Can You Measure Executive Debt? Yes—And Here’s How

Executive Debt often hides in the cracks between functions, or in the space between intention and impact. To reduce it, leaders need a way to make it visible—so they can take action. In this post, we introduce the Executive Debt Assessment Framework and explain how to diagnose where your organization is most exposed.

1. What to Measure: The 5 Debt Domains

Executive Debt shows up in five core areas:

• Cultural Alignment: Are values lived or laminated?
• Strategic Focus: Are decisions aligned with long-term goals?
• Operational Efficiency: Are processes built to scale—or patched together?
• Talent Strength: Is your leadership team built for tomorrow?
• Market Responsiveness: Can you adapt quickly to change?

Use these domains to start a conversation about what’s working—and what’s not.

2. The Self-Assessment Scorecard

-> Download the Executive Debt Self-Assessment Scorecard PDF here. <-

We recommend a simple 5-point scoring system for each domain:

• 1 = Highly exposed and problematic
• 3 = Inconsistent, but improving
• 5 = Proactively addressed and monitored

When leaders and teams score themselves honestly, patterns emerge—and the path forward becomes clearer.

Tip: Have each department complete their own version of the assessment. Then compare scores for alignment.

3. Use Your Data to Prioritize Action

Not all debt needs to be paid off at once. Use your assessment results to:

• Spot high-risk areas
• Identify easy wins
• Focus your leadership team’s attention where it matters most

Fix it: Turn your Executive Debt scorecard into a quarterly planning input. Revisit scores over time to track improvement.

Why This Matters:

Measurement turns opinion into insight—and insight into action. AspireSix helps executive teams quantify the impact of Executive Debt and build strategies to reduce it without disrupting momentum.

Because clarity is the first step to change.

Let’s walk through your scorecard together. Schedule a session with AspireSix.