Determining Your Perfect Position

In determining one’s perfect position within an organization, one must identify his or her

strengths and weaknesses of his or her personal leadership style. As a student at the University of

Phoenix, one may accomplish this by participating in self-assessments. When one is earnest and

open with his or her views and values, these self-assessments reflects it, which enables one to

develop and grow in his or her leadership style. The self-assessment used for this assignment

contains six areas and each area is analyzed and interpreted. The analysis and interpretation gives

one a true picture of his or her strengths and weaknesses in a leadership role as a Counselor

helping veterans to enter and be successful in post-secondary education.

The first self-assessment asked “What’s My Leadership Style?” which taps the degree to

which one is task or people oriented indicates that one’s concern for people or people-orientation

which focuses on group interactions and the needs of individual members is high with a score of

eight. The self-assessment also indicated that one’s concern for task or task-orientation which

focuses on getting the job done is also high with a score of 17. This self-assessment states that

the “best leaders are ones that can balance their task/people orientation to various situations” and

a high score on both task/people orientation indicates this balance (Pfeiffer and Jones, 1974). The

self-assessment that follows asked “How Charismatic Am I?” and one having a high score in this

area is considered by followers as having heroic or extraordinary leadership abilities.

The self-assessment of “How Charismatic Am I?” indicates that one scored 111 out of a

total of 120 which makes him or her a highly charismatic leader. This type of leader possesses

high self-confidence and strong convictions about their beliefs and followers are attracted to

charismatic-types (Sashkin and Morris, 1987). The third self-assessment asked “Do I Trust

Others?” with one being the high score and five being the lowest score.
 One’s score in this area of self-assessment was a one, a high score but one who have low

faith-in-people. This type of leader is more likely to choose majors such as sales-promotion,

business finance, and advertising. The assessment also indicated that this type of leader would

have trouble trusting others, working on teams, or acting as an empowering leader (Rosenberg,

1957). One having a degree in finance would agree with this self-assessment. The fourth area in

this assessment asked “Do Others See Me as Trustworthy?” and a high score in this self-

assessment indicate high trustworthiness toward one as perceived by others.

In this self-assessment “Do Others See Me as Trustworthy?” the analysis and interpretation

states that the higher one’s score, the more one is perceived as a person whom can be trusted;

therefore, one’s score of 62 suggest that others are likely to perceive one as trustworthy and

leaders must be trusted by those they lead, their followers (Bromiley and Cummings, 1996). A

trustworthy leader must also be able to discipline on a fair and even basis.

In this area of self-assessment, the question “How Good Am I At Disciplining Others?” the

analysis and interpretation states that a score of 22 or higher indicates that one have excellent

skills at disciplining. Since one scored a 23 on this assessment, as a leader, one understand that

effective discipline recognizes the need to provide ample warning, act in a timely fashion, use a

calm and serious tone, is specific about the problem, keep the process impersonal, and

understands that disciplinary action should be progressive and consider mitigating circumstances

(Robbins, 1989). The final area in the self-assessments asked “How Good Am I At Building and

Leading a Team?” assesses team development behaviors in five areas.

The analysis and interpretation in this final area of self-assessment “How Good Am I At

Building and Leading a Team?” assesses team development behaviors in diagnosing team

development; managing the forming stage; managing the conforming stage; managing the

storming stage, and managing the performing stage. On this self-assessment, one scored 106 and
is considered to be in the “top quartile” in relations with other leaders (Whetten and Cameron,

1995). Even though one scored very high on this assessment, as a leader, one must remember

there is always room for growth and improvement. In learning the different leadership styles one

must also learn or become familiar with the different leadership theories that applies to the

different styles. In becoming a better leader many leadership styles and leadership theories

maybe incorporated or combined.

In comparing and contrasting the leadership theories in one’s readings, the charismatic or

transformational theory seen to be the best fit. In working with veterans, one often tells her story

of being a non-traditional student and the first of 11 children to earn an undergraduate degree.

One’s story has encouraged the old and young alike to pursue their educational endeavors. In

restructuring the program more advertisements on the radio and more appearances on the local

television stations have helped in recruitment and services offered to the veteran. Veterans

already know how to go “above and beyond the call of duty” and because of them, one’s

program has been successful for over 20 years. Over two hundred veterans have successful

completed their post-secondary education by attending this program. As a charismatic leader,

one makes the personal sacrifices in the interest of the success of the program by working after

hours and on weekends. To complete a report or assist a veteran, one knows and understands the

mission of the program and does whatever it takes to ensure the program’s success which is

reflected in her daily contact with veterans and regular college students

Veterans as well as other college students can become discouraged with everything that is

going on in their lives, and they find it easy just too drop out of school until they are referred to

one who have been there, done that. After discussing their situations with one, many of these

students remained in school and successfully completed their degree. The self-assessments that

one has participated in while enrolled in this course will help her to become a much better leader.
 Knowing and understanding one’s strengths and weaknesses as reflected in the self-

assessments paints a picture of a leader who is a peoples person and one that believes in getting

the job done. One is also viewed by his or her peers as having extraordinary leadership skills

with high regard for one’s beliefs and is very trustworthy. As one continues to travel this never

ending path of empowering people to be the best they can be, will enable one to be the best

leader and or manager he or she can be.