Running head: LEADERSHIP 1
Leadership Assessment (Interview)
Braden A. Bush
American Intercontinental University
LEADERSHIP 2
Abstract
The author of this paper while interviewing for a management role at Ajax Manufacturing
Company was asked to take a leadership assessment and prepare answers to questions detailing
her leadership style. In her paper she will provide a summary of her assessment results and
thought about her leadership style. She will point out in this paper some of her traits and feeling
on how this assessment will help in her leadership role and what will hinder some of her traits as
it relates to her role as a leader. This paper will share some of her potential challenges and how
her leadership style would be used to solve issues that will arise during her tenure with the
company. She will discuss some of her challenges in her leadership style while in a group
setting.
LEADERSHIP 3
Leadership Assessment (Interview)
The role of a leader comes with many responsibilities that includes a person being
efficient in the task of leadership. If being a good leader means one must be efficient in his/her
job, then what is the definition of efficiency as it relates to leadership? The word efficient is
defined by Random House dictionary as “performing or functioning in the best possible manner
with the least waste of time and effort.”[ CITATION Ste84 \l 1033 ] The definition of
effectiveness is defined as, “capable, competent; adequate to accomplish a purpose; producing
the intended or expected result; producing a deep or vivid impression.”[ CITATION Ste84 \l
1033 ]
The author of this paper in understanding her role as a leader, understands that her
responsibility must deal with her ability to be efficient in her decision making and role as a
leader. Being efficient is not a difficult concept, but managing people is difficult. It is difficult
because of the differences and divisiveness in culture, skills, and personalities individuals bring
into a work environment. The author of this paper is reminded as she reflects on a statement in
the book written by Og Mandino, The Greatest Salesman in the World, that states, “I will persist
until I succeed. I was not delivered unto this world in defeat, nor does failure course in my veins.
I am not a sheep waiting to be prodded by my shepherd. I am a lion and I refuse to talk, to walk,
to sleep with the sheep. I will hear not those who weep and complain, for their disease is
contagious. Let them join the sheep. The slaughterhouse of failure is not my destiny. I will persist
util I succeed.”[ CITATION Man68 \l 1033 ]
“When a person holds up a mirror, presumably, she can see her reflection. But she can
also look beyond the mirror to view what is in front of her and can use the mirror to look at what
is behind her. By holding a mirror up to oneself, one has a long view either way-an enhanced
LEADERSHIP 4
perspective on self and surroundings.”[ CITATION Rob08 \l 1033 ] The goal for becoming a
great leader is to be successful in leading others. The leadership assessment taken by the author
of this paper posed several questions that must be answered for the company to consider her as a
good candidate for management role for Ajax Manufacturing Company.
Summarizing Leadership Style
Based on the different leadership styles stated in the quiz provided, the author of this
paper totaled numbers together as instructed and concluded that she falls under the delegative
(Free Rein) leadership. Her thought on what it says about her leadership style is somewhat on
point and she agrees that when striving to make a profit (capitalism view), it is important to
provide the customer with the lowest pricing possible, with a concentration on the product being
of the highest quality. The author of this paper does not agree with the negative implications on
laissez-fair person. She does not believe in doing bad things to her workers or teams and doing
the customer wrong for the sake of making a profit. She does believe in delegating
responsibilities to skillful individuals or to a team of experts, but at the end of the day, the buck
stops with her, and ultimately, she believes, she is responsible for any failure or success in
producing or providing an end product. She does not believe or agree with the definition of the
style described in the quiz. As a leader, she demands cooperation from anyone who works under
her leadership and expects her team to work independently. The author of this paper, as an
example of her work ethics, believes her team will be more than motivated to strive being
successful. According to DISC Style Report, their assessment correctly described the author of
this paper as having, “a blend of both cautious and dominant traits. Your cautious traits are
probably a little stronger than your dominant traits. Some words that described you are
analytical, careful, conscientious, and driven. You are more task-oriented than people-oriented,
LEADERSHIP 5
and you probably enjoy analyzing and solving problems. You probable like to get things done
with excellence and a focus on quality.”[ CITATION dis22 \l 1033 ]
Traits in Leadership Role
The traits that best described the author of this paper leadership role is a person who is
cautious in how she/he approaches people, a project or task. Another trait she conforms too is a
dominate trait. The dominate trait is only manifested if the task at hand is not being perform in a
manner she directed. She believes that if she, must do the work a person was hired to do, then
she does not need that person and would immediately terminate that individual’s employment.
Trait (that will hinder leadership role)
Since she does not agree with the quiz’s assessment, she does not feel that any of the
traits provided by Disc assessment would hinder her leadership role. The only issues that might
hinder her role as a leader, would be a person who might not like being told to do something in a
manner that might offend their feelings. Unfortunately for them, the author of this paper does
not care about individual’s feelings, but does care for their actions, and in a capitalistic society,
only someone’s action dictates their success. In the book called Start a Successful Business:
Expert Advice to Take Your Startup from Idea to Empire, the author, Colleen DeBaise, points out
that the importance of a leader is to understand the focus on psychology in connecting with
emotionally charged individuals, but to focus too much on making people feel good, is secondary
to the goal of becoming successful in today’s society.[ CITATION DeB18 \l 1033 ]
Potential Challenge
One potential challenge that would show off my leadership style in solving issue, would
be time-management. When expected to finish a task in a particular time frame, my dictatorship
LEADERSHIP 6
trait (as pointed out by the assessment), would benefit the company, as it would meet the time
frame and the finish product would be exceptionable, thus solving the issue presented.
Advantage in Group Setting
According to the quiz assessment, one advantage of the author of this paper leadership
style while working in a group would be that “delegative leaders offer little or no guidance to
group members and leave decision-making up to group members.”[ CITATION Res22 \l 1033 ]
Assuming all in the group are “highly qualified in the area of expertise,” she believes this is an
advantage in reaching a specific goal within the company.
Conclusion
In conclusion as it relates in the interview for a management role at Ajax Manufacturing
Company, the leadership assessment tool does not truly reflect the ability of this candidate as
leader. It is true that an assessment tool, would provide an insight on a person’s personality, but
does not project a person’s true traits or ethics. If one believes to be a lion, even the lions allow
its harem to hunt, and look after the den. The late Steve Jobs said, “it doesn’t make sense to hire
smart people and then tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.”
LEADERSHIP 7
References
DeBaise, C. (2018). Inc. Start a Successful Business: Startup from Idea to Empire. New York:
Amacom.
disc. (2022, March 13). Work Environment Version. Retrieved from Disc Personality
Testing.com: www.discpersonalitytesting.com
Mandino, O. (1968). The Greatest Salesman in the World. Hollywood: Frederick Fell.
Resources. (2022, March 14). LCMS File Share Preview. Retrieved from Resources:
https://resources.careered.com/LCMSFileSharePreview/Resources/AdobePDF/W46_Sha
nahan_Leadership_Style_Quiz.pdf
Robotin, M. (2008, July). Deconstructing the Successful Global Leader. IPCRC, 54-59.
Stein, J. a. (1984). The Random House Dictionary. New York: Random House.
LEADERSHIP 8
STYLE REPORT
BRADEN BUSH
ID Number 3622743
Assessment Completed March 13, 2022
Congratulations Braden! Your style is C/D Your Natural / Internal Style Your Adapted / External
Style The bar graphs below show the intensity or consistency of each style in your blend. Your
natural, or internal, style represents the internal motivations that drive you the most. This is the
part of you that is likely to represent how you think or feel about situations more than it
represents how you act or behave. Some people say that this represents who you are rather than
what you do. It is also the part of you least likely to change throughout your lifetime. Your
adapted, or external, style represents the way that you tend to act or behave. It's the part of you
that others are most likely to see. This part of you often represents how you have learned to adapt
or adjust your behaviors to be successful in your environment. These behaviors can change
LEADERSHIP 9
depending on the environment you are in or thinking about when you take the assessment. This
report is a rough estimate of your DISC style based on the short version of the assessment. It will
estimate the styles most prevalent in your blend. It might miss the exact degree of each style in
your blend. For a more refined analysis, additional graphs, and deeper insights, take the full
assessment at www.DISCPersonalityTesting.com. Copyright 2022, All Rights Reserved,
www.discpersonalitytesting.com Report for Braden Bush - ID No. 3688743 - Page 1 You have a
blend of both Cautious and Dominant traits. Your Cautious traits are probably a little stronger
than your Dominant traits. Some words that describe you are: • Analytical, • Careful, •
Conscientious, and • Driven. You are more task-oriented than people-oriented, and you probably
enjoy analyzing and solving problems. You probably like to get things done with excellence and
a focus on quality. Remember, your strongest styles are… Interested in 26 more pages of
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