Personality applied to the organization
tiptoe1
Interact_AssessingYourTaskandRelationship-OrientedLeaderBehavior.pdf
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Survey Complete
1. I make my attitudes clear to the group.
Strongly Disagree Disagree
Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree
Strongly Agree
2. I schedule the work to be done.
There are many different types of leaders even within the same industry or sector. One way to classify different leaders is the extent to which they exhibit behavior on two dimensions. The first dimension, called initiating structure, captures the extent to which the leader is focused on getting employees to accomplish tasks. The second dimension is called consideration. This captures the extent to which the leader is concerned about the employees’ needs and desires, and is focused on creating a positive work environment for every member of the work group. The following survey was designed to evaluate your own leadership behavior. Source: Based on C. Schriesheim and S. Kerr, “Psychometric Properties of the Ohio State Leadership Scales,” Psychological Bulletin, November 1974, pp. 756–765.
Think about your typical behavior in student assignment/project meetings or group meetings at work. Then, read each statement in the survey and select the rating that best reflects the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement. There are no right or wrong answers. After completing the self-assessment, read the feedback that explains how to understand your score and interpret your results. You must respond to all statements in order to receive full credit for this self-assessment activity.
Initiating Structure
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Strongly Disagree Disagree
Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree
Strongly Agree
3. I maintain de�nite standards of performance.
Strongly Disagree Disagree
Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree
Strongly Agree
4. I emphasize the meeting of deadlines.
Strongly Disagree Disagree
Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree
Strongly Agree
5. I encourage the use of uniform procedures.
Strongly Disagree Disagree
Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree
Strongly Agree
6. I let group members know what is expected of them.
Strongly Disagree Disagree
Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree
Strongly Agree
7. I fully explain my actions.
Strongly Disagree Disagree
Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree
Strongly Agree
8. I consult the group before acting.
Consideration
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Strongly Disagree Disagree
Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree
Strongly Agree
9. I treat all group members as equals.
Strongly Disagree Disagree
Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree
Strongly Agree
10. I am friendly and approachable.
Strongly Disagree Disagree
Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree
Strongly Agree
11. I make group members feel at ease when talking with them.
Strongly Disagree Disagree
Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree
Strongly Agree
12. I put suggestions made by the group into operation.
Strongly Disagree Disagree
Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree
Strongly Agree
Initiating Structure
Initiating Structure
0 30
24 24/30
Range 23 to
30
You may exhibit high initiating structure leader behavior.
Consideration
Consideration 26
26/30
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0 30 Range 23 to
30
You may exhibit high consideration leader behavior.
The first six items of the scale (1 to 6) measure the dimension of leadership known as initiating structure. You can see they are intended to assess how much you tend to focus on getting others to accomplish the task at hand. The second six items of the scale (7 to 12) measure the second dimension, known as consideration. It is important to note that an individual can be low, moderate, or high on each scale. That is, being high in initiating structure does not mean you are going to score low on consideration. Instead, a person can be high on both, low on both, or any other combination of scores. Most leadership experts think the best leaders are high on both the initiating structure and consideration dimensions.
If you aspire to leadership positions, you should take time to reflect on the results of this self-assessment. If you scored high on both dimensions, this may indicate you tend to exhibit behaviors which are associated with effective leadership in many different contexts. You should continue to look for opportunities to practice your leadership skills. If you scored high on one dimension, but low or moderate on the other dimension, you should reflect on why this might be. Since the most effective leaders are strong on both dimensions, you should look at the items of the dimension where you scored in the low or moderate range, and make a plan for working on improving those specific behaviors. You are more likely to advance in leadership positions to the extent you are able to be strong in both areas. Most importantly, you can practice your leadership skills while you are a student. College students have many opportunities to become leaders including working with a student organization, volunteering with a local non-profit such as Big Brother or Big Sister, taking a leadership role on your varsity or intramural athletic team, taking a student leadership role on campus, and on and on. The best way to prepare yourself for leadership is to be a leader, to self-consciously
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think about your strengths and weaknesses, and to learn from your mistakes.
Remember your score on this self-assessment, while useful for self- understanding, should not be over-interpreted. First, every person is complex and it is impossible to fully capture your uniqueness in a short self-assessment. Second, you may well find your leadership behaviors may change over time, or you may come to understand what your leadership behaviors actually are only later in life. Third, it is often helpful to seek out the advice of someone who knows you well to see if their perception of you is consistent with your perception of yourself. Use this self-assessment as a starting point for your understanding of yourself, not the finish line.
