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Leadership Self-Assessment

Leadership Self-Assessment
Kelly Lighton

University of New England

Dr. Anne Lovejoy

EDU 701: Educational Leadership
March, 2015

Leadership Self-Assessment
Leadership Mission Statement
As an educational leader, I will be someone who leads by example. I will create an
environment of respect and rapport, where students and staff are success and goal oriented. I will
work to ensure a quality education for all leaners, promoting an environment to meet the diverse
needs of learners and motivating educators to work with students best interest in mind.
Leadership Style
According to Glanz (2002) my leadership style is characteristically assertive. As a leader,
I am a mix of Creative Assertive, Dynamic Assertive, and Adaptive Assertive. Assertive are the
type of people that like to sit back and listen. Although these people are not driven to take
charge immediately, they are confident and are willing to put forth their views on matters at the
right moment (Glanz, 2002, p. 6). I could not think of a more perfect way to describe my
personality, especially when it comes to taking on leadership roles within my school. I agree
with and can identify with all three leadership styles. As a creative assertive I tend to shy away
from management positions, although I am extremely imaginative and am the kind of person
who will think outside the box in order to solve problems (Glanz, 2002, p. 72). According to
Glanz, creative assertive is almost the antithesis of adaptive assertives. I found this interesting
because my natural leadership qualities are actually a mix of both.
As an adaptive assertive, I am highly organized, neat, and family oriented (Glanz, 2002,
p. 56). I dont think of myself as the type of leader who immediately stands out. I can be very
practical when it comes to problem solving; I work best when I have order and stability, and
when things are consistent and predictable. As an adaptive assertive, I have a difficult time
working in chaotic situations, I work best when I have order and control. I think that at times
others might view me as compulsive and intolerant of certain behaviors (Glanz, 2002, p. 56). On
the other hand, I also possess qualities of a dynamic assertive, meaning that I can be a risk taker,
I thrive on the moment, and I can adjust and deal with change (Glanz, 2002, pg. 33). I often find

Leadership Self-Assessment
myself deep in thought, strategizing ways to solve problems, and weighing options carefully. I
am a thinker always seeking new ways to improve a problem, while remaining sensitive and in
touch with the needs and feelings of others. I feel that one of the most valuable qualities I
possess is honesty. I like to confront situations head on and at times that requires me to be
brutally honest with myself and with others (Glanz, 2002, p. 33). Due to this quality, others
might view me as overly critical, when in my mind I am truly just trying to be helpful.
I think that I can be a very strong leader when I take initiative and step up to take on
leadership roles. I often find myself sitting back and wishing that I had more influence on
situations, when in reality the only one holding me back, is me. This is part of my adaptive
assertive style. For example, this year I became a member of my districts Discipline Advisory
Team. I did not seek out this role, it was almost forced upon me and I definitely had doubts about
taking this role on. Looking back now I am so grateful that I was pushed to step up and become a
member of this team. I am in a position where my thoughts and ideas can be heard, and that is a
great feeling. After taking on this role, I have gained the confidence to speak up in other ways
within my school. I have worked with school leaders to problem solve and come up with ways to
improve current issues within our school.
At times, it can be difficult for me to accept and implement direction when I do not fully
agree with it. If I cannot see the reason for something, or I do not believe that it will be best for
my students, I tend to be a bit of a rule breaker. According to Glanz, dynamic assertives are
nonconformists, they know what they believe in and why and what they dont believe in and
why (Glanz, 2002, p. 31). I think that this quality is both a blessing and a curse to have, on one
hand I like to do what I believe is right, and that can make it difficult at times to do what is
required. I think when I am in the right leadership position; this quality will be valued and will
be what truly makes me a great leader.

Leadership Self-Assessment

References
Glanz, J. (2002) Finding your leadership style: A guide for educators. Alexandria, VA:
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.