Akema Reid Akema.Reid@gmail.

com Leadership and Organizational Behavior Professor Doctor October 9, 2011

After completing the LSI assignment, I have learned a lot about myself. Per the results of the LSI, my primary thinking styles are power at percentage of 65. My back-up percentile was humanistic-encouraging at 63%. The results for my power thinking style is at a medium percentage compared to others that have taken the test. I didnt think that power would rate as the highest percentage for me, though I did think that it would fall in the median level compared to others. I dont see myself as using or wanting much power at my job. I dont see that power is manifested much while I am working, but I do see it manifested in other things outside of my job. I currently dislike my job and have no desire to be a part of the company; therefore, power is not anything that is manifested through my job. While I am working, I am more of a laid back person and I dont feel the need to contribute any ideas. When I am working with others, I try to ensure that we are all at the same level, making others feel welcome and not make others feel as if they are inferior. When working with my peers, I try to establish equality. On the other hand, when dealing with management, I tend to exercise my own power in that aspect. Unfortunately, I am working for a company that demonstrates bad management practices. Management at my job tends to try and intimidate others, and most staff members are afraid to speak up and are very timid. I was like that when I first started, but I realized how my company operates. The management team likes to exercise power, control and authority over all the staff members. They take advantage of those that dont speak up. For the employees that do speak up, the management tends to test them and see how far they will go, but will back off once that employee demonstrates their own power. So, I can say that power in my workplace is manifested by me when dealing with those that are in management staff. I have never been this way with any other job and I dont feel that I would ever be this way at another job. When dealing with management, to a degree, I am tell them that what I will and will not do. I control most of what I do because I refuse to let them have power over me. I would rather not be employed by my company than allow them to

exercise their unethical power over me. I dont allow them to intimidate me with their power anymore. When I am told no, I utilize the power or persistence and go as far up as I need to in order to accomplish that in which I choose. Everything that I do falls within the guidelines and policies, but is done in a way where they know that I mean what I say. I have to demonstrate a sort of power over them; otherwise the management will try to run over me. If I allowed that to happen, I would act as a robot. After seeing the results and realizing the power that I display at work, I realize that I exercise it as a defense mechanism. My back-up thinking style is humanistic-encouraging. I agree with the percentage of my back-up thinking style. I am a person that is very encouraging to others and care about the welfare of others. I like to reach out to others and be very understanding. I believe that this is part of the reason why I am always trying to make new employees feel welcomed when they come into the job. I see this manifested a lot when I am at work. I work with children from 6 weeks to 13 years of age. In this field, its a must to demonstrate this thinking style in order to be successful, make the children happy, the families happy, and make one self happy. While I am working, I like to encourage those employees that are having a bad day. Working with all women, there are many that will come with issues or needing advice. I tend to be a person that does not like to be judgmental, but be understanding and give the best advice that I can, when someone comes to me with something. Some people have a lot of outside issues that go on that require their attendance. When this happens, I try to be understanding and humanistic to their welfare and place myself in their shoes. Sometimes employees need to take time off to attend to those needs, I will alter my schedule so that they can have that time because I am humanistic. Though I try to be humanisticencouraging at work, I wont allow myself to be taken advantage of. One of the learning styles that I think is limiting my professional effectiveness is my achievement that came in at 46%. I feel that my achievement thinking style is lower than I would prefer. I feel that in certain things about my job, I am content. In the other areas, I feel that I dont care much about the company, so I dont strive to achieve anything there. This is something that I feel limits me in my job. I think that not having any goals that I would like to achieve at work makes me go into work unhappy from the start. I dont try to please my managers; I feel that I am just there at times. If I have no goals to achieve, I feel that to a certain extent, I have nothing to work hard for at my job. This thinking style will limit my happiness and any opportunity to advance at my company. I feel that not having any goals to achieve also makes me limit myself at work. While I am at work, I tend to do the bare minimum as far as paper work. With the children, I give 100% because that is something that I enjoy to do. When doing other things that are expected of me by my managers, I tend to limit myself. I understand that I can never get ahead at my job and enjoy it to the full potential anymore until I strive to achieve some sort of goals at my job. I think that my learning styles affect my management styles of planning as a person that may not

be well at planning in my current organization. I am one that does doesnt seem to have much of an achievement thinking style within my company. I think that I may not be well at organizing anything at my job due to lack of achievement thinking style, perfectionist level, and approval thinking styles are low. I think a person that is planning needs to desire to accomplish something. I also feel that a person that is trying to organize something have a higher level of perfectionist thinking styles to organize things the right way. These people want to have the best results when they are organizing something. This goes along with an approval thinking style; I am not one that needs much approval. I think that this can be an advantage and disadvantage; in this case, a disadvantage. I think that if I was to be a manager and I was to organize something, it would be important to have some sort of approval amongst the other managerial staff. If there is not much need for approval, the outcome could fall apart. As a manager, I think that I would be good at leading and controlling based on the results of my learning styles. I have the ability to manifest power within the organization if needed. I think that being a leader requires one to have a high degree of humanism-encouragement. A leader needs to be able to relate to those that are their peers and those that are inferior to. Being able to exercise power is a must when controlling in a managerial position. I believe that the personal styles that were displayed from the LSI results are formed in me based upon the way that I grown up with different family members and my relationship with God. I have been in a hostile environment as a child, growing up with all women. I think this is where the defensive power has come in to play. I dont feel much of a need to compete because I know that God will give me the things that I need and desire. Also, I have been a sensitive person for most of my life, and my relationship with God has allowed me to be an encourager of others. I find it easy to be humble and think of the welfare of others. I believe that these are the major things that have formed my thinking styles. I dont feel the need to have much approval because I know that I am who God says that I am, not what others say that I am. I am also very independent because I have worked for everything in my life; I never really depended on my parents or other people. I work for what I want and God gives it to me. This exercise has been very beneficial for me. Will my thinking styles change as I age and experience more that life offers? Life changes and I have reached the level where most of my thoughts and attitudes have been formed. I believe that there are some areas of improvement that I could change. I have learned a lot about myself from this LSI exercise. I think that this class will help me to develop certain areas of lacking as a leader and help me to really understand organization. I now am aware of my strength and weaknesses in my thinking styles and will try to do better at my job. I appreciate this exercise, it has caused me to think.