M2: SAT1-2

APPENDIX A, Page A-82

40 to 50: You have a strong connection to the Transcendent and you find yourself guided by a

greater wisdom. You see your work as part of a much larger plan that contributes to the human

race and the good of the planet. Due to your vision and your spiritual connection, others turn to

you for leadership and inspiration.

30 to 39: You value your connection to the Transcendent, but it may not be a part of your daily

awareness. You have a desire to deepen this relationship, but you may either think that you do

not have the time to do this or it may be that you do not know how. It may be helpful to explore

the spiritual traditions of your childhood or to read some of the inspiring books on the

relationship to the Transcendent, such as “How to Know God,” by Deepak Chopra.

20 to 29: You may feel somewhat disconnected from the spiritual dimension of your life,

although you turn to your Higher Self and/or your Higher Power on occasion when there are

difficult situations at work. You are probably not that interested in larger issues of justice,

respect, and/or morality at work, but you may find yourself getting upset if you feel that a

personal injustice has been done to you and/or someone has shown you a lack of respect. It may

be helpful for you to focus on some basic principles such as The Golden Rule (see Chapter Two)

and/or the concept of Unity.

0 to 19: A connection to the Transcendent is not a big part of your life and you may feel a lack of

inspiration and/or sense of purpose about your work. It is possible that you may be dealing with

basic survival issues and that you cannot focus on the bigger picture at this time. If you wish to

enhance this part of your Spiritual Intelligence, you must develop the “Volitional” dimension of

work – i.e., the will to change for the better. To improve your connection to the Transcendent,

you will need to make a commitment to a spiritual practice such as prayer, meditation,

journaling, and/or spending time in nature. As part of your practice, ask the Transcendent for

guidance on how to improve your connection.

ANALYSIS:

This Self-Assessment Test involves spiritual intelligence at work. What are your thoughts about

your set of scores? After reading more about the three connections – to self, to others, and to the

Transcendent

– list three opportunities for improvement (at least one from each connection) that you would

like to develop further and how you would propose to implement these changes in being on a

short-term basis over the next two to three months.

In a one-page (maximum) argument, explain in more detail the meaning of these scores to you.

Take a look at Chapter Thirteen for additional information regarding this Self-Assessment Test.

Make at least three assertions about the meaning(s) of this Self-Assessment Test to you and

support them with example(s). Write a convincing case that presents a strong defense for your

argument.

APPENDIX B, Page B-1

APPENDIX B

EXAMPLES OF SAT RESPONSE ESSAYS

CMR 401

Self-Assessment Test Submittal Form

Name: XXX

Self-Assessment Test # M6-SAT-3 (Please list test submitted here.)

Date Submitted: February 18, 2017

Please indicate if this submission is a draft

for comments or should be considered “final” for grading. FINAL

Please write or insert your response to the post-test activity for the Self-Assessment Test listed

immediately above. Begin your response below the horizontal line. This is a standard WORD file,

so any of the customary MS Office commands and/or actions will work. Before submitting, please

name your file to include the number of the Self-Assessment Test and your last name, i.e., a simple

format would be “SAT-1-Smith” or something similar. E-mail this form to [email protected]

for feedback (drafts) or upload to Canvas for grading (final submissions).

Please be sure to submit one SAT response per form and upload the completed form + response to

Canvas.

This self-assessment indicated that my preferred communication style is tied between

empowerment and participative. I agree with the results.

My initial reaction was a score of zero in the autocratic communication style was a good

thing. I do believe in many cases this is true. “Unfortunately, some managers distort information.

Thus, managers are not trusted today, as only 17 percent of U.S. respondents stated the information

is provided by top leaders is credible, and this level does not exceed 30 percent in most developed

countries” (Lussier 185). Only seventeen percent is such a small number compared to all working

Americans, and it makes we wonder where the disconnect is. I believe it could be because leaders

use the autocratic leadership style too liberally and do not gain the respect and trust of their

employees. This makes sense to me, especially when most terrible dictators and tyrants in history

used this style. On the other hand, autocratic leadership does have its place, especially when quick

decisions need to be made. “At its best, the autocratic style is liberating for people who work well

with clear directives under leaders who understand exactly what people do and why their roles are

important” (Gill). Therefore, I do not want to become an autocratic leader, but I do want to be able

to perform some of the objectives of an autocratic leader. Being confident enough to make quick

decisions is a great skill to have, especially in stressful situations. I also believe this will come

easier for a leader who already has earned the respect of his or her followers. When the people

APPENDIX B, Page B-2

respect the leader, they will be more likely to turn to him or her in times of trouble. The leader must

use an autocratic style to make the best decisions for all parties.

Next, my consultative style scored a two, meaning I do not use it very often. I answered this

way on question ten about the standard time complaint. In this situation, I felt it was too objective to

let the operator choose the new standard-time, so I decided to consult and foreman, hear their

concerns, but ultimately set the standard time. I think this style can be helpful in many scenarios.

One of my bosses does this really well. When situations arise, there are typically several different

employees who offer concerns and or solutions to problems. She consults with us and genuinely

cares about what we have to say, but when it comes down to it, the decision is ultimately hers, and

she makes the one she thinks will be best. This style is helpful because there are some situations

where employees just do not have enough information to make an informed decision. This aligns

with the text’s definition of true communication. “True communication takes place only when all

parties understand the message from the same perspective” (Lussier 184). It is important for the

leader to show respect and address concerns that may even yield helpful insights, but the final

decision is made by the person in charge. Since I did not score very high in this category, I want to

work on using this style more often. My scores show I often get the opinions of others and/or let

others make their own decisions. I want to get better at consulting with others and hearing their

sides, but making the final decision when the situation calls for it.

Finally, my preferred leadership style is evenly split between empowerment and

participative. I tend to be a leader who empowers followers. “Methods to achieve empowerment

include educating, leading, structuring, providing, mentoring, and actualizing” (Empowerment). In

my current position, I have had the opportunity to work a lot more than most of the other interns

because I go to school locally. This leads to me knowing more about the way things work and

having more experience. When I have opportunities to lead, I do not want to just tell people what to

do, I want to teach them and help them so they can succeed on their own. “With empowered

employees, the organization, the customer, and the employee are all winners” (Empowerment). It is

not always possible to do everything on your own, and empowering others to be able to help, in turn

helps you as well. The text also offers a situation where empowerment is more effective. The

situation is explained where an employee may or may not meet the deadline for his report. Instead

of criticism, a self-evaluation, or more empowering approach would be, “How are you progressing

on the cost-cutting report that’s due this Thursday? Is there something I can do to help?” (Lussier

195). This does not tell them how to do it, or criticize, but offers an opportunity for the employee to

take ownership as well as get help if needed. While I tend to do a good job with these two styles, I

want to continue to work on the participative and empowerment styles so that I can be an effective

leader in all situations. One simple way to practice this is to mentor others. I am blessed to have a

few different mentors, and they have all had and continue to have a tremendous impact on my life.

They empower me, and I want to do the same for others.

This self-assessment revealed there is not one perfect leadership style. Rather, each can be

effective in varying situations. As a leader, I want to be able to effectively use all styles and know

when to use which style to be the best leader I can be. The knowledge I gained here will help me

accomplish this and enhance my leadership skills.

References

Lussier, Robert N., and Christopher F. Achua. (2007). Leadership Theory, Application, and Skill

Development, Sixth Edition. Moorpark, CA: Academic Internet.

APPENDIX B, Page B-3

"Empowerment as a Leadership Theory." The Kansas Nurse. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 7

Jan. 1996. Web. 18 Feb. 2017. <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8716560>.

Gill, Eric. "What Is Autocratic Leadership? How Procedures Can Improve Efficiency." St Thomas

University Online. St. Thomas University, 25 Nov. 2014. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.

<http://online.stu.edu/autocratic-leadership/>.