Running head: LEADERSHIP ASSESSMENT

Leadership Assessment: Impact and Action

Jennifer Dulek

Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions

Abstract

This paper describes the author’s experience completing Galford and Maruca’s (2011)

Leadership Legacy Assessment. The results of this assessment are presented and discussed in

relation to current leadership involvement, including roles and actions. Use of such as

assessment and its impact on current and future leadership goals is also discussed, and a plan for

future development of leadership skills is outlined.

Keywords: leadership assessment, goals, occupational therapy

Leadership Assessment: Impact and Action

If I had to describe how I see myself in a work setting, whether in practice or academics,

using just one word, that word would be “advocate.” Looking back on my career, I think it was

this ability and interest that drew me to mental health practice; in working with people who are

often marginalized by society, I found myself compelled to speak out on behalf of my clients, as

well as to empower them to speak out for themselves. In my more recent positions in academics,

I too have become an advocate for my students and our program, as well as its faculty. At the

same time, I have always struggled with figuring out how to motivate others to act. Therefore, I

was not at all surprised when I completed the Leadership Legacy Assessment (Galford &

Maruca, 2011) and the results indicated that I possess the strongest leadership skills as an

“advocate” and the least amount of skill as “people mover.” Although consistent with how I see

myself, identification of these results may impact my current role and actions, as well as help me

to determine an action plan to further develop my leadership skills.

As I read Galford and Maruca’s (2011) description of an “advocate,” I was pleased to

have been identified as relentless, articulate, and logical. When I began my career, I was

extremely shy and withdrawn, and although I still identify myself as an introvert, I also speak up

for what I believe in, especially in cases where others do not. This has put me in some difficult

positions recently as the only longtime faculty member of a developing occupational therapy

assistant (OTA) program that has significantly lacked leadership and direction since its

inception. I have seriously wondered if the fact that I have been so outspoken regarding

necessary changes is professional or productive, and if my tendency to advocate is appropriate

for a leadership role, as if often feels as if I am going against the tide. Reading the results of my
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assessment confirmed for me that the passion I have to speak out for what is right and necessary

is a talent and skill, and something that I can work to refine and use as a leader.

The results of the assessment also indicate that I am weakest as a “people mover”

(Galford & Maruca, 2011). This type of leader is known as a motivator and team-builder, who is

often nurturing and has many social and business connections (Galford & Maruca, 2011). These

results also do not come as a surprise to me, as I have the tendency to expect that people should

be motivated simply by what is right and fair, and I should not otherwise have to compel them to

contribute. Although I know that that is a simplistic and irrational expectation, it is my default

belief and one which I must actively counteract in practice. This is another piece of information

that I knew about myself prior to completing the assessment, but that now seems more clearly

defined and therefore something I can focus on utilizing and developing.

Completing an assessment such as the Leadership Legacy Assessment (Galford &

Maruca, 2011) offers me useful feedback that can help me to identify my abilities and how I

might use these skills in my current workplace situation. Although I was not surprised by the

results I received from the assessment, I do not often consider these aspects of my personality

during my everyday work. They occur quite naturally and in some ways, I take for granted my

ability to advocate for change, and, as I mentioned earlier, had come to question its place in my

new administrative position. As I read the results of the assessment, I began to acknowledge and

appreciate my ability to advocate for the program’s needs, and I realized that it is a leadership

skill that is valuable and respected. This has helped me to feel more comfortable taking on an

advocacy role in my workplace since then, and to more mindfully consider situations in which I

might use this skill to benefit those around me. For example, I recently asked for the opportunity

to construct a proposal for several changes to the curriculum that take into account the feedback
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we have received from students and current fieldwork sites. I successfully advocated for this

role, was able to provide rationale for the proposed changes to the Program Director, and am

currently preparing to present the suggestions to the Vice President of Academics. Without the

clarity and reassurance I gained from the assessment, I likely would not have recognized or

seized this opportunity for leadership.

In addition to how these results may affect my present situation, they may also be useful

to determine future goals and steps. Assessment allows me to accurately measure my current

leadership skills so that I may set realistic goals for future improvement. It also allows me to

measure gains as I work toward those goals. For example, the fact that I scored lowest as a

“people mover” (Galford & Maruca, 2011) has allowed me to determine that this is something I

would like to change. I recognize the usefulness of being able to build a team, especially

because I would eventually like to become a director of an academic program and will need to

foster teamwork and hire in educators to be part of the team. I would also like to be seen as a

mentor in my current role as well as in the role of program director, and being a better “people

mover” (Galford & Maruca, 2011) will allow me to do so. Awareness of this area as a deficit

and current goal will allow me to attend to these skills and take on opportunities to develop them.

There are several ways I plan to further develop my leadership skills in relation to my

assessment results. My primary focus is on developing a mentee relationship with the Vice

President of Academics at my institution. Since I interviewed her regarding her leadership

philosophy, she and I have been meeting regularly to discuss leadership concepts in relation to

my own development. Although I cannot be sure because she has not completed the Leadership

Legacy Assessment (Galford & Maruca, 2011), I would estimate that she will score well as a

“people mover.” She has naturally assumed a mentor role with me, and described obtaining
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most of her positions and promotions as a result of networking. In our conversations, she has

already helped me to determine how best to communicate with my colleagues in a difficult

situation, and has suggested several ways that I might connect with others in the institution who

are obtaining advanced degrees relating to education. Through her suggestions and modeling, as

well as her encouragement and support, I believe I will grow as a “people mover” (Galford &

Maruca, 2011). In addition to this relationship, I also plan to develop my leadership skills by

taking on a leadership role outside of my institution. To do this, I am organizing a group of

therapists interested in obtaining Board Certification from the American Occupational Therapy

Association to participate in the application process together. Through this informal leadership

opportunity, I will have the chance to try new things and demonstrate my skills in a different

context than my workplace. I expect I will feel freer to make mistakes in this situation, which

will allow me to expand my skills as well as my view of myself in a leadership role.

Although at first glance I did not learn anything from my leadership assessment results

that I did not already know, seeing them quantified and presented so concretely has compelled

me to action. The assessment results allow me to measure where I am currently so that I can

track progress as I work to improve. They also motivate me to make a plan to further develop

my leadership skills both in and out of my workplace. With that plan in place, I am certain that I

will become a better advocate and a stronger “people mover” (Galford & Maruca, 2011).
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References

Galford, R. M., & Maruca, R. F. (2011). The Leadership Legacy Assessment: Identifying your

instinctive leadership style. Retrieved from [Link]

assessment/[Link]