Assignment 2/ Strengths Analysis & Leadership Profile: Mixed Methods Approach

– 30 points

This assignment is based on the mixed method approach to gather data about you as a leader: quantitative (surveys) and qualitative (interviews).

Part One (quantitative): Throughout this course you will develop your personal Leadership Profile and determine your strengths and areas to improve. Embedded within each chapter has been a series of questionnaires, surveys, and inventories that have helped you understand your current leadership qualities. In addition, you have received an individual report with each of these tools. This portion of the assignment provides an opportunity to reflect on what you have learned about yourself through both a retrospective and future lens. You will also link this learning to the literature on best practices in leadership through the use of ten scholarly publications either from the e-book links or other scholarly resources.

For this portion of the assignment, you must write in first person, especially with your survey results. Your task is to research and address the following areas:

1. Explain who you are as a leader and include at least one example of how you demonstrate your leadership style;

My style of leadership is democratic were I use an open approach to leading, is shared views and
value that contribute to the vision, goals and decision that are made.
ExampleAs the Director of a non-profit organization, it is my job to bring people and organization together to work on a common issues; to facilitate the work of the groups that formed; and to support those who took on responsibility for the work. My enthusiasms and hard work pull in many volunteer on to the committees making people feel needed and value keeps them coming back. I send out cards of apperception, thanking people for their time and hard work. I also instituted a system of annual public awards to recognize those who put in time and effort to improve the community. By providing an assortment of refreshment for each meeting. The results was the volunteers return bringing other volunteers, accomplishing the work they set out to do. Volunteering are a tremendous help in successfully addressing the needs that are vital to the community, largely because the effectiveness in bringing people together and making them feel valued.

2. For each of the Leadership Profile instruments discuss and analyze your scores, the feedback report findings. Include data as applicable (use APA Level 3 headings). Select two instruments from each module (2×4=8), which will total “eight instruments.” Please analyze the reports, not just report the scores.

Module 1 = Chapters 1, 7, & 8
Module 2 = Chapters 9, 10, & 11
Module 3 = Chapters 2, 3, 4, & 5
Module 4 = Chapters 6 & 12
1.2 Conceptualizing Leadership Questionnaire
Trait emphasis: 14
Ability emphasis: 15
Skill emphasis: 17
Behavior emphasis: 15
Relationship emphasis: 16
Process emphasis: 20

Reflection:
The results from this test does not surprise me. When I read the description of each theory I showed favoritism towards process emphasis. The reason why I like this theory so much is because the leader influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. I can relate to this as like a sports team. My second highest rated theory is skill. Conceptualized as a skill, leadership is a competency developed to accomplish a task effectively. I can relate to this because I feel if I need to get a task done on my own, through leadership, I would be able to accomplish my goals. No matter the situation, I know what I need to do and how to do it. Through this method you can also enhance your leadership by practice, instruction, and feedback which I strongly believe. The rest of the theories are generally close in rankings, but that does not make them less important. I feel that each theory plays a part in each leaders lives’, just my top two theories I can relate to are process and skill.

2.2 Leadership Traits Questionnaire Chart
Rater 1 Rater 2 Rater 3 Rater 4 Rater 5 Average Rating Self-rating
Articulate 4 3 3 4 3 3.33 3
Perceptive 3 4 5 4 3 3.83 4
Self-confident 5 4 5 4 4 4.50 5
Self-assured 4 4 4 4 3 4.33 5
Persistent 5 4 5 5 5 4.83 5
Determined 5 4 5 5 5 4.83 5
Trustworthy 5 4 4 4 5 4.33 4
Dependable 5 5 5 4 5 4.83 5
Friendly 5 3 4 3 3 3.66 4
Outgoing 3 3 4 2 3 3.00 3
Conscientious 5 4 5 5 5 4.83 5
Sensitive 4 4 4 3 4 3.66 3
Empathetic 4 3 4 3 4 3.50 3

Reflection:
This test was also not as surprising as I thought. I knew when it came to some areas I was stronger in one area, and weaker in certain others. My highest results all kind of deal with your own values and things you can do on your own that don’t involve including others. These traits included self-confident, persistent, determined, dependable, and conscientious. I knew I would have a high rating in these traits because I am very productive when it comes to individual work or projects. I started to see my ratings drop when it involves such traits that are needed in certain ‘group work’ for example outgoing and friendly. I am a little shy so I am timid when I am placed in certain situations where I don’t feel comfortable. Also if the group is not very productive I can easily become frustrated and feel a burden that I must do most of the work because I always like things done ahead of time.

3.2 Recognizing Your Traits
Implementer 22
Innovator 20
Encourage 26
Analytic 24
Mediator 20
Reflection:
4.2 Leadership Styles Questionnaire
Authoritarian Leadership: 21
Democratic Leadership: 25
Laissez-Faire Leadership: 20

Reflection:
I think I am getting to know myself better that I once did before. A lot of these results aren’t really knew to me because I am aware of which leadership style I represent. My results said that I was a high range democratic leader, followed by an authoritarian leader and then a moderate range of laissez-fair style of leadership. I am certainly a democratic leader. I do not constantly demand from my followers, nor am I harsh when there was a mistake made. I try to be as easy going as possible to get the job done and work together towards a common goal. However, there is a catch! If I feel that I am making little progress if not any, I tend to get angry and if that happens I quickly turn into an authoritarian leader. I do this because I know I can put the fear into my followers to get the job done or there will be consequences. There are very few times in which I take a full hands off approach because I don’t feel like I am doing any good if I am just a spectator and not a leader.

5.2 Task and Relationship Questionnaire
Task Score: 22
Relationship Score: 17

Reflection:
Without a doubt, these results are completely accurate! I know I am a task leader because the way I look at task, schedule my time management, and oversee the group. I always write down in my agenda when something is due, follow the due dates, and I always finish days in advance, if not weeks. I like being task orientated because it allows me to know that everything will be done on time and not rushed in the last few days. It helps me feel organized knowing that it will get done while multitasking other projects on the go. I think as a leader you need this skill to stay on top of your followers. Relationship is important, but I feel that in my style of leadership task is much more important than relationship. A perfect example of me being a task leader is this portfolio. I have took it upon my self to break down each section and have it completed week by week. The result will have the portfolio completed weeks before it is due and by the time some have just started!

6.2Leadership Skills Questionnaire
Administrative Skill: 18
Interpersonal Skill: 19
Conceptual Skill: 20

Reflection:
For these results I found it a little strange for all my results to be very close. All of them fell into the moderate range and I don’t think I agree on the rankings. I would have liked to seen my conceptual skill results a little higher because to me that represents a ‘task style’ of leadership. It also involved having a good vision and overseeing the followers, which I tend to be very strong at. My second rating was interpersonal, which I don’t feel should have come second. I believe this should have come last. The reason why is because this to me represents a little bit more of the ‘relationship style’ and showing emotions to your followers. I don’t think this is one of my strong points because sometimes I don’t care about feelings, conflicts, or emotions, at the end of the day the work needs to be done and goals need to be achieved. Last place was my administrative skills, although it wasn’t last place by much, I would have liked to seen it much higher, but still below conceptual skills. I feel like this is an area where I also strive in. I always take leadership when I have competence in certain situations. I am also able to manage my group and resources wisely. I think this ties in a lot with me being organized and having good time-management skills that help me get the job done.

7.2 Leadership Vision Questionnaire
Visioning Ability Skills: 46

Reflection:
I wish I could say this number is shocking but its not. I knew right from the beginning I was going to have a very high vision ability. This is one of my greatest assets as a leader. As soon as I am given a task, for whatever reason I start to visualize what I am going to do and how I am going to do so. I give myself a mental image of what I want to complete. Then I will use my task style of leadership to layout to foundation or map to follow to complete it. Another aspect I am able to handle is change, I can adapt easily and allow for different scenarios to occur. To be a great leader I think having a good vision is very important because if you have a solid vision and you are determined, then there should be nothing stopping you along the way. There are always challenges along the way, but they are only there to make the victory even sweeter.
8.2 Organization Climate Questionnaire
Providing Structure 15
Clarifying Norms 18
Building cohesiveness 22
Promoting standard of Excellence

Reflection

9.2 Building Community Questionnaire
46 average range

Reflection

10.2 Conflict Style Questionnaire

Avoidance Total
A l B
18l 17
Competition Total
A l B
17i 19
Compromise Total
Al B
15l 15
Accommodation Totals
A l B
21 I 20
Collaboration Totals
A l B
17 l 18
Reflection
11.2 Core Values Questionnaire
Core Value # 1 Integrity
Core Value # 2 wisdom

Reflection
12.2 Path-Goal Style
Directive Leadership 10
Supportive Leadership 12
Participative 12
Achievement 11
Part Two (qualitative): For this portion of the assignment you will interview three people you know who could answer questions about your strengths as an individual. You may want to tape your interviews, but not required. Of these three people you select to interview, they should be from the following categories: friends, coworkers, colleagues, or family members. You must only have one person from each category, not three from each category (i.e., one friend, one coworker, one family member). Ask each person to respond to the following prompts (Interview Protocol):

1. Please think about a time or situation when you saw me at my best.

2. Tell me a brief story about what I was doing.

3. Describe why you thought I performed well in this situation.

4. Based on what you have just told me, please describe what unique benefits I offered other people who were involved in the situation.

Friend Brian Davis,
1. Jackie is always trying help someone when that person is in a situation that cause for some type of immediate help. She never wavers and is there for that person ensuring that the person gets the help and accomplishing the need.
2. There was a women who need some assistant with finding social services help. Jackie not only help this lady to fill out her application, she also drove the lady to where she needed to go and stayed with her until she got the help needed.
3. Many people feel like they don’t have time or it’s not their problem, so why should they take time out of their busy schedule to help anyone.
4. That person was able to secure benefit that she may not have been able to get if Jackie did not step up to the plate to help her.

Co-worker Jerry Oats
1. Jackie is very compassionate about helping others. She always put their needs first regardless of what is going on
2. Jackie took a week of to help find housing for a homeless women and her two boys because she felt the system was not doing enough and was to slow to help this family that was in desperate need for securing shelter working non-stop.
3. It took persistent for you to get that family into housing and the situation was hopeless
4. The family was off the street and the mother was grateful that she had some one that her and her two boys could count on.

Daughter Jaria Addison
1. I feel as though my Mom is always at her best. She works really hard and I have seen her do some amazing things for other people.
2. Two kids had moved into our neighborhood. My mother notice that these kids were always at our house. She later found out they lived in their grandmother house but that they lived by themselves. We had no idea that their parents did not live with them and often they had no food to eat. You help them buy food and we were upset with you because as always we thought you were doing to much. Now that I am older I do understand why you reached out to help them.
3. The kids at school did pick on those two and I feel that by my mother helping them she helped me to understand that it’s more to life than simply taking, sometimes you need to give.
4. Those kids still have problems, but because my mother help they were able to have clean clothes and food.

Based on their answers, identify two or three recurring themes. These themes are your strengths; determine how they align with the analyzed reports from the surveys of Part 1. You must use proper APA format of personal communications, which you can find in your 6th edition APA manual on page 179. There are two formats of personal communication: parenthetical and non-parenthetical. In addition, personal communications are not recorded in the references page.
Recurring theme, compassion, concern, and finding resources.

In this portion of your paper, you will discuss:

1.The people you chose to interview and why you selected them,
2. Your reaction to what others have identified as your strengths and how they align with the surveys,
3. How these strengths are consistent or different from your own perceptions of your strengths as analyzed from the surveys,
4. Your reaction to what you have learned and where you would like to improve; and
5. Discuss what you would like your leadership legacy to be and how you will attain it.

1. The people I choose have seen me at my worst and at my best. They have seen me when I was down and say me when I never gave up hope.
2. Not sure
3. Not sure
4. Not sure
You are to prepare a doctoral level paper, 7 full to 9 pages of content, plus a title page, and a references page that includes 10 scholarly references to support your response. You are to include your 3 personal communications in-text based on 6th edition APA format. All papers are to be submitted by the due date; please communicate with your individual professor for exact due dates and expectations. A scoring guide for this assignment is located in your Blackboard course.