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12-8-2017
LEADERSHIP PROFILE 2
Leadership
Leadership is one of the most highly discussed topics in the modern world. From the business
perspective, to public service, to teaching and more. As often as it is the topic of discussion and
dissection it also continues to be a somewhat elusive subject. Yet, however tenuous the subject
of leadership might be, it need not be limited in the belief that leadership only belongs to a
certain few individuals. The key to unlock the door to leadership is within understanding oneself,
learning the critical aspects and concepts of leadership and then applying the knowledge
Before being accepted into the leadership program at Siena Heights University, I was asked to
write an essay about my favorite leadership quote. John Quincy Adams statement of "if your
actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader,
has always been my favorite. This quote inspires and motivates me and spurred thought
provoking research into my deeper self, in order to gain a better understanding of the
effectiveness of good leadership skills and what can be accomplished. The essence of John
Quincy Adams leadership style spoke for itself in this little phrase which is what the heart of
great leadership is about. A great leader inspires others to reach for their dreams in order to
facilitate learning as well as doing and becoming more. If we are passionate about what we do
and aspire to inspire, motivate, solve problems and engage in reaching goals.
I questioned myself as to what it is that drives me in the organization that I work for. I
understand that leaders open up options and help create opportunities (Rosenbach, & Sashkin,
2014). So, I ask myself what talents do I possess to that will help me reach my goals, the goals
of others, as well questioning my own passions and my own willingness to commitment. Without
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a sense of passion in what you do imminent failure lies ahead. As leaders, our goal is to help
identify problems, find solutions, build foundations and stable coalitions, and strive to achieve
like outcomes (Rosenbach, & Sashkin, 2014). A leaders voice of influence is also important
when it comes to stimulating the dreams of team members, encouraging them to learn more and
to aspire to reach for the stars when it comes to their dreams. When people are inspired and
happy they are more likely to be motivated to learn more and do more. I have found that a
confident leader will assist team members by teaching and leading them further on the journey to
reach their desired objective, whether this is getting promoted or goals for reaching the top in the
company. Empowerment of team members plays an important role in this as well. Individuals in
leadership roles must also be able to walk their talk to unleash unlimited potential in group
efforts as a whole.
As I look back through this past year, progressing through the leadership program of
Siena Heights University I am able to ascertain the extent of which that I have grown. In
assessment of my strengths and weaknesses and reflecting on the skills that I brought with me.
My skill set now enhanced through cultivation and nourishment and critical self-evaluation
stemming from the beginning of the leadership program and on through to the final set of
courses. Through the coursework and class interactions I have come to understand more about
who I am as a leader, as well as where I would like to direct my energy and efforts in the future. I
have learned the great importance in utilizing the skill of communication, the art of listening and
being self-aware in order to master the art of exercising emotional intelligence. Effective
communication being the key to leadership and mastering this the goal. As I master myself I
master my future.
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According to Stephen Covey (2004), there are the four important roles of leadership to
consider. Leaders inspire trust without expectations, stimulate order without demands, cultivate
and foster vision and empowerment without need of proclamations, and finally unleash potential
without ulterior motivations. Covey (2004) also maintains that leaders should constantly look
for the potential in people, listen to them and continually affirm them by our words and by using
At the beginning of the leadership program I believed that if I first inspire myself to dream
more, learn more, do more and become more and as a result of this passion flowing over I will be
able to touch others with the awareness of which I have gained. As a leader, I touch the lives of
others. With this I want to fuel hidden passions and aspirations to help unleash unlimited
potentials, to be moved and help move others to higher levels. As I launch forward, with degree
in hand, into the unknown I will continue to reflect on the inspiration of this quote. Maintaining
an openness and awareness to inspire and motivate as I journey forward towards my aspirations
and future endeavors as a leader who cultivates and tends the garden of hopes and dreams.
According to researchers, Bono and Judge (2004) there are two main types of leadership
leaders influence the followers by using a method of fair trades such as giving a reward or
punishment for performance. This can be understood in terms of receiving a bonus compensation
for meeting performance goals. Transformational leaders are quite the opposite in the extent that
the followers strongly identify personally with the leader. Therefore, the followers share the
leader or the organizational vision for the future over and beyond their own personal goals and
In the organizational culture and communication course we discussed in depth the importance
of leadership in relation to organizational culture and change. Edgar Scheins model listed the
primary steps to follow and implement in order for leaders to change organizational culture;
leaders. All of which are critical elements of transformational leadership, therefore opposite of
Leadership Assessment
According to leadership theories and models, Sashkin and Marshall (2012) leadership styles
can be ascertained by the certain behaviors, characteristics and/or effects that a leader might have
on a group or organization. The leadership questionnaire itself consisted of fifty questions which
styles. As the participant, my self-assessment was then compared to the average of the other
observers that were invited to participate, and who also answered the same questions assessing
I went into the assessment open-minded, honest and candid in my responses as I critiqued my
leadership skills through critical self-reflection and evaluation. The true results lie in the effects
of my past performance and how I was perceived by my co-workers. The results of the
assessment can be relied on to help me to assess and identify my strengths and weaknesses
which will help me further in the establishment of clarity and a clear sense of direction. Utilizing
all of myself and operating as a balanced leader, therefore not limiting myself to only the areas
that are my greatest strengths, but also to identify the weaknesses that can be improved upon.
Moreover, I am able to fashion the vision of the leader of which I strive to be by developing
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strategic goals and initiatives in order to further my objectives for growth, establishing a clear
choice in the path or direction of where I want to head and ultimately land.
Leadership Profile
The leadership profile assessment was completed by a total of four observers. These
observers were four of my co-workers that were willing to take the assessment in order to help
me to understand and grow as a leader. The leadership profile results reveal that my personal
leadership style is more transformational in both characteristics and behavior. I assessed myself
as being an average in the three areas of leadership assessed. The results concluded by both my
I interpret my self-assessment results as indicating that I fit within in the profile of aspiring
leader and within the visionary parameters. According to the Leadership Profile booklet by
Rosenbach & Sashkin, (2014) these results indicate that I am in an advantageous position for
future growth and development. The authors also express that aspiring leaders have solid
managerial capabilities as a foundation for leadership goals. As an aspiring leader, the challenges
of transformational leadership might be frustrating in regard to the direction headed and in the
clarity of goals. The visionary thinker profile indicates an individual who has an inclination for
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great ideas as well as a clear vision of how those ideas can fit into the organization. The pitfall of
visionary thinkers is that they lack in the abilities needed to engage the followers as well as the
organization in the creation and the execution of the vision. Rosenbach and Sashkin, (2014) also
state in the profile that the visionary thinker lacks in the ability to engage the leadership actions
necessary to transform the vision into a reality. This is in fact my struggle and a challenge to
myself to overcome.
Currently I do not hold a leadership role position but I do seek every opportunity to engage
with the body of leaders that I work under. As a follower, I fit into the partner profile. I am a
capabilities as a follower. Having operated in leader and management roles for many years I
understand who I am and the potentials that I have for any organization. In the duration of my
working life in every role my skills were always recognized quickly by supervisors, and as such I
In my current role, I am in the position of a follower and I struggle to maintain my role. I say
that I struggle because my inner leader will not adhere to suppression, therefore finds ways to
make itself known to my body of supervisors. The profile of a partner follower fits me as t
indicates an individual who has the competence and energy to do the tasks assigned, yet are also
aware of and pay attention to the purpose of the organization. The partner profile is indicative of
leaders and subordinates who work together, behaving as partners to help the organization
operate smoothly at all times and under all conditions (Rosenbach, Pittman, & Potter, 2012).
Although I am not working within the parameters of leadership officially I still looked upon and
transactional leadership. A transactional leader is focused on tasks and group performance which
is critical for day to day operations. As a leader, it is important to know what the employees do
daily, what troubles they may be encountering as well as offering available solutions.
Transactional leaders are involved, engaged and know what the employees contribute to the
confident that I can go to my supervisor with problems and issues which need to be resolved,
without having to be closely observed and directed in task processes. Transactional leadership is
what I consider myself as having my leader beginning in. The first job as a manager in which I
learned to direct people sometimes with a firm hand. This is the time in my life when I felt that
in order to be a boss I had to prove myself due to being an amateur in the game and as such
people will challenge you. Now I realize that I was learning how to be a leader, how to handle
situations the right way and the wrong way, and ultimately how to be a good leader. It was a
customer in our family business who said a few words to me that changed my perceptions of
how I lead. This, in the end helped transition me to transformational leadership long before I
even heard of leadership styles in general. The man simply stated something like this, things are
managed and people are led, plain and simple and never forgotten. From that day forward I
remembered to manage the books, the food supply and the bills turning the rest of my attention
The results of my self-assessment along with the profile information provided indicate to me
that I failed myself somewhere in the assessment. Looking over the results I feel that my own
self-assessment scores were weaker than I had initially anticipated. My transactional leadership
LEADERSHIP PROFILE 9
score results of 48.87 and the observers score results of a 46.93 indicate that I must look deeper
into what I am communicating to myself and my coworkers. I assessed myself for capable
management at 53.28, my observers average score being 49.67. In the reward equity category I
scored myself 44.46 with the observers results of a 44.19. I ask myself why I am conflicted in
seeing these results. I consider managerial skills are those of which are applied to things such as
time and objects not to people, but on second thought I also understand that my job requires that
I manage myself daily, hourly and by the minute. Although I do not currently hold a supervisor
position, I do work independently and must have managerial skills in order to appropriately
manage myself, my time, my tasks, my paperwork as well as the community in which I serve. In
short, I am a stronger transactional leadership than my own self-assessment and the observers
results indicate. My capable management skills score given by the individuals who assessed me
are lower than my actual capabilities. Moreover, I am aware of my weakness in the reward
equity, therefore this score I feel is just and a category which I must strengthen myself in.
The dimensions of the leadership profile are formed from ten scales contrived from the fifty
statements in the questionnaire. The scales are then utilized as a tool to help measure the
attributes of oneself as both a transactional and transformational leader. The first two scales are a
measure of transactional leadership skills which are referred to as capable management and
reward equity. Capable management measures how adept a leader is at accomplishing daily
weakness lies in reward equity. I am not the most adept at expressing to others a job well done.
Not that I do not recognize or appreciate the performance and effort, I tend to get so absorbed in
LEADERSHIP PROFILE 10
other tasks that I just simply do not follow through with appreciation. As such, through this
assessment I can understand my motivations and must in turn set goals to improve in this area.
According to the results from my co-workers I scored lower than in my own self-assessment
in transactional leadership. I am not surprised because I understand that the observers who
participated do not really know me as a manager or as a leader. I have only been with my
organization for a few years and as such have not participated in a leadership or supervisor role. I
also see now that what and how I am communicating in the workplace is not showing me at my
coworkers perceptions, I must take action and make the necessary adjustments within my
organization in the work that I do in order to clearly define myself and my skills within the
organizational culture.
The leadership theory coursework provided direction in understanding the four central
suggests that leadership involves the molding of ethical values via ethical leadership
implemented through personal behaviors, organizational policies, and operations. Leaders who
have the qualities of being able to facilitate integrity and ethics to establish trusting relationships,
have excellent critical thinking skills strategically used to achieve goals, as well as excellent
communication skills and as such a great leader permeates all of these skills and more. I have the
knowledge, I have gained the skills and abilities, the behaviors attributed to leadership skills, and
conclude that I must evaluate my communication skills and strengthen them. My weakness is in
mastered in leadership competencies is not being clearly displayed which can potentially affect
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my future success in acquiring leadership roles. My capabilities are much stronger than
indicated, yet I am not operating at my fullest potential, as the results indicate, which defines
defined as my personal traits, behaviors, skills, values and knowledge which are instrumental in
understanding the needs of the organization. I have learned that understanding and a mutual
handshake benefits the employee and the employer. Assimilating an inspiring and motivating
style I integrate and exercise transformational leadership. I feel that the changes that I have
experienced are in the gaining of increased awareness and understanding of what I have learned
and putting it to good use. Transformational leadership is primarily concerned with the imparting
of a vision, and the focus on the future of where the organization is heading and its goals.
Through the leadership assessment my overall self- assessment score results of a 50.47 in
behaviors and a 59.77 for characteristics indicate that I observe average transformational
behaviors and a little above average in the transformational characteristics. On the other hand,
the observers scores are lower with transformational behaviors assessed at an average score of
As discussed in the transactional leadership section of this paper there are deeper dimensions
of the leadership profile, which are referred to as scales comprised of the fifty statements in the
leadership assessment. The transformational leadership scales three through six measure
behavior, while seven through nine assess personal characteristics, and finally scale ten measures
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a leaders capability to take actions which ultimately have a positive effect on the organizational
culture. Through the assessment I have found that my weakness is in communication which is
where my lowest self-assessment score of 35.11 resides, the observes score for the same category
a 43.60. According to scale three, communications leadership, we assess ones ability to manage
In the organizational culture and communication course we discussed the importance of good
Skills in listening, as well as skills in transmitting information or ideas, can and often time is, the
king pin in an effective and productive organization. Communication must be conveyed clearly,
and without question, expectations, ideas, problems and solutions. Leaders I must be able to
receive, process and evaluate accurately, is information followers are trying to convey so good
ideas can be implemented, problems can be solved and information can be distributed for
effective empowerment. The tenets of culture describe the shared beliefs, values, customs
ingrained from socialization. In business, culture is about establishing a culture of ethics within
organizations, a set of principles that guide the individuals in the programs, policies and
decisions for the business. Due to the results of my self-assessment I now have a better
merely just passing it on to a select few. Upon self-reflection spurred on by the leadership
assessment I realize that collectively, to enhance communication skills at every level of the
organization it is paramount for me to not only possess, but also to improve upon communication
abilities. Abilities such as listening to understand, valuing the exchange of information, clarity
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through quality of messages being sent, promoting two-way open communication, increasing the
amount of information accessible at all levels, as well as providing sufficient feedback. My goal
at this point is to create an action plan which will lead me in the direction of communicating my
projecting and extending, by communication, to reach further out into the community in which I
serve. I must find what actions will give me the results of which I desire to manifest and then
The courses in this leadership program have helped me to improve and strengthen my
leadership skills and abilities. My highest observers score being in the category of confident
leadership, 65.68. My confidence having grown through the course of this past year to become
more confident in myself and the talent that I bring to the table, yet I am not shining as the leader
that I know I am. During the length of this program I have gained in the ability to honestly assess
intelligence and more of what it takes to cultivate the garden of what I wish to accomplish within
the community.
According to the observers leadership assessment results I was scored lowest in the follower
centered leadership category, with a score of only 38.86. In this category, the participant is
measured in the degree of exercising positive use of power and authority to accomplish
organizational goals. This type of leaders seeks, uses and shares power and authority, positively,
to benefit others thus reaching goals which can be agreed upon by everyone (Rosenbach &
Sashkin, 2014). The observers score in this category caused me to reflect on my interactions
retention strategies set in place, which make it possible to retain and motivate employees to
strategies as long-term investments in future growth and competitiveness within the organization.
My organizational leaders understand that the labor market today is highly competitive and
retaining top talent is essential to compete in the market place. The Leadership body also
recognize the challenges of investing in job content, as well as formal training and development
employers must be willing to provide training. Moreover, recognizing leaders from within,
training and develop them as present and future leaders. As a leader, I understand the necessity
of optimizing the available opportunities to exercise retention strategies and invest in employees,
who in return become stakeholders, therefore increasing the competitive and financial bottom-
line of the company. Development of employee retention strategies have a large impact, and in
Through strategic leadership concepts I learned that the elements of strategic leadership are a
process of consistently applying smaller key concepts, routinely, interwoven with the
communication and thinking are intrinsic, and fostering effective communication requires clarity
of thought as organizational leaders must be able to receive, process, evaluate and communicate
accurately in order to solve problems. The same concept can also be applied to the process of
thinking and doing. Thinking and doing are also intrinsic and woven together, integrated into the
organization and supported by trust Furthermore, using the advantage of understanding ones
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personal style and the impact it has on others, as well as understanding the non- linear and
In order to improve myself as a leader I will further analyze the results from the leadership
assessment profile in order to completely understand and incorporate the results into my strategic
career plan which was plotted out in LDR 621. Using the observers assessment scores, shown
below, my goal is to establish consistent growth in the under average areas to average or above
average.
environment in order for my coworkers to gain more clarity in my skills and abilities as a
transformational leader. Allow myself to come out of the closet in order for my true
Culture building leadership 48.16. Increase the awareness of my knowledge of the core
Moving Forward
Moving forward as a leader and a leader of the future, I understand that leadership is the
ability to inspire confidence and support within a group or organization to achieve like goals.
LEADERSHIP PROFILE 16
understand how I can have a large influence on the willingness of those being led.
The ethics and social justice course incorporated the stakeholder management approach to help
me further understand the stakeholder and what a stakeholder represents. As I venture further out
into the operations of the community service I am able to use what I have a gained to better
understand the stakeholders in relation to my line of work. These stakeholders being the parties
in which my organization ultimately affects, such as the environment and the community itself.
The stakeholder management theory ultimately serves as a model in which an organization can
project a future which is for the good of all. I can reference the stakeholder management
approach for many different types of organizations to broaden my sense of how they will be
as it is the process of managing the expectations of anyone who has interest in a project or will
be affected by the end product. In short, what is at stake in dealing with stakeholders is the
Furthermore, as a leader I can demonstrate the skill of which I have gained to foster leaders of
the future. The important attributes which I possess, are the willingness and openness to be the
lifelong learner, and the ability to challenge myself in order to achieve desired outcomes,
whether this in a career or my personal life. Moreover, Fuqua, & Newman (2005) discuss
managing change and transparency as requiring strategic leaders who not only provide focus and
a clear sense of direction, but who can also build accountability and support within their
In transforming my leadership skills, I am also able to help transform the organization and the
community of which I serve. The application of the concepts learned in the leadership course
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will be helpful as I spread my wings in the community. The finance and quantitative leadership
coursework helped me to understand and gain insight into applying a quality product or service
to downtown development. The perceived quality is, first, a perception by the customers and is
also an intangible, overall feeling about a brand. I began to ask community leaders what does this
community have to offer that is unique? Also, asking leaders what has to happen in order to
redirect decline into growth and address blighting issues. I began attending planning commission
meetings to increase my awareness as well as increasing the board members awareness of myself
and the ideas and visions that I bring to the table. Not long after I was handed a park project,
which I have a vision for as well as a determination to see it through to completion. To further
my skills and to experience a new dimension of leadership I am also getting my feet wet in our
local museum as a board member. The park project and the museum decision body operations
Conclusion
Various leadership trends, practices and theories have been crafted and researched in order to
help organizational heads be more effective leaders, each demonstrating varying strengths and
organization the leaders need to describe effectively through use of proper communication skills
to build support for change in the organization. Collaboration, in a supportive vision for
that is found appealing and provides a direction for change (Fernandez & Rainy, 2010). My
serve and develop organizational constituents so they can mature and develop as leaders. The
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I discovered that a correlation exists in the weaknesses discovered through the leadership
assessment and my communication skills. What was revealed from my weaknesses is a lack of
strategic career planning and CASVE model, as discussed extensively in LDR 621, are effective
tools to harness and organize my goals, purpose, and objectives in the pursuit of my vision and
goals. Plotting out a career development strategy can help define a future career path as well as
understanding of the employee by the organization and understanding of the organization by the
with a good strategy to promote leadership growth. Understanding that organizational leaders
must be able to provide employees with an engaging and rewarding work environment, and
employees must be able to perform and provide the organization with the productivity that is
expected and required to keep the company solvent. The most important concept that I have
when developed effectively strengthens one as a leader and ones leadership skills as a whole.
Assessing my past leadership style, compared to my leadership style at the beginning of the
leadership program versus my leadership skills presently, I can clearly see how much I have
grown to be more confident in myself. I entered this program on the path of progress and
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goal setting. I desired clarification of the necessary steps to be taken towards goals which were
contingent upon my personal preferences, education, skill set and my feelings of purpose.
Finally, I can be confident of all that I have acquired through the coursework will work
positively for my benefit. The leadership program has enhanced and strengthened my confidence
in my leadership skills which serves to help me in my future career goals to inspire the future,
References
Bono, J. E., & Judge, T. A. (2004). Personality and transformational and transactional
doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.sienaheights.edu:2048/10.1037/0021-9010.89.5.901
Covey, Stephen R. (2004). The 8th habit: From effectiveness to greatness. New York: Free
Press.
Erickson, E. L. (2013). When in the service of your fellow being: A mixed method study of
Fernandez, S., & Rainey, H. (2006). Managing Successful Organizational Change in the Public
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3542671
Fuqua, D. R., & Newman, J. L. (2005). Integrating structural and behavioral leadership
doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.sienaheights.edu:2048/10.1037/1065-9293.57.2.126
Rosenbach, W., Pittman, T., & Potter, E., III. (2012). What makes a follower?. Retrieved
Rosenbach, W., & Sashkin, M. (2014). The leadership profile on becoming a better leader
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