phrases include: "Articulates clear direction that aligns team effort," "Creates environment where team members contribute their best," "Demonstrates sound judgement in complex situations," "Invests actively in team development," and "Delivers consistently whilst maintaining engagement." Anchor phrases in observable behaviour and impact.
Address weaknesses directly but constructively: describe behaviours rather than personal traits, explain impact rather than just criticising, provide clear improvement direction, and frame as development opportunity. Euphemisms that obscure meaning don't help; honest, constructive feedback does.
Tailor comments to competency area: team leadership comments address direction, development, climate, and results; strategic leadership comments address vision, long-term thinking, and change capability; communication comments address clarity, adaptation, and impact. Match comment focus to competency being assessed.
Exceptional leaders need recognition of specific excellence plus stretch development. Solid performers need acknowledgement of strengths and targeted development areas. Underperformers need clear gap description, impact explanation, specific expectations, and support identification. Calibrate comment approach to performance level.
Leadership skills comments for appraisal require capturing complex behaviours in written form that is accurate, constructive, and actionable. The principles and examples provided here offer framework and language for writing comments that genuinely support leader development—moving beyond vague praise or criticism toward specific, evidence-based feedback.
Review your current approach to leadership comments. Are they specific enough to be actionable? Do they balance strengths and development areas fairly? Do they provide direction for continued growth? If not, applying the frameworks here will improve the quality and impact of your performance feedback.
Remember that appraisal comments serve the leader's development, not just the organisation's documentation requirements. Comments that honestly identify both strengths and development areas, grounded in specific evidence and pointing toward clear action, provide the feedback that enables genuine leadership growth. Invest the time to write comments that make that growth possible.