The Five Paths to Leadership Self-Assessment Results

Lesley Krohn - lkrohn@atu.edu [ArkansasTechUniversity]

INTRODUCTION

Perhaps now more than ever, the social, environmental, and ethical challenges of our time demand leaders who are
inspired not only by doing well for themselves, but also by doing good in the world. Yet every year we witness leaders
and executives who derail from greed, collusion, and corruption - reminding us that the very forces of self-interest that
drive our system can also bring irresponsible actions that threaten it.

But how do we develop ethical, responsible, and balanced leaders?

Although leadership has received a great deal of attention in recent years, we still lack a common framework for even
defining leadership. As James McGregor Burns once said, "over the last two thousand years, leadership is perhaps the
most often studied least understood fields of human inquiry. From Plato and Confucius down to the litany of today's
management authors, the theories abound. There is transactional and transformational, emotional and servant, and
adaptive and situational leadership. And while some have claimed leadership to be innate and available to only a few,
others contend it is can be learned and so is accessible by many. In the end, as James McGregor Burns also said,
'perhaps the only certain thing we can say is that there are as many definitions of leadership as there are attempts to
define it.'

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 The Five Paths to Leadership Self-Assessment Results
Lesley Krohn - lkrohn@atu.edu [ArkansasTechUniversity]

A number of years ago, we came across a unifying framework that we found very intuitive and compelling, both for its
elegant simplicity as well as for its inherent potential for addressing the need for developing such leaders. This
framework emerged from the comparative study of indigenous spiritual traditions and their particular views of what it
takes to be an effective human being. These views often consist of five archetypal intelligences - ways of knowing and
being - that these traditions portrayed through the cardinal directions. More commonly known as a Medicine Wheel or
Mandala this ancient framework has provided a guide for personal growth and effectiveness that has withstood the test
of time for thousands of years.

Each path represents a particular intelligence, or style for knowing, relating, and living in harmony with the world. Taken
as a whole, the directions symbolize perfection and balance, and provided a guide for understanding the self and
realizing one's full human potential. The belief is that an individual is born into a single direction, and so enters the world
incomplete and dominated by that style. Yet the purpose of life is to seek self-understanding and grow to completeness
by accessing the intelligence of the other directions, and in so doing reach a place of balance and goodness from which
to lead and influence others. In following this path people find the wisdom and balance necessary for acting effectively
for the benefit of all.

Each path, or intelligence, has a wisdom aspect and a shadow aspect. Wisdom turns into shadow when it is used to
validate the ego and serve self-interest. This usually comes from an underlying fear, doubt, or basic insecurity that
manifests by a "hanging-on" to a particular view, or some form of protecting or projecting the ego. As a result, people
can overplay their view to the point of turning a strength into a weakness, and create obstacles to developing personal
influence, and effective relationships. Thus the paths provide insight not only into personal effectiveness, but also into
personal derailment.

Although no perfect parallels exist, the similarities between the five archetypes and the research of twentieth century
psychologists and management thinkers are remarkable. There are clear parallels, for example, with the Jungian
personality types, DISC, The Herman Brain Dominance Instrument, and the Five Factor Model used in modern
psychological research, and recent management literature. It seems, then, that our modern age is rediscovering this
ancient wisdom.

The primary difference is the utter simplicity and intuitive appeal of the five paths. It provides a compelling, powerful and
elegant framework for not only defining leadership but also how to develop leaders who do well while doing good in the
world. The following introduction is an adaptation of this ancient paradigm.

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 The Five Paths to Leadership Self-Assessment Results
Lesley Krohn - lkrohn@atu.edu [ArkansasTechUniversity]

5 PATHS TO LEADERSHIP | SCORING

Total Scores Warrior Relator Critical Thinker Visionary

Total Score under normal circumstances 21 21 27 31

Total Score under stressful circumstances 35 21 28 16

Score Range:
0 - 10 Very little access to this style
11 - 20 Can use if needs to but often chooses not to
21 - 30 Fair access to this style; uses this style easily
31 - 40 May tend to overuse this style
41 - 50 Uses this style to extreme excess

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 The Five Paths to Leadership Self-Assessment Results
Lesley Krohn - lkrohn@atu.edu [ArkansasTechUniversity]

THE PATH OF THE CRITICAL THINKER - INTELLECTUAL INTELLIGENCE

Your Critical Thinker Score under normal circumstances is: 27

Your Critical Thinker Score under stessful circumstances is: 28

The archetypal wisdom of the Critical Thinker is about intellectual intelligence. It is the place of illumination, where our
senses make first contact and recognition of the world, and thought awakens. Critical Thinkers inquire and acquire
knowledge. They investigate all the details of reality and experience, and see things clearly, precisely, and just as they
are. They are coolly rational and objective, express little emotion, and suffer few illusions. They are conservative,
methodical, and interested in facts and data. They ponder and analyze that data while attempting to bring order and
making sense of it. They then share their knowledge and expertise with others as a true critical thinker does.

In professional life, the Critical Thinker represents the power of rigorous investigation and analysis for informed decision
making. Critical Thinkers drive learning through finding the facts, analyzing data, and measuring performance. This
brings precision and understanding of where we are and what is shaping our future. They seek feedback, help to detect
and correct errors, and tell us how things are operating. They lead by asking critical questions, sharing their precise
insights, and teaching others. Thus the true power of the Critical Thinker is the ability to capture and share their
expertise for the prosperity of all.

WISDOM

Intellectual sharpness
Logical and rational
Objective and impartial
Methodical and orderly
Focus on the real, present, specific, and concrete
Technical knowledge
Quantitative acumen

The shadow of the Critical Thinker comes from a fear of being wrong or not knowing. When something arises outside the
current range of understanding, Critical Thinker can feel thwarted, or even threatened. So they hold on to their view and
become rigid, righteous, and overly critical. They are obsessed with detail, lose sight of the big picture, and when
pushed, they can become annoyed, even angry. That rigidity, insensitivity, and inability to see the big picture are
common pitfalls for the Teacher.

SHADOW

Intellectual fixation
Rigid and inflexible
Discomfort with ambiguity
Analysis Paralysis
Overly critical
Inability to see the big picture
Bogged in detail
Appears insensitive
Need to be right

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 The Five Paths to Leadership Self-Assessment Results
Lesley Krohn - lkrohn@atu.edu [ArkansasTechUniversity]

In sum, as a Critical Thinker you are analytical and rational and base your analysis on concrete facts and logic. You are
thorough in looking at all sides of an issue, practical and methodical in your decision making, and will gather as many
facts and detail as you can before taking action. Your technical skill, rational thought, and objective minds enable you to
see reality clearly and objectively. You are leader as expert, and leader as knowledge holder.

Working with a Critical Thinker

Allow time to make decisions

Come with facts and data
Use logic
Minimize appeal to emotion

Symbolism: The color is Blue as in cool observer; the time is Morning or Spring as in first light; and the totem is the
Bear as in first sensory impressions upon waking up from a winters sleep.

Famous People of this Type: Jimmy Carter, Warren Buffet, Ben Bernanke, Bill Gates, Condoleezza Rice

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 The Five Paths to Leadership Self-Assessment Results
Lesley Krohn - lkrohn@atu.edu [ArkansasTechUniversity]

THE PATH OF THE RELATOR - EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Your Relator Score under normal circumstances is: 21

Your Relator Score under stessful circumstances is: 21

The Relator is about emotional intelligence. It is where the intellectual stimulus of the Critical Thinker is enriched and
deepened through feeling, connection, and emotional reaction and connection. It's the heart's response to the head. As
such the Relator focuses on harmony and relationship for producing strong families, friendships, and communities. It is
the place of trust and unconditional commitment where emotional support encourages extending out to learn with a
sense of empowerment and safety. Relators believe that when individuals feel valued and trust each other, they will be
more motivated, more able to learn, and willing to make sacrifices for the greater good.

In the professional world, the Relator represents the power to develop trust and commitment for producing strong teams
and supportive organizational cultures. Relators are the moral and ethical compass of the organization. They are values
driven and feel that how things get done is just as important as what gets done. They build the relationships necessary
for developing and accomplishing things by leveraging the talent and potential of the entire team. They provide a
supportive environment that is sustained through collaborative decision making focused on serving the greater cause.
The Relator, then, is the steward of empowerment and service, dedicated to the development and support of all
stakeholders.

WISDOM

Emotionally aware and empathic

Relationship building
Team player, collaborative
Trusting and vulnerable
Values driven
Service and generosity
Good listener and communicator

The insecurity of the Relator arises out of a fear of inadequacy, and manifests as feeling that is turned inward-other-
feeling turns into self-feeling. So, whereas Critical Thinkers can get hung-up on their ideas of things, Relators get hung
up on their feelings of themselves. As such, when things are not going their way, they can become overly sensitive, take
themselves too seriously, personalize differences, become dependent on others for approval, and over react to
criticism. And since harmony is so important to them, they also tend to be conflict avoidant. Unassertiveness,
oversensitivity, and dependence are key challenges for them.

SHADOW

Overly sensitive
Takes things personally
Dependence
Conflict averse
Unassertive
Feels guilty about differences
Excessive pride
Can't say no

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 The Five Paths to Leadership Self-Assessment Results
Lesley Krohn - lkrohn@atu.edu [ArkansasTechUniversity]

In sum, as a Relator you are people person, able to recognize and work with the feelings and emotions of yourself as
well as others. You care about others and working collaboratively toward common ends. You are socially skilled, a good
listener, communicator, net-worker, and team player. You are values driven in your decision making, so you are
concerned about fairness and supporting others in how things get done - the process. You are leader as servant and
people person.

Working with a Relator

Remember the process

Appeal to values, ethics in making decisions
Provide positive affirmation
Be aware they have a hard time saying no

Symbolism: The color is Yellow as in warmth of the sun; the time is Noon or Summer for the same reason; and the
totem is the Deer as in nurturing the young

Famous People of this Type: Michelle Obama, Princess Diana, Eleanor Roosevelt, Louis Armstrong, Maya Angelou

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 The Five Paths to Leadership Self-Assessment Results
Lesley Krohn - lkrohn@atu.edu [ArkansasTechUniversity]

THE PATH OF THE VISIONARY - INTUITIVE INTELLIGENCE

Your Visionary Score under normal circumstances is: 31

Your Visionary Score under stessful circumstances is: 16

The Visionary is about intuitive intelligence. It is the place of passion for ideas, possibilities, and vision for attaining the
highest goals in life. Visionaries assimilate the sensing and feeling impressions of the first two directions to discern what
is most important and form vision for moving forward. They bring the gift of insight for seeing and knowing the deepest
truth. They are curious, see broadly, and are able to connect the dots and make sense of experience through a flash of
insight. This allows them to grasp the essence of things quickly, develop a sense of purposefulness, and create
meaning for themselves and others. Thus, they look upon the world with hope and opportunity, and are creative,
spontaneous, and impassioned by the many possibilities.

In professional life, the Visionary represents the power of innovation, strategy, and vision. Visionaries love ideas, the big
picture, and understanding how things work together in a system. They think strategically, systemically, and creatively,
and possess a deep understanding of the different possibilities and their consequences. They synthesize information
quickly and make judgment calls, based on a "gut feel" for a situation. This helps them see what is most important,
derive meaning for what they are doing, and develop a plan for moving forward. Their vision or sense of purpose serves
to uplift aspirations, foster commitment and magnetize self and others to it.

WISDOM

Creative and innovative

Connects the dots and sees the big picture
Conceptual, abstract thinker
Likes change
Sees what is most important
Inspiring and uplifting
Spontaneous
Inquisitive
Passionate

The shadow of the Visionary arises out of a fear of meaninglessness or loss of purpose, so they compensate by
constantly pursuing new possibilities. They lose sight of the detail, lack of follow-through, and compulsively chase
dreams as they jump from one idea to the next. Their distractions spread them too thin and leave no time for their
discriminatory faculties to function. They get into trouble from an inability to maintain focus.

SHADOW

Unfocused
Over-committed
Impulsive and addictive
Lacks follow through
Inattentive to detail
Easily bored
Dreamer and impractical

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 The Five Paths to Leadership Self-Assessment Results
Lesley Krohn - lkrohn@atu.edu [ArkansasTechUniversity]

In sum, as a Visionary you are creative, innovative and intuitive. You are a conceptual and abstract thinker, able to
connect the dots and see the big picture in a way that helps you plan strategies around the opportunities and
possibilities of the future. You are driven by a clear purpose and vision for what you are doing and opportunistic in
pursuing it. That vision serves to uplift aspirations, foster commitment, and galvanize others. You are leader as
visionary, leader as architect, or leader as designer.

Working with a Visionary

Appeal to ideas and possibilities

Allow time for divergent thinking
Provide support in execution of tasks
Avoid criticizing ideas early

Symbolism: The color is Red as in passion for the goal; the time is Dusk or Fall as in assimilating or harvest of
information; and the totem is the Eagle as in vision

Famous People of this Type: Walt Disney, Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Martin Luther King, Barak Obama

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 The Five Paths to Leadership Self-Assessment Results
Lesley Krohn - lkrohn@atu.edu [ArkansasTechUniversity]

THE PATH OF THE WARRIOR - ACTION INTELLIGENCE

Your Warrior Score under normal circumstances is: 21

Your Warrior Score under stessful circumstances is: 35

The Warrior is about action intelligence. It is about the drive to maturity and completion. Warriors take the messages
and plans gleaned from the previous directions and put them into conscious, volitional action. They actualize plans,
internalize the lessons and close the gap between knowing and doing. Warriors possess the will and determination to get
things done as they know they should be done, even in the face of risk and obstacles. They are strong, task oriented,
and decisive individuals who go after a problem. They take full control and responsibility for their lives. They are
courageous and driven, often making personal sacrifices for benefit of the greater good.

In professional life, the Warrior represents the power of authenticity and the ability to align thoughts with actions in
moving toward a desired future. On both task and process, Warriors possess a discipline, tough mindedness, and
perseverance for putting plans into action and getting results. With that, they model the way, walk the talk, and lead by
example. Thus the power of the Warrior lies in integrity and aligning actions with words. This encourages, challenges,
and empowers others to do the same.

WISDOM

Task and result oriented

Courageous and willing to take risks
Drive and ambition
Discipline
Authenticity - walking the talk
Strength and perseverance
Willfulness

Warriors get into trouble out of fear of being left behind, or of losing control. They can become so attached to
accomplishing goals that that they constantly compare themselves to the achievements of others, and become
ambitious, aggressive, and controlling to the point of being insensitive and bulldozing. They become busybodies, doing
for the sake of doing, and as a result, they often charge off in the wrong direction. Insensitivity, abrasiveness, and
micromanaging are often hallmarks challenges of a Warrior.

SHADOW

Busyness
Overly competitive and aggressive
Insensitivity
Controlling
Micro-managing
Bull-dozing
Ready, fire, aim

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 The Five Paths to Leadership Self-Assessment Results
Lesley Krohn - lkrohn@atu.edu [ArkansasTechUniversity]

In sum, as a Warrior you are on task, results oriented, and able to get things done. You actualize plans, take control of a
situation, challenge the process, and take risks and experiment to make things happen. More importantly, you walk the
talk, model the way, and align your actions with your words and deeds around both task and values. You are in your
element when you are in charge. You are leader as model, or leader as example.

Working with a Warrior

Present your case quickly and efficiently

Give them autonomy in following through
Stick to the time line
Don't take them personally because it is about the task

Symbolism: The color is Green as in movement and growth; the time is Night or Winter as in bringing closure to the
cycle through action; and the totem is the Buffalo as in self-sacrifice for the benefit of all

Famous People of this Type: John McCain, Margaret Thatcher, Ram Emmanuel, Governor Christi, Hillary Clinton

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THE PATH TO THE SAGE - SPIRITUAL INTELLIGENCE

Finally, there is the Sage. The Sage is about spiritual intelligence and it is qualitatively different from the other four
paths. It is the drive for greater consciousness and expanded awareness that is the evolutionary urge for us to awaken,
learn, develop, and realize our full potential. It is an awareness that is one step up from the first awareness of the
Critical Thinker -it is awareness of awareness, or thinking of thinking - the full expression of which culminates into an
all-encompassing solidarity with all of life.

As the place of awareness, the Sage provides the overall coordinating function that drives access to and balance among
all the others. This is not a rigid balance but rather a dynamic one provided by the ability of awareness to consciously
access, combine, and shift between the other directions as appropriate given the context. In this sense, it is both the
sum total and the origin of the other four paths because the wisdom of the four is awakened by the Sage and folds back
into the Sage. It is a reflective quality that it is less concrete and more sublime yet also more pervasive and powerful
than the other intelligences. In essence, awaken the Sage, and awaken all other powers.

As the place of awareness, the Sage provides the overall coordinating function that drives access to and balance among
all the others. This is not a rigid balance but rather a dynamic one provided by the ability of awareness to consciously
access, combine, and shift between the other directions as appropriate given the context. In this sense, it is both the
sum total and the origin of the other four paths because the wisdom of the four is awakened by the Sage and folds back
into the Sage. It is a reflective quality that it is less concrete and more sublime yet also more pervasive and powerful
than the other intelligences. In essence, awaken the Sage, and awaken all other powers.

In professional life, people with access to the Sage are agile, versatile, and continuous learners as they seek to realize
their fullest potential. They have a desire not only to learn, but to learn how to learn, and to take charge of their own
development. That desire empowers a sense of self-worth and optimism that makes every situation workable and allows
them to make the most out of every experience. They are balanced, adaptive, and able to thrive in a variety of contexts.
Again, this is a balance not in a static sense but in a dynamic sense by being able to work with any situation or context
with an appropriate combination of styles or intelligences.

WISDOM

Self-awareness and understanding

Personal agility and balance
Urge to learn
Open and candid
Calm and composed
Optimism
Sense of well-being

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The shadow of the Sage arises out of a fear of not being enough. This makes them feel insecure, disempowered and
victimized, so they cling to themselves and withdraw from taking responsibility for life. They want to hang out and not be
bothered, contented to repeat their same old patterns and ways of doing things. They shrink from reality and lose focus
on who they are and become complacent, and ignore important signals or feedback in their lives to change, grow, and
develop. Ignorance, as in not knowing, or not wanting to know is their hall mark. In effect, they become self-absorbed
and fall asleep.

SHADOW

Doubt
Spaciness
Complacency
Checked-out
Dullness
Denial

In sum, with access to the Sage you are awake, self-aware, and reflective. You know what you have to offer. You know
your strengths and weaknesses, and are open, candid and humble in striving to grow and develop. Self-knowledge, self-
development and learning are your calling. You are also optimistic, and feel empowered to make the most out of any
experience. You know what you know, and you know what you don't know. This makes you agile and adaptive. You are
leader as learner, or leader as lord or master of self.

Symbolism: The color is White as in all encompassing or combining all colors of the rainbow; it's totem is the Great
Spirit or the Creator found in many of the world traditions.

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 The Five Paths to Leadership Self-Assessment Results
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TRANSFORMING SHADOW INTO WISDOM

As mentioned above, the wisdom of each of the pathways becomes shadow when it is used to validate the ego and
serve self-interest. This is usually the result of a fear or insecurity that manifests as a defensive "hanging-on" or
"overplaying" your view to the point of turning an inherent strength into a weakness. If you are a Critical Thinker, for
instance, under stress you may hold too tightly to the powers of your intellect and try to make everything black and
white, yes or no, and stubbornly fixate on your ideas. You transform your shadow into wisdom by "opening up" or "letting
go" of your fear or sense of self-importance. This opening up we call a wisdom strategy, and for the Critical Thinker, it
means being objective.

The key then to accessing the wisdom of each path and transforming the shadow into wisdom is the awareness, or
openness, of the Sage. There are two aspects to this openness - the awareness of self and the awareness of other
(compassion) - and together these two - awareness and compassion - make up the two foundational practices for
navigating the paths.

The Sage lies at the intersection of the East-West and North-South axis. Awareness is represented in the East - West
axis of the circle, and shapes how we know the world. It reflects the combined powers of the Critical Thinker and the
Visionary in helping us see, discern, and make sense of our experience. Compassion is the North - South axis, and
shows us how we understand, open to, and engage our world. It reflects the combined powers of the Relator and the
Warrior in working with others in compassionate, collective action. Together, awareness and compassion, are like the
two edges of a sword that cut and slice away the ego, and opens us fully to our experience. Awareness enables us to
cut through obscurations and habitual patterns to see our intrinsic human nature, while compassion awakens our hearts
and enables us to reach beyond self-interest to help and serve others.

The openness of the Sage transforms the shadow into wisdom. As described above, the shadow is basically a self-
protecting or self-projecting reaction to an innate fear or doubt that we all share. In essence, it is selfishness. Openness
asks us to let go of this sense of self-importance, step through the fear, and dare to try a new view. So instead of
negating, or ignoring fears, they are turned into vehicles for personal growth. Awareness helps us see our negative
patterns, and compassion their impact on others. Together they help us suspend the sense of self and open us to new
possibilities. In the process we move from selfishness towards selflessness, and from leading from a place of fear to
leading from a place of basic goodness.

In essence, we get into trouble by holding on to self and distorting the intelligence (shadow), and we grow by letting go
and opening up to the intelligence (wisdom strategies). The basic strategies for practicing openness, and transforming
the shadow into wisdom are the following:

ARCHETYPE INTELLIGENCE WISDOM SHADOW STRATEGY

Critical Thinker Intellectual Absolute Clarity Tightness Objectivity

Relator Emotional Emotional Enrichment Over-sensitivity Equinamity

Visionary Intuitive Conceptual Insight Compulsive Desire Non-attachment

Warrior Action (Volition) Selfless Activity Competitiveness Self-discipline

Sage Spiritual (Consciousness) Urge to Learn Dullness Awareness

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Lesley Krohn - lkrohn@atu.edu [ArkansasTechUniversity]

PRACTICING THE SAGE

Building your capacity for self-reflection and making it a habit happens with time and experience, but there are several
activities that can help you deepen your awareness and compassion as you strive for balance. We recommend the
following:

Reading - Reading widely and broadly from news periodicals, to inspirational literature, to classical novels stimulates
thinking, improves understanding, brings new perspectives, and sensitizes you to the nuances of life challenges, issues,
and relationships. Most importantly it promotes your becoming a conscious learner.

Taking Risks - Learn to consistently stretch yourself out of your comfort zone in small but significant ways - travel to a
new place, learn a new language, or take yoga dance, drawing, and acting lessons. Especially try things you have
always wanted to but never dared. If you want something you have never had then you must do something you have
never done - do the things that scare you.

Exercising - The physical, psychological, and emotional benefits of exercise are well documented. However, solitary
exercise (without earplugs and alone) has been proven to consistently improve awareness and generate fresh insight.
When working on a tough problem take a break to go walking, jogging or cycling and see how often things break loose
with new perspectives.

Having a support group - Your friends are your mirror and your support. Find or develop a men's group, women's
group, dinner club, book club, or any circle of friends joined around a theme to explore personal, professional, and
spiritual issues in a safe and supportive place. These are your go to people for support, insight, feedback, mutual
learning and where you practice listening, compassion, honesty, and acceptance.

Keeping a journal - Journaling helps capture lessons learned, insights and potential wisdom from life experiences. It's
one of the oldest methods for self-exploration and discovery and a powerful exercise for adding awareness, texture and
meaning to your life. The key is to build the journaling into a daily practice, not when the "spirit" moves you. Reviewing
what you are learning with your journal with a close friend, mentor, thought partner is a helpful practice.

Going on nature walks - Nature is a portal into wisdom and balance. Walking through the woods or by the ocean can
be life affirming, meditative and even healing. When faced with a difficult decision, head out on brisk walk in nature to
gain clarity about your situation and put it into context. Nature opens you and grouds you at the same time. It is magical.

Practicing meditation - Meditation has been around for thousands of years in one form or another - breath, yoga, tai
chi, contemplative prayer - in cultures from around the globe. The benefits are well-researched and include reduced
stress, improved relationships, better health, enhanced self-concept, increased perception and memory, reduced alcohol
and drug abuse, and greater creativity and productivity. Practice it for short periods once or twice a day.

Reflecting on mission, vision and values - It is important to develop and reflect on your personal values and principles
on a regular basis. Keep it as a work in progress to reflect on from time to time, and talk about with a trusted colleague,
thought partner, or friend. Creating such a personal statement helps you bring focus to life, become a conscious learner,
and make you responsible to yourself. If you don't have a vision for life, then you may become part of someone else's
plan.

Exploring your belief system - Taking the path less traveled by exploring your belief system or spirituality can lead to
a clearer life purpose, better personal relationships and enhanced stress management skills. It helps to give your life
context. This exploration need not be connected to a specific belief system or religion. Instead, it can take many forms.
It is a search for meaning that results in a deeper connection connection with yourself and with others, the development
of your personal value system.

Taking down time - Research on naps, meditation, nature walks and the habits of exceptional artists and athletes
reveals how taking mental breaks or down time increases productivity, replenishes attention, solidifies memories and
encourages creativity. It can be hard to carve out space for downtime in your busy world, but it's precisely the chaos of
your busy-ness that requires you to cultivate the discipline of taking downtime routinely. Make a habit of retreat, renew,
return.

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A MODEL OF BALANCE AND ADAPTATION

Having taken this tour, we begin to see how The 5 Paths to Leadership Self-Assessment offers a fresh and integrated
view for understanding leadership and personal effectiveness and why balance among all five intelligences is so
essential. Each path offers a unique and important way of knowing and relating to the world which taken together move
an individual towards their full potential, full integration, and full effectiveness. The action intelligence of the Warrior, for
instance, without the compassion or emotional intelligence of the Relator could be insensitive. Likewise, action without
the perspective of intuitive intelligence of the Visionary could be miss-directed. And finally, action without the hard
questions of intellectual intelligence of the Critical Thinker could be premature. A balance among all pathways is
necessary to be fully effective. Each pathway is a complement to a whole as shown in the following qualities of the
opposing pathways - we need access to all to be fully effective.

CRITICAL THINKER - VISIONARY COMPLEMENTS WARRIOR - RELATOR COMPLEMENTS

Concrete - Abstract Task - Process

Details - Concepts Assertive - Inclusive

Facts - Possibilities Execute - Enable

Present - Future Power - Empower

Inductive - Deductive Individual - Collective

Operational - Strategic Action - Buy-in

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To be clear however, there are two types of balance - balance among paths (as in the chart above) and balance within a
pathway (as in transforming shadow into wisdom). The practice of the openness of the Sage drives the development of
both. In this case, the awareness of the Sage tells us when to move from one style to another given the context or
situation. Again, this is balance not in a rigid sense but in a dynamic sense, and it helps us become adaptive, and able
to thrive in a variety of contexts.

Therefore, leadership is not necessarily about playing to your strengths or fixing your weaknesses, it is about becoming
balanced, versatile, and adaptive by learning to develop comfort within and with all the paths.

A MODEL OF LEARNING AND GROWTH

The five paths also offer important insights into learning and how leadership is developed. In essence the five
intelligences provide a five step action learning cycle very similar to one made famous by David Kolb.

The 5 Paths to Leadership is a useful tool for learning. Intellectual intelligence, for instance, takes in data and
information objectively, emotional intelligence adds depth to that experience through a feeling response of pleasure,
pain, or indifference, intuitive intelligence assimilates this data and conceptualizes a plan of action for moving forward,
action intelligence follows through by closing the gap between the idea and reality, and spiritual intelligence reflects on
the lessons learned for improving in the next cycle. Each step and iteration of the cycle, leads to greater learning and
greater personal growth.

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 The Five Paths to Leadership Self-Assessment Results
Lesley Krohn - lkrohn@atu.edu [ArkansasTechUniversity]

More interestingly, in following the steps of this cycle for each decision, problem, or challenge you face, you become
more balanced, integrated, and fully functioning. Each intelligence is like muscle. You have them all but tend to prefer or
default to some over others. To become well rounded, balanced, and fully effective, you consciously tap into each in
problem, solving, decision making, team building etc. in following this action learning cycle. As you do, you practice and
develop the skills (exercise the muscles) of each path while addressing the problem or issue at hand.

When faced with a problem or a decision, for instance, ask questions in the following steps:

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We want to acknowledge and thank Rodney Napier for first introducing us to the Native American Sioux Medicine Wheel
years ago. We have used it and adapted it constantly in our work since then, the result of which is this current version.

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