Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to test the measurement properties of the psychological capital questionnaire (PCQ) and the authentic leadership questionnaire (ALQ). Both scales' properties are tested in a diverse sample of working adults, compared across genders, and assessed for their performance in a new national culture. Design/methodology/approach - This paper uses survey data from a random, nationally representative sample of working New Zealand adults. Structural equation modeling is used to conduct confirmatory factor analysis and to test for measurement invariance in both scales. Findings - The results confirm the hypothesized second-order factor structure of both scales, with psychometric properties comparable to those in samples from other cultures. The results further suggest that the PCQ and ALQ exhibit measure equivalence for men and women. Originality/value - This paper provides the first test of both scales in a diverse representative sample. It demonstrates that the PCQ and ALQ are useful for diverse samples and equally valid for both genders, as well as performing as expected in other cultures.