Introduction
This reflective treatise attempts to explicitly review the components of self leadership assessment. Besides, the paper examines personal views, strengths, and areas of improvement for this assessment. The assessment is based on transactional leadership, confidence, relationship, and transformational leadership. The assessment presents my score besides a comprehensive plan for improvement.
Leadership Assessment Survey Results
The Leadership Trait Questionnaire is a leadership assessment tool that is intended to measure and give insight on personal leadership traits (Avolio, 2011). Through participating in the questionnaire, my skills are defined and my strengths and weaknesses exposed. The assessment was significant to me in understanding the areas that I need to improve on. It is important that I look at my traits and how they pertain to leadership to determine which ones I need to improve on. After taking the Leadership Trait Questionnaire, which has 14 classifications, I scored high in characteristics such as trustworthiness, empathy, friendliness, dependability, determination, sensitivity, and diligence. However, I scored the lowest in self-confidence and self-assured.
The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire MLQ 5x-Short tool evaluates three different leadership styles, which are transformational, transactional, and passive-avoidance. It allows individuals to measure how they perceive themselves with regard to specific leadership behaviors. It is essentially based on the premise that for a leader to be successful, transactional and transformational attributes need to be exhibited.
It identifies the characteristics of a transformational leader and helps individuals discover how they measure up in their own eyes and in the eyes of those they work (Avolio, 2011). I rated myself withithin four parameters of the transformational style, a one and two on the transactional, and zero and two on the passive/avoidant leadership styles. From the results, it is apparent that my style would be more transformational, and I need to improve on the transactional style.
The style questionnaire is to measure two types of leadership behaviors; task and relationship. The style is necessary to give a person better understanding of the leadership skills he or she might possess. After completing the style questionnaire, I scored 43 points on task and 32 points on the relationship attribute. I believe that I am both a task and relationship oriented person. In the style questionnaire, my cumulative score was higher in the task and than in the relationship attributes.
Analysis of the score
Task-oriented leadership
Despite task orientation being rated as a high self leadership assessment strategy, action planning is of importance to create a solution and strategy implementation secession for quantifying task orientation levels (Ismail, Mohamed, Sulaiman, Mohamad, & Yusuf, 2011). In my opinion, task orientation leadership, on an individual task management level in ethics, encompasses actual and expected outcome. My cumulative score is Very High Range (42).
Through designing personal task management model levels, my task orientation module has remained active in developing dependence of interest attached to an activity, creating proactive relationships, and monitoring their interaction with physical and psychological health. Eventually, it has paid off since I have learnt to appreciate the essence of tolerance and necessity to stay active. In fact, I scored high in characteristics such as trustworthiness, empathy, friendliness, dependability, determination, sensitivity, and diligence. However, I should improve on excessive independence, intra and interpersonal communication since the two influence the level of task orientation with the third party (Avolio, 2011).
Relationship-oriented leadership
Specifically, relationship-oriented leadership identifies a range of problematic situations an individual faces in his or her social environment, and generates multiple alternative solutions to those problems; he/she lays a series of procedures that are necessary to achieve desired results rather than postponing response strategies. Through using team work diagnostic tools, an individual can assess the areas of participatory leadership that require urgent improvement moving the person closer to an ideal leadership sphere. Self initiative in participatory leadership plays a significant role in setting up the leadership environment for situational occurrence management from external factors (Ismail et al. 2011). I am competent in teamwork and keen believer in collective responsibility.
My cumulative score is Moderately High Range (32). I have been successful in time management and reducing unpleasant distractions. I have been successful in self reward creation. This style of leadership engages in active process of learning through promotion, facilitation, and rewarding collective learning results in the practical arena (Avolio, 2011). I am a motivator with adequate skills in situational leadership management. The strategy requires systematic and periodic review of the parameters of professionalism, organization, respect, optimal performance, and discipline. However, I scored the lowest in self-confidence, and self-assured.
Unfortunately, these indicators are difficult to quantify. Since research methods focus on the development of a range of skills that are designed to help an individual to cope with a variety of life situations, they remain indispensable to the personal initiatives I have internalized in practicing a proactive balance in self situational leadership management. I would suggest an improvement in urgent matrix for duties since it doesn’t remain constant in different situations. I am currently monitoring counterproductive behavior as a negative parameter, which limits leadership productivity as a result of these hurdles.
Improvement plan
Leadership improvement is promoted by the ART model proposed by Ivey and Kline (2010) to explicitly review the link between task and role as enshrined in the tenet of authority. To inspire loyalty and effort, I should be a good communicator. I have to seek opportunities to communicate with team members. At the same time, I should attempt to increase the volume and frequency of communication. Having in mind that 90% of communication is not about what we say, but how we say it, I should be able to communicate with passion, humility and enthusiasm in line with the group aspirations (Ivey & Kline, 2010).These improvements will improve my self-confidence, and self-assured elements in leadership. The following strategic plan will address the leadership challenges noted above and present an explicit improvement plan.
Areas of improvement
Despite my steady score in the transactional leadership and transformational leadership, I need improvement on the spheres of self confidence and self assurance. Besides, there is an urgent need for improvement in the relationship and transformational leadership skills as part of task orientation to ensure that my leadership skills are all round. In order to make these improvements, I will use the leadership inventory practice (LIP) model since internal and external factors greatly influence the perception and direction of each leadership attributed.
Leadership Inventory Practice (LIP) development is vital in understanding psychological principles which form the links between the ability to inspire and human behavior. Basically, leadership development focuses on how individuals think about themselves and activities that affect these thoughts and feelings in an organizational environment, especially during selection, perfection, and persuasion procedures (Northouse, 2012). Application of leadership development strategies facilitate advanced stages of maladaptive leadership skills and talents.
Improving on the four spheres of leadership
Self confidence and self assurance
LPI assessment is important because it enables an individual to perceive how people evaluate leadership skills. Furthermore, this is a self assessment strategy that enables an individual to inquire people’s opinion in order to compare their suggestions with leadership perspectives as a way to improve on personality and leadership skills. In order to improve on my self confidence and assurance, I will use the LIP assessment to monitor the desire to achieve in challenging situation and meet the expectations I set.
Since challenging experiences normally compel a person to examine his or her attitude, I will enroll myself in confidence building classes for a period up to six months and use the class environment to improve on self assurance. I will retake the assessment questionnaire after four months in the class and declare my improvement endeavors successful when the score increases of 32 points to at least 45 points, which is comfortably above the average (Avolio, 2011).
Relationship and task-orientation
According to Ivey and Kline (2010), LPI assesses human acts which people utilize when interacting with different peoples. This assessment is helpful, especially for leaders who intend to know how they influence people and how to communicate effectively in a society. In addition, leadership skills are normally influenced by situational and personal experiences (Northouse, 2012). I will improve my relationship and task-orientation attributes by interacting more with peers and friends. Indeed, situational experiences exist in many ways.
First, attitude of encouragement is important in a society. Actually, people should appreciate and encourage positive contributions. Secondly, shared objectives are helpful because they guide community to embrace desired outcomes while discouraging unfavorable attitudes. On the other hand, personal experiences are based on three aspects. First, past reality that people have experienced influence them to be aware of human acts that have positive outcomes (Ismail et al. 2011).
Secondly, personal attitude usually influences people on how to interact with others. Lastly, self esteem enables people to develop inner strength in carrying out various actions. I will measure improvements in these elements through carrying out an ad hog interview with my peers to establish their perception on any improvement over a period of at least three months. Besides, I will repeat the self assessment to determine the exact improvement I have made. The exercise will be declared successful when the score improves to 50+ score.
Prioritization and rationale
The first priority will be directed towards the improvement of self confidence and self assurance followed by improvement in relationship building and other forms of task orientation. Basically, the need for improvement of my confidence and self-assurance was informed by my low score in the two areas. These two attributes are significant in exercising transformational and task-oriented leadership at micro and macro levels (Ivey & Kline, 2010). Therefore, the improvement prioritization will not only ensure that the current weaknesses are addressed, but also improve on my score in other parameters since the attributes are dependent on leadership practice.
Tools for measuring the plan’s effectiveness
The tools which will be used in measuring the plan’s effectiveness include LIP, Leadership Trait Questionnaire, Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire MLQ 5x-Short, and Style Questionnaire. These tools are critical in establishing the actual score in each of the leadership attributes associated with transformational and task-oriented leadership. The successful application of these tools will determine the variance in the score at the beginning and the end of the improvement plan (Avolio, 2011). A positive variance will indicate improvement in leadership skills and vice versa.
Personal and organizational implication of failure to implement the plan
Productive leadership behavior stresses the need for an active cooperation between personality and the roles assigned in the planning and execution of the set targets for the assigned roles within the parameters of situational leadership, task-person orientation, and transformational leadership. Therefore, failure to implement the proposed improvement plan would jeopardize the personal learning and organizational performance since confidence and self assurance are important variables in making rational decisions and comprehensive task completion (Northouse, 2012).
Specifically, development of transformational leaders is achievable through mentorship, stretch assignments, multi-year training programs, and coaching. These aspects are complimentary to each other and are active in modeling a broad vision candidate who has the ability to inspire positive change and motivate people. Therefore, failure to implement the plan would mean that I will be trying to function as a competent individual with low self confidence and assurance.
Therefore, I will miss the opportunity to acquire complete leadership skills, which are critical in self improvement and organizational performance. As a leader, I can never be egocentric since it is not about me but the team. Therefore, failure to implement the improvement plan will leave me egocentric and opinionated in a complex and dynamic organization that functions on team work (Ismail et al. 2011).
Assessment of the leadership improvement
After reviewing and understanding different theoretical explanations of the elements that interact during the group formation process, I discovered that the elements of dependency within conscious and unconscious tenets are directed towards a leader of a formal or informal group. Specifically, Avolio (2011) opined that the elements of dependency within conscious and unconscious tenets are critical towards understanding the perception of each member of the group on the environment, expectations, and possible challenges. In fact, in the first interaction during the LLG formation process, little eye contact may be witnessed since persons meeting for the first time may face difficulties in building instant affinity.
Basing on LPI assessment that I have undergone through, the practice enabled me to develop the following three personal competencies. First, I should be a role model. I need to develop self-confidence by elucidating my own individual values. I should set good examples through conforming to shared values of the community. Secondly, I need to enliven a common vision. Indeed, I should visualize the future through perceiving to achieve pleasant and excellent possibilities (Northouse, 2012).
In addition, I should interact with various people to achieve common objectives that are important in group activities. Thirdly, I should learn through challenging inspirations. Expressing loyalty is a noble act showing a sense of worth and gives meaning to life. However, it is not an easy task; it comes with lots of challenges as some people are naturally rebellious. I learned that in spite of the prodigious challenges leaders go through; they can still inspire loyalty and effort in their team. This creates a culture in the group because members feel they have shared values and beliefs.
References
Avolio, B. (2011). Full Range Leadership Development (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Sage Publications.
Ismail, A., Mohamed, H. A., Sulaiman, A. Z., Mohamad, M. H., & Yusuf, M. H. (2011). An empirical study of the relationship between transformational leadership, empowerment and organizational commitment. Business and Economic Research Journal, 2(1), 89-108.
Ivey, G. W., & Kline, T. B. (2010). Transformational and active transactional leadership in the Canadian military. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 31(3), 246-262.
Northouse, P. (2012). Leadership: Theory and Practice (6th ed.). New York, NY: Sage Publications.