This will identify your leadership effectiveness and explore where your skills need further development. Utilize the results by reading the Score Interpretation.
Write a 2-page summary using the APA style of writing to analyze your current leadership skills based on what you have learned in this course and the survey.
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21 MIN READHow Good Are Your
Leadership Skills?
Who do you consider to be a good leader?
Maybe it’s a politician, a famous businessperson, or a religious figure. Or maybe it’s someone
you know personally – like your boss, a teacher, or a friend. You can find people in leadership
roles almost everywhere you look.
However, simply having the responsibilities of a leader doesn’t necessarily make a person an
effective leader. This is a shame because, with a little study, humility and hard work, all of us
can learn to lead effectively.
So, how can you do this?
You can start by analyzing your performance in specific areas of leadership. Watch our video,
and then complete the quiz below to identify where you already lead effectively, and to explore
where your skills need further development. In the analysis sections underneath, we’ll direct
you to the resources you need to be an exceptional leader.
How Good Are Your Leadership Skills?
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Instructions
For each statement, click the button in the column that best describes you. Please answer
questions as you actually are (rather than how you think you should be), and don’t worry if some
questions seem to score “in the wrong direction.” When you are finished, please click the
“Calculate My Total” button at the bottom of the test.
18 Statements to Answer Not at All Rarely
Some-
times
Often
Very
Often
When assigning tasks, I consider people’s skills and
interests.
1
I doubt myself and my ability to succeed.
2
I expect nothing less than top-notch results from
people.
3
I expect my people to work harder than I do.
4
When someone is upset, I try to understand how he or
she is feeling.
5
When circumstances change, I can struggle to know
what to do.
6
I think that personal feelings shouldn’t be allowed to
get in the way of performance and productivity.
7
I am highly motivated because I know I have what it
takes to be successful.
8
Time spent worrying about team morale is time that’s
wasted.
9
I get upset and worried quite often in the workplace.
10
My actions show people what I want from them.
11
When working with a team, I encourage everyone to
work toward the same overall objectives.
12
I make exceptions to my rules and expectations. It’s
easier than being the enforcer all the time!
13
I enjoy planning for the future.
14
I feel threatened when someone criticizes me.
15
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Calculate My Total Total = 65
18 Statements to Answer Not at All Rarely
Some-
times
Often
Very
Often
Score Interpretation
ScoreComment
18-34 You need to work hard on your leadership skills. The good news is that if you use more of these skills
at work, at home, and in the community, you’ll be a real asset to the people around you. You can do it
– and now is a great time to start! (Read below to start.)
35-52You’re doing OK as a leader, but you have the potential to do much better. While you’ve built the
foundation of effective leadership, this is your opportunity to improve your skills, and become the best
you can be. Examine the areas where you lost points, and determine what you can do to develop
skills in these areas. (Read below to start.)
53-
90
Excellent! You’re well on your way to becoming a good leader. However, you can never be too good
at leadership or too experienced – so look at the areas where you didn’t score maximum points, and
figure out what you can do to improve your performance. (Read below to start.)
There are many leadership skills and competencies that, when combined and applied, go
toward making you an effective leader. You have the ability to develop each of these skills
within yourself. Read on for specific ideas on how you can improve your leadership skills!
I make time to learn what people need from me, so that
they can be successful.
16
I’m optimistic about life, and I can see beyond
temporary setbacks and problems.
17
I think that teams perform best when individuals keep
doing the same tasks and perfecting them, instead of
learning new skills and challenging themselves.
18
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Personal Characteristics
Successful leaders tend to have certain traits. Two keys areas of personal growth and
development are fundamental to leadership success: self-confidence and a positive attitude.
Self-confident people are usually inspiring, and people like to be around individuals who
believe in themselves and in what they’re doing. Likewise, if you’re a positive and optimistic
person who tries to make the best of any situation, you’ll find it much easier to motivate people
to do their best.
Self-Confidence
(Questions 2, 8)
Your score is 7 out of 10
Self-confidence is built by mastering significant skills and situations, and by knowing that you
can add real value by the work you do. One of the best ways to improve your confidence is to
become aware of all of the things you’ve already achieved.
Our article on Building Self-Confidence explains what you can do to understand yourself
better and build your self-confidence. From there, you’ll begin to make the most of your
strengths and improve your weaknesses. Explore this further with our Bite-Sized Training
session on Personal SWOT Analysis .
Positive Attitude and Outlook
(Questions 10, 17)
Your score is 8 out of 10
A positive mindset is also associated with strong leadership. However, being positive is much
more than presenting a happy face to the world: you need to develop a strong sense of
balance, and recognize that setbacks and problems happen – it’s how you deal with those
problems that makes the difference.
Positive people approach situations realistically, prepared to make the changes necessary to
overcome a problem. Negative people, on the other hand, often give in to the stress and
pressure of the situation. This can lead to fear, worry, distress, anger and failure.
Stress management techniques, including getting enough Rest, Relaxation and Sleep as
well as physical exercise, are great ways of getting rid of negative thoughts and feelings.
Understanding your thinking patterns, and learning to identify and eliminate negative thinking,
are key. You can learn how to do this in our article on Thought Awareness, Rational Thinking
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and Positive Thinking , and you can find out how to become more optimistic in our Book
Insight on Learned Optimism .
Emotional Intelligence
(Questions 5, 15)
Your score is 7 out of 10
The concept of emotional intelligence used to be referred to as “soft skills,” “character,” or even
“communication skills.” The more recent idea of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) offers a more
precise understanding of a specific kind of human talent. EQ is the ability to recognize feelings –
your own and those of others – and manage those emotions to create strong relationships.
Learning to develop Empathy is essential for emotional intelligence, as is communicating
effectively, and practicing Empathic Listening . These all help you really understand the other
person’s perspective.
Our Leadership area has a section on emotional intelligence in leadership.
Transformational Leadership
Transformational leadership is a leadership style where leaders create an inspiring vision of the
future, motivate their followers to achieve it, manage implementation successfully, and develop
the members of their teams to be even more effective in the future. We explore these
dimensions below.
Providing a Compelling Vision of the Future
(Questions 6, 14)
Your score is 7 out of 10
This is your ability to create a robust and compelling vision of the future , and to present this
vision in a way that inspires the people you lead.
The first part of being able to do this is to have a thorough knowledge of the area you’re
operating in. See our Bite-Sized Training session on Building Expert Power to find out how to
develop this.
From there, good use of strategic analysis techniques can help you gain the key insights you
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Strategy section for more than 50 powerful techniques that give you these insights.
With these tools, you can explore the challenges you face and identify the options available to
you. You can identify the best of these with good use of prioritization skills and appropriate
decision-making techniques .
Finally, to sell your vision, you need to be able to craft a compelling and interesting story. Our
article, Powers of Persuasion , can help you open closed minds, so that people consider your
ideas fairly. Another great way of inspiring people is to use vivid stories to explain your vision:
find out more about this in our Expert Interview with Annette Simmons, titled Whoever Tells the
Best Story Wins .
Motivating People to Deliver the Vision
(Questions 9, 12)
Your score is 7 out of 10
This is closely related to creating and selling a vision. You must be able to convince others to
accept the objectives you’ve set. Emphasize teamwork, and recognize that when people work
together, they can achieve great things. To provide effective leadership by linking performance
and team goals, use Management by Objectives (MBO) and Key Performance Indicators
(KPIs) .
Ultimately, you need to motivate people to deliver your vision. To better understand your ability
to motivate, complete our quiz How Good Are Your Motivation Skills? , and explore our
articles on Herzberg’s Motivators and Hygiene Factors and Sirota’s Three Factor Theory .
Being a Good Role Model
(Questions 4, 11)
Your score is 7 out of 10
Good leaders lead by example . They do what they say, and say what they do. These types of
leaders are trustworthy, and show integrity. They get involved in daily work where needed, and
they stay in touch with what’s happening throughout the organization. Great leaders don’t just
sit in their offices and give orders – they demonstrate the actions and values that they expect
from the team.
As with building vision, above, a key part of being a good role model is leading from the front
by developing expert power . A leader can’t rely on position alone: by keeping current, and
staying relevant within the organization, you’ll inspire people because you’re worthy of your
power and authority, not just because you’re the boss.
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Managing Performance Effectively
(Questions 3, 13)
Your score is 7 out of 10
Effective leaders manage performance by setting their expectations clearly and concisely.
When everyone knows what’s expected, it’s much easier to get high performance. There’s little
uncertainty, therefore you can deal with performance issues quickly. And if things have already
started to slide, our article on Re-Engaging Team Members offers some excellent tips for
turning a negative situation back to a positive one.
As you create rules, help your team members to understand why the rules are there . Involve
them in the rule-making process, and make sure that your expectations align with the resources
and support available. Apply rules fairly and consistently.
Providing Support and Stimulation
(Questions 1, 7, 16, 18)
Your score is 15 out of 20
To be highly motivated at work, people need more than a list of tasks to be completed each
day. They need challenges and interesting work. They need to develop their skills, and to feel
supported in their efforts to do a good job.
Think about your approach to Task Allocation , and look for opportunities to match people
with jobs and responsibilities that will help them to grow and develop. Use Heron’s Six
Categories of Intervention to decide when and how to help them to shine. Regularly perform
Training Needs Assessments to determine what your team needs to be successful.
Remember that emotional support is also important. The Blake-Mouton Managerial Grid is a
great tool for thinking about the right balance between concern for people and productivity.
Key Points
To be successful in your career, regardless of your title or position, focus on developing your
leadership skills.
Effective leaders can add value simply by being present on teams. They are inspirational and
motivating. They know the right things to say to people to help them understand what’s
needed, and they can convince people to support a cause.
When you have talented and effective leaders in your organization, you’re well on your way to
success. Develop these leadership skills in yourself and in your team members – and you’ll see
the performance and productivity of your entire team improve.
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