Running head: PERSONAL LEADERSHIP ANALYSIS 1

Personal Leadership Assessment Analysis

Bryan S. Fuller

Siena Heights University

LDR 695-KA

August 2018
PERSONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT 2

Personal Leadership Assessment Analysis

Introduction

What makes a leader one others will follow? This particular question has been an

underlying theme within the Organizational Leadership program offered through the graduate

college at Siena Heights University. Throughout the program, cohort participants like myself

reviewed a variety of leadership-based concepts, many of which centered upon this question

either directly or indirectly, encouraging our personal leadership journeys. In addition to the

research completed on these concepts, program participants also performed a variety of reflective

analyses to better understand their personal leadership characteristics and subsequently

developed plans based on these analyses for future improvements as a leader. In this paper, I will

discuss the findings of one particular assessment and its results, along with a personal

interpretation of these findings and their meaning for future personal development. This

assessment tool, The Leadership Profile (TLP) developed by Rosenbach and Sashkin (2014),

incorporates both individual and peer assessments regarding personal leadership characteristics.

Such an approach offers both personal and public critiques for the developing leader, and this

combined insight can provide additional opportunities for further leadership growth.

During our discussion regarding the results of this assessment, we will review my own

interpretation of what this information means personally, and how this information can be

utilized to drive my own future development in leadership.

Profile Results

The summary information compiled upon completion of TLP in my own case was based

on the input received from six people, including myself. Invitations were given to ten peers, and

the assessment was completed by five coworkers. Respondents included my direct supervisor,

three direct-reports, and one relatively new full-time employee. All of the direct-reports and my
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supervisor have worked with me for over five years, whereas the newer employee has been with

the organization for just under one year. Despite the lack of a suitably sized response group, it

does appear the group provided an adequate representation of the relatively small workforce in

the organization. As the agency currently employs only nineteen full time individuals, these five

respondents represent one-quarter of the collective workforce.

In general terms, the results indicate some of my current leadership characteristics appear

somewhat underdeveloped in specific areas, while other traits are identified as either a strength

or an ‘aspiring’ quality at this time. The aggregate results of each of the three main dimensions

provide an individual overview (Fig. 1), yet this does not immediately identify areas of specific

strength or weakness. However, in comparing this graph to the models suggested within TLP,

this identifies my current leadership qualities appear to most closely resemble “The Aspiring

Leader” (Fig. 2, Rosenbach & Sashkin, 2014, p.12). Content covered throughout the program

emphasizes continued assessment and review of these personal characteristics to identify

ongoing leadership development needs and opportunities (Reardon, Lenz, Peterson, & Sampson,

2012; and Rosenbach & Sashkin, 2014). As I continue my own leadership journey, I must

recognize the need for constant evaluation and the need to also act upon the knowledge gained

through these assessments (Decker, Durand, Ayadi, Whittington, & Kirkman, 2014).

Fig. 1 Fig. 2
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The information related in TLP overview provides an assessment of personal qualities

across three dimensions: Transactional Leadership, Transformational Leadership Behaviors, and

Transformational Leadership Characteristics (Rosenbach & Sashkin, 2014). Being somewhat of

an historical style of leadership, Transactional Leadership relates to the common give-and-take

associated with many of the workplace interactions occurring regularly between supervisors and

subordinates. Within TLP, questions centering upon Transactional Leadership relate to how the

leader ensures the overall job is completed, and how well they support their personnel in

providing the training, resources, and support they need in order to do the job well. As this seems

to relate to the daily tasks required to provide revenue for an organization, this could explain its

necessity as a required leadership characteristic.

While Transactional elements appear to address daily needs, Transformational Behaviors

and Characteristics seem to focus on long-term needs for both the organization and the personnel

involved. Transformational Behaviors relate to the way leaders interact with others and can

promote the development of an inclusive culture of trust when these interactions are positive in

nature (Els, Mostert, & Marianne, 2018; Rosenbach & Sashkin, 2014). Positive and supportive

interactions between leaders and followers help to develop an atmosphere of trust, leading to

improved employee engagement, job satisfaction, and reduced turnover intentions for personnel

(Els, et al., 2018). Similarly addressing long-term goals, Transformational Characteristics

displayed by leaders create a greater sense of inclusion for personnel as their leaders identify the

connection between daily work assignments and overarching organizational values.

Personal Evaluation

One must take a step back from the overall results in order to gain a sense of the lesson

provided by this snapshot assessment of our current qualities. It may appear easy to become
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dissuaded when seemingly contradictory observations are received from your peers, but in

viewing this information as a gift rather than a potential jibe, one can begin to appreciate the

sincerity of these external contributions and learn from the shared insight.

While the collective results in each dimension were slightly lower than I might have

expected, they represent the perceptions held by both myself and my peers regarding the current

qualities I demonstrate as a leader. During a more in-depth review of the assessment results, the

statements associated with each of the ten sub-categories in the profile revealed insight to my

current traits as both a leader and a follower. Bell and Elkins (2004) paraphrase Drucker and

state the primary characteristic any leader must possess would be a group of followers. With this

in mind, it is important for a leader to also recognize how they themselves interact with others

when they assume the role of follower, as even their actions in this position will continue to

influence the people around them.

Relating to my own characteristics as a leader, participation in the cohort led to the

modification of some previous practices as I began to improve my own servant-leader qualities.

For example, former interactions with staff often began with a request for their assistance in

completing specific tasks required for the day. As the field of Emergency Medical Services

(EMS) is somewhat Transactional in nature, a prolonged work history in EMS coupled with the

limited resources commonly available to a smaller organization appears to have reinforced this

type of interaction throughout my EMS leadership career. Eventually, its seems people began to

recognize interactions with me would ultimately involve a work-related request. In order to work

on changing this habit, I began to increase the number of interactions I held with personnel for

no reason other than to talk about what they needed to discuss. The occasional work-related

request may have been nestled into the conversation later, yet we began by simply talking about
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current events, or looking into their own needs before discussing any transactional requests.

While I continue to improve other leadership qualities in like manner, I must also remember the

good traits identified by my peers and shared in TLP as they will play an important role in long

term development. A personal review of the leadership roles commonly performed reveals items

which seem apparent due to my regular activities. Typically, when things need to be addressed, I

will be the person to lead the charge in planning and executing the activities, making sure we

‘get the job done.’ In this light, I suppose we could say one of my regular leadership roles is that

of an ‘Accomplisher.’ While working as an instructor, I find three other apparent roles which

also seem to define my current leadership personality. During any training session, I work with

the group to help them understand the material, and I also work to encourage them along the

way. Here, we see the roles of ‘Helper’ and ‘Advocate’ actively engaging with personnel as they

conquer new knowledge. The third role which appears during instructional activities is that of a

student, always looking for something new to enhance my own knowledge and understanding.

Invariably, someone in the class is able to share some insight relating to the content which seems

new and innovative. When my student personality continues to learn, my leadership personality

also benefits from the new understanding.

When I consider what I learned about myself as a follower, this exercise helped me

recognize how I fit into a group when I move from my regular role of leader into the position of

a follower. As a follower, it seems I commonly take on the role of supportive participant by

joining in the activity and helping as I can, without trying to take the lead. At times during these

situations, the opportunity to ‘lead-up’ presents itself when the leader requires some sort of

assistance. Again, rather than taking the lead away from them, I recognize an opportunity to
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work with the individual by being supportive and potentially helping them while they develop

their own leadership skills.

Weaknesses

For the purpose of this paper, Weaknesses and Strengths were identified in comparing

sub-category scores to the score of forty points, which signifies an ‘underdeveloped’ leadership

trait, according to Rosenbach and Sashkin (2014). Scores near or below this level were listed as

current weaknesses, while those significantly higher than this level were listed as current

strengths. Based on peer and personal assessment responses, the following sub-categories were

identified as current leadership weaknesses: Follower-Centered Leadership, Leadership

Communication, Visionary Leadership, and Reward Equity.

These identified weaknesses relate primarily to my current communication style and to

the rewards people anticipate in return for their efforts. Personal observations made relating to

communication in the field of EMS noted the frequent and regular use of brief, to-the-point

interactions with patients, coworkers and other healthcare personnel. This is likely due to the

nature of most EMS-related interactions, which require a clear yet concise sharing of important

information within a relatively short timeframe. Most patient encounters in the field are intently

focused upon the identification of their chief complaint and pertinent past medical history, as this

information is directly related to their immediate management. In addition, the relatively short

transport times between the scene and the receiving hospital often limit patient interactions to no

more than this vital information, reinforcing the habit of being direct and concise during

interactions with others. Upon arrival at the receiving facility, another brief but detailed

interaction takes place as we transfer care of the patient to personnel within the hospital, further

reinforcing this abbreviated conversation habit. As we consider another potential weakness,

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Visionary Leadership, its presence may again be due to yet another developed habit. Since my

early days in EMS, it appeared many in my field shared the same philosophy, culture, and values

associated with our duties in caring for the sick and injured. As these elements appeared to be

commonly understood by my peers in general, these culture-defining topics were not

communicated openly on a regular basis. This lack of constant dialogue relating to a seemingly

shared understanding may have contributed to some of the changes now recognized in current

EMS culture. As new personalities entered the field over the years, the existing culture began to

slowly shift, integrating additional preferences and beliefs since the original culture was not

discussed regularly. Lacking the presence of a deliberate cultural message then, it appears an

unintended culture began to emerge among EMS as new understanding developed within the

field (Mintzberg & Waters, 1985).

In response to these particular leadership weaknesses, I could potentially improve these

traits by spending more time with personnel and sharing the values of the organization more

often (Els, et al., 2018; Goebel & Weiβenberger, 2014; Groysberg & Slind, 2017; and Yost,

Yoderman, Chung, & Voetmann, 2015). While I already understand the need to maintain regular,

informal discussions with my coworkers, I still must remember to also share this dialogue of

positive cultural values with my students as my career shifts back into the educational arena

(Groysberg & Slind, 2017). If we truly practice like we play, then I must incorporate positive

cultural elements into the classroom frequently to share these values with the students,

reinforcing desired traits and cultural beliefs along the way. Yost, Yoder, Chung, and Voetmann

(2015) relate the use of storytelling in the work environment as an effective way to share lessons

which both shape and reinforce an organizational culture. Just by taking the time to informally

discuss shared values with personnel through a storytelling approach, we provide better
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understanding of these shared beliefs and likewise improve employee satisfaction (Els, et al.,

2018; and Goebel & Weiβenberger, 2014). Building on this plan to use storytelling more often, I

will need to identify other leaders who already demonstrate this characteristic well, and enlist

their support in my future development. During the fall semester in my new position, I hope to

identify and enlist two mentors who use storytelling practices successfully. Additionally, I will

need to develop and define the vision I hope to share while working with students.

Strengths

As we review personal character assessments, it can be easy to lose motivation while

confronting our weaknesses, so we must also review and reinforce our positive qualities to avoid

this loss of motivation created by focusing solely on our weaknesses (Kaiser & Overfield, 2011).

Although personal improvements can be made when we address our weaknesses, it seems more

effective and longer-lasting change is achieved when we focus on both strengths and weaknesses

(Els, et al., 2018; Kaiser & Overfield, 2011; Meyers, van Woerkom, de Reuver, Bakk, &

Oberski, 2015; and Welch, Grossaint, Reid, & Walker 2014). For this reason, we should ensure

any personal improvement plans incorporate our strengths as we address our weaknesses.

Reviewing data from TLP, it appears my existing leadership strengths allow me to feel

comfortable serving in leadership roles, as indicated by my experiences as both an EMS

instructor and supervisor. Over the years, a continued gravitation toward these types of roles

seemingly supports the results of the TLP which indicate strengths in these categories. Based on

peer and personal assessment responses, the following sub-categories were identified as current

leadership strengths: Confident Leadership, Credible Leadership, Capable Management, and

Caring Leadership.
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These identified strengths seem closely related to my personal preference to not only

learn how to perform a skill effectively, but to also share this information with others. I find

working as an instructor allows the opportunity to improve personal knowledge and skill

proficiency by increasing my exposure to the subject matter while working with others. Although

one strength identified in TLP seems oriented more towards a management-based leadership

model, its role is important in my particular field. This trait of Capable Management seems to

imply a degree of leadership skill to personnel involved in emergency services, as people

working these disciplines appear more likely to follow a leader who displays competency in the

tasks the followers must perform themselves. This perceived leadership skill seemingly indicates

the need for leaders to display a personal aptitude in the tasks leaders ask others to perform, as

this skill proficiency appears to confer a degree of leadership credibility.

During interactions with other healthcare providers and students, I often learn something

new from the involved individuals further increasing my own understanding of the subject. As

these interactions allow for a shared learning experience, it seems in many ways this contributes

to the actions noted in the descriptions attributed to Confident Leadership and Capable

Management within TLP (Rosenbach & Sashkin, 2014). Additionally, the dialogue within these

interactions in generally open and inquisitive in nature, allowing participants to make discoveries

together, providing a shared learning experience which appear to support the strengths of both

Caring and Credible Leadership.

The continued use of these strengths will ensure their continued growth, and their

utilization can also be instrumental in the improvement of previously identified weaknesses (Els,

et al., 2018; Kaiser & Overfield, 2011; Meyers, et al., 2015; and Welch, et al., 2014). As we

consider my own result from TLP, elements related to communication were identified both as
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strengths and weaknesses by the observations recorded. This apparent connection noted in my

own leadership strengths and weaknesses clearly emphasizes the point regarding the use of

strengths to overcome weaknesses, rather than simply addressing the weakness alone. It appears

one way to personally develop my weakness in Leadership Communication would be through

the use of my current strength related to informal communication skills. As I move forward, I

will need to incorporate discussions related to the EMS culture and vision often during course

meetings, while still keeping the discussion relatively relaxed in nature. Such interaction would

also allow for the use of another strength, Caring Leadership, to further improve the weaker

characteristic of Leadership Communication as I work with others. The demonstration of

genuine concern for coworkers and subordinates also helps to improve relationships and fosters

the development of trust among individuals, allowing for further promotion of the desired culture

(Els, et al., 2018; and Zhang, Avery, Bergsteiner, & More, 2014).

Similarities and Differences

In many areas identified as either strengths or weaknesses, observer assessments

appeared consistent with my personal evaluation, with the most apparent disparities occurring in

areas all recognized as needing further development. For the most part, where my peers

recognized a strength or weakness, I appeared to agree with their assessment within about one to

two points. Five of the ten sub-categories were consistent to this narrow degree. Two other sub-

categories were moderately disparate in their assessment, differing by about five to six points,

while the most notable differences occurred in areas recognized as weaknesses by all

respondents. I considered the most notable areas to be those with a difference of about ten points

between personal and peer evaluation scores, which includes the characteristics of

Communications Leadership, Follower-Centered Leadership, and Credible Leadership.

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Reflecting on the differences in these areas, it seems my own score was more critical than that of

my evaluators. As I completed my part of the initial survey, I believe a large degree of personal

critique may have been incorporated based on previous shortcomings personally recognized

within these areas. Although improvement has taken place in these particular areas since the

beginning of the Organizational Leadership program, some lingering personal feelings relating to

former assessments appear to remain. The differences identified in two of these particular areas

also represent the biggest surprise encountered during this project. As my current responsibilities

incorporate elements of Follower-Centered Leadership and Credible Leadership, it was

surprising to find we all agreed each of these areas could use improvement. In retrospect, I

believe the lower scores in these categories relate to my recent focus on personal development

over the past few years. While my attention to task completion at work has not changed during

my participation in the Organizational Leadership program, I cannot say the same about the

support I normally extend to personnel in their own development. In considering the amount of

attention given to my own development over the last few years, it would be unrealistic to say I

had granted the same degree of attention to my personnel and their needs at work during the

same time frame. As I worked to develop my leadership skills and knowledge, it appears I did

not provide the degree of interaction and leadership my own personnel desired.

Discussion and Conclusion

Since the beginning of the Organizational Leadership program, the content and

interactions shared among the cohort have influenced my personal style of leadership to a

degree, and these same influences have created a stronger personal desire to continue my own

leadership journey as we forward. While some elements of my leadership style have changed,

others have remained virtually the same. Through our studies and discussion among the cohort, I
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have learned how effective leaders tend to be great communicators. Effective leaders share

necessary information often, yet they avoid going overboard with a flood of extra information.

Effective leaders also seem to know how and when to listen to their personnel. Employees

commonly want to find value in their jobs, and a leader who listens to their concerns can help

validate this need as they help personnel understand the connection between their daily tasks and

the greater mission of the organization (Hardin & Donaldson, 2014; and Meterko, Mohr, &

Young, 2004). In order to meet the expectations of my followers and become a more effective

leader, I recognize I will need to improve my current communication skills. Other current

communication strengths will play an important part in my success as I work to develop this

particular weakness, as an approach using strengths to improve weaknesses appears to

consistently demonstrate the best results (Els, et al., 2018; Kaiser & Overfield, 2011; Meyers, et

al., 2015; and Welch, et al., 2014).

Beyond the immediate changes I might make in my leadership style in response to any

skills assessment, in my opinion it is more important to recognize the need to perform similar

self-reflections on a recurring basis to continue my development as an effective leader. Reliance

solely upon our own perspective provides a somewhat limited view, and perhaps a similarly

limited scope concerning the range of our own potential as we go through life. Within the

program, our coursework alone incorporated a variety of opportunities to reflect upon multiple

personal facets, encouraging the use of regular personal assessments. The personal lessons

identified by each of these activities have resulted in either an improvement or a modification in

many of my own leadership habits, and the overall lesson from the various assessments seems

apparent, imploring each of us to reflect often on our current location along our own

development path. The ancient philosopher Socrates found the process of self-examination and
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reflection to be so important, when required to decide about his future in ancient Athens, he

chose death. Determining Socrates’ habits involving reflective dialogue to be unpopular, the

court listens as Socrates discusses the options of exile, censure, and death. Ultimately, Socrates

chooses death over any other form of punishment during his trial arguing “that life without

enquiry is not worth living for a man” (Plato, Rouse, Warmington, & Rouse, 1999, p. 443).

As I move forward and begin a new career, I believe the knowledge gained through my

participation in this program will continue to influence my development as a leader. My

interactions with others will provide opportunities to strengthen existing characteristics, and will

allow for additional growth as I learn from those whom I serve.

Reviewing the assessment results allowed me to see how some characteristics have been

adapted over the course of the program, and helped me recognize the current condition of my

leadership skills, from both internal and external perspectives. Performing similar assessments

over time allows us to review our progress in comparison to our leadership plans, identifying any

corrections we need to make as we continue on our journey. As I move back into the classroom, I

believe I this lesson will help as I encourage my students to differentiate their skills from others

vying for the same positions as we incorporate personal growth and leadership development into

the classroom. Beyond the knowledge and skills required to perform their roles successfully, we

will focus on the positive elements their employers and their patients will expect, allowing them

to stand apart from the crowd. In order to accomplish this, I will need to share responsibilities

with my colleagues, and with my students. When I attempt to hold on to and control

responsibilities, the unintended message I provide is how they must follow my lead, rather than

how they can lead others in the future. While doing so may seem uncomfortable, I know this will

lead to growth for myself, and for those around me.

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