SAT 1

 one page , five paragraph

  

In business, writing means single-spaced text and double-spaced between paragraphs. In writing a Self

Assessment Test Essay use the five-paragraph writing style. Use a minimum of three sentences per  

paragraph. (Always, use an odd number of paragraphs and sentences in writing a Self-Assessment Test 

(SAT) Essay. Note that you can have more than five paragraphs and/or three sentences per Self

Assessment Test (SAT) Essay.) Use the word “I” infrequently. Do not use “In my opinion,” or the like.  

These are your words, so just state your thought(s). 

Self-Assessment Test (SAT) Essays based on the Self-Assessment Tests (SATs) should be written using a  

combination of the “assert and defend” style in a five paragraph essay. Think like a lawyer. Assert an  

argument or thesis AND prove or defend it. The “assert and defend” style is simple. 

• First Paragraph: Start with a first sentence (an opening sentence) that states the quantitative  

(numerical) scores that you received after taking the online personality evaluation. The second  

sentence should indicate what the numerical scores mean in qualitative (words) terms. The third  

sentence is the Self-Assessment Test Essay topic (each of the 40 Self-Assessment Tests (SATs)  

has a specific topic) and how that topic relates to leadership in your opinion. Be specific and  

make an assertion – not just the Self-Assessment Test Essay topic is important to leadership. 

• Second, Third, and Fourth Paragraphs: Break the Self-Assessment Test Essay topic down into  

three pieces. (To do this, you will need to read the assigned Lussier chapter.) Think about and  

plan to describe three short examples from your life that relate to the topic of the Self-Assessment  

Test Essay – one example per paragraph. Each paragraph should have an introductory sentence  

about how the example relates to the topic. Include details without disclosing names and/or  

proprietary information. Each paragraph should also have a closing statement that leads to the  

next example. Use examples from work, school, home, volunteer work, church, your childhood,  

your friends, etc. When you choose work examples, choose all three examples from work for  

professional consistency. If you describe a weakness (do some of these as part of your Self- 

17Assessment Test Essays), then describe a concrete plan to make a change for success. Failure  

can be a great teacher. 

• Fifth Paragraph: The first sentence should briefly re-state the overall topic – the assertion -- of  

the Self-Assessment Test Essay AND a brief summary on how your examples relate to the Self

Assessment Test Essay topic within a combined format. The second sentence should discuss  

how you are doing today on the Self-Assessment Test Essay topic AND/OR how you plan in the  

future to incorporate the leadership learnings into your professional skill set. The third sentence  

should be a BOLD STATEMENT about the importance of the leadership concept in today’s  

and/or tomorrow’s workplaces. (Do not say, “It is important.” Answer the question, “Why is this  

leadership concept important?”) At this point, state that the assertion(s) is proved or defended by  

the evidence. Make sure that you write a closing statement without putting in a sentence that is  

really an opening statement that could lead to more text. Close the door and move on to the next  

Self-Assessment Test Essay topic nicely. 

• Note that the examples may NOT be substituted for any of the required references noted  

immediately below. 

• A minimum of three reference materials per Self-Assessment Test Essay is required. One  

reference MUST comefrom the textbook (citing the quote and/or page number where you found  

the information). The other two references (or additional references beyond three) can come  

from any source in the following list. Note: Use any combination of the references in the list  

given here as long asa minimum of one reference is from the textbook. 

• Additional textbook references.  

• Experts in the field (cite the name of the individual and the professional occupation or  

reason that this person is an expert). 

• Other ACADEMIC sources on the Internet (NOT Wikipedia or E-How or a like kind). 

• Newspaper studies or articles from ACADEMIC places like the Wall Street Journal. 

• Case studies and/or other types of library reference sources. 

• List all references used immediately after the last paragraph of the Self-Assessment Test  

Essay response. DONOT wait to list all references together after the last Self-Assessment  

Test Essay in a set for a given week. The proper way to list the course textbook is: 

Lussier, Robert and Achua, Christopher. (2015). Leadership: Theory, Application and Skill  

Development, 6

th 

Edition. Mason, Ohio: South-Western/Cengage. (Note that there are no page  

numbers in this listing – they are not needed since you are placing them within the text.) 

Self-Assessment Test Essays will lose points if: 

• The writing is top of mind, babbled, jumbled, and/or disorganized. 

• The writing is not on topic – meaning that the writing is not about the focus of the Self

Assessment Test (SAT). 

• They are too short or too long (the ideal range is between one page to nomore than two 

pages). 

• There are weak or non-academic references, less than three references, and/or no references. 

• All three references come from the same page in Lussier – at least two different page numbers  

are required. 

• There are problems in grammar and/or spelling. 

18• References are all listed at the end of the entire set of Self-Assessment Test Essays for the week  

instead of listed atthe bottom of each individual Self-Assessment Test Essay.