Strength Based Leadership Assessment
The Strength Based Leadership (SBL) assessment tool provides individuals with their leadership strengths categorizing them into four main themes or domains, which include executing, influencing, strategic thinking, and relationship building (Rath, 2012). After completing the SBL assessment, I identified that I have five strengths categorized in the relationship-building and executing domain. From the results, I did not have any strengths relating to the influencing and strategic thinking domains. In the executing domain, my strength was responsibility and the relationship-building domain my strengths included relator, developer, harmony, and adaptability. I do concur with most of the SBL assessment results because I am very good at bonding and maintaining strong relationships. This is because I try not to argue with people that I care about and incase of any problems, I try my best to resolve them with the other party as soon as possible. The five strengths identified can be described in details as follows
Responsibility
This strength lies under the executing function of a leader. In executing, leaders have the knowledge of making things happen. In this case, the responsibility strength implies that an individual is committed to what they say and do. Additionally, these individuals value honesty and loyalty. Responsible persons care about building trusts and they acknowledge and appreciate people around them. They feel that they are responsible for others actions and when others make mistakes it also affects them. Such leaders create hope in the team the lead enabling the members to trust them (Rath, 2012).
Relator
This characteristic or trait lies in the relationship-building domain of the SBL Assessment. In this domain, leaders are the people who essentially strive to ensure that the team remains together. They drive relationships ensuring that the team does not fall out and with them the group would only compose of individual with no direction. As a realtor, an individual is always open to gaining knowledge and experiences relating to their team (Rath, 2012). I believe this is my strength because I am very inquisitive and I always want to learn something new each day. A relator is eager to find people who value knowledge so that they can exchange ideas. When building relationship, it is essential for relators to know what other aim and hope to achieve in the future. I enjoy counselling and talking to people about my ideas, which is one characteristic of a realtor. Finally, realtors are affectionate and like to socialize and because of these traits, they tend to pick their friends carefully.
Developer
This strength also belongs to the relationship-building domain. I am not surprised the SBL assessment indicated that I possessed this leadership strength. This is because I have high regards for my talents, which include drawing and painting. Developers have the ability to ease tensions and agitation people experience when dealing with different people who do not hold the same view as theirs. Developers assist people create solution to problems without having to feel that their self-respect was sacrificed. I naturally like to appreciate individuals for their contribution and progress as developers do. Further developers aim to inspire, support and motivate others and in a group setup this motivates and boosts the self-esteem of new comers (Rath, 2012).
Harmony
This trait belongs to the relationship-building domain that also describes my strength. I do not like to postpone any tasks because I believe I will never do them. Hence, whenever I am assigned a task I ensure that I complete them as soon as I can so that the pressure goes off. Planning my daily activities is one of my priorities and I strive to ensure that I have completed the assignment in the plan. People who pose the harmony strength take up assignment happily if they feel that it was their fair share. These individuals value knowledge and expertise of other when they are trying to find solutions to a problem. In a team, such leaders recognize that people approach problems differently (Rath, 2012). As such, they are willing to work with members to ensure that they achieve better solution and this helps to build trust. Further, you respect others opinions and do not impose your own on them.
Adaptability
Finally, I have the adaptability strength, which is also related to the relationship-building domain. Individuals with this strength are not bound by period and they can adjust to ensure they take up opportunity whenever they arise. Additionally, they have no problem dealing with change and they know when schedules need to be deviated (Rath, 2012). This kind appreciates events happening in the present enabling them to adjust to environments, people, and circumstances. They always follow what other are doing in a particular time and to them cooperating is essential, sensible, and less exhausting. Finally, these people think of the future and this could assist them when any problems or opportunities arise.
Additional Assessments
Emotional Intelligence Assessment
The motivation strength indicators include achievement, commitment, initiative, and optimism. These entire traits clearly define my strength as an individual considering the amount of hope I hold in everything that I do. Self-regulation is the ability of individual to manage their impulses and internal states. The strengths of self-regulation include having self-control, adaptability, innovations, trustworthiness, and conscientiousness (Sager, 1998).
Authentic Leadership/North house Self- Assessments
The strength identified from this assessment was authentic leadership, which I scored 57 (high). An individual who possess high characteristics of self-awareness, relations transparency, balanced processing, and internalized moral perspective describes authentic leadership (Bryman, Collinson, Grint, Jackson, & Uhl-Bien, 2010).
Myer Briggs Personality Assessment
This assessment suggested that my personality was an adventurer. This type of personality is characterized by several traits, which I scored highly, and they show my strengths. The traits include, extroverted based on the mind (how people interact with the environment), and observant based on energy (where mental energy is directed). Additionally, I learnt I use feelings to cope with emotions and make decisions, while my tactics were prospecting. Finally, the assessment showed I was very assertive and this can be explained through my nature as being principled.
Ambiversion Self-Assessment
This showed that I had an ambivert personality, which implies that I am neither, an introvert, nor an extrovert. This assessment provided a different view of my personality considering that the Myer Briggs assessment had indicated that I was an extrovert. According to the assessment, an ambivert can be a good salesperson because of the outspoken nature. Additionally they adopt to the easily to the quality of attunement and they know when to speak and when to be quiet.
True Color Personality Quiz
This assessment showed that my true color personality was gold. An individual who is loyal, prepared, and dependable characterizes the gold color. This is because such people follow and respect all the rules. Further, I was sensible, punctual, and thorough because I have high regard for what is right and wrong. I was also faithful and stable based on the assessment because I value family and tradition. I learnt that I was also caring and concerned because I am naturally a parent, preserver and a helper.
Strengths That Were Identified By Others (360 Feedback)
I gave the emotional intelligence questionnaire to my cousin and classmate to fill about me and they presented some strengths that I did not know I possessed. Both my cousin and friend felt that my strengths were social skills and empathy. Social skills relate to the ability of an individual to influence the reasoning of others (Leatherman, & Leatherman, 2008). Good communication, leadership, change and conflict management, building bonds and influencing, characterize these skills (Sager, 1998). Empathy involves having high regards for other people needs, emotions, and concerns. This strength is characterized by the ability of a person to understand and develop others. Further, an individual has service orientation, political awareness and leverage diversity.
Skills Not Revealed Through Any of the Assessments Or the 360 Feedback
Being organized and time conscious are two skills I possess that were not revealed by any of the assessment. I always like tiding up and I feel anxious when I find that my items are not where I last placed them. At home, I am known for re-arranging items so that they suite my plans. Additionally, I value punctuality and this has made me argue so much with my friends. I usually believe in plans and schedules which I require to be followed. Hence, if we plan to meet at a given time for discussion at school I am usually the first to arrive in most if not all occasions.
Questionable Strengths Identified
The SBL assessments indicated that I have the adaptability strength characterized by individual who believe that following what other do is the most sensible thing to do. I disagree with this strength because I am a person who would do the opposite even if I were the only for as long that is the right thing to do. This mean I do not just follow what other people do. Further, the trait suggests individual are not bound by period. I believe in planning and doing what it takes to ensure everything goes as planned so I am bound by period.
Strengths that are not possessed or fully developed
I would like to possess strategic thinking skills and further develop my influencing strengths. I believe that I have an impact and the ability to connect with people but enabling people to empathize with me can be difficult. I would like to be able to make strategic decisions as a leader to ensure that all goals are met. Strategic thinking enables a leader to assess the views and thoughts of others to be able to make informed decisions (Adair, 2013). Influencing can assist a leader in change management because the team can easily understand you through the influence you make. Combining these strengths with those that I already possess would help me to become a better leader in the future.
Summary of Strength Assessments
References
Adair, J. (2013). Develop your leadership skills. London: Kogan Page Publishers
Bryman, A., Collinson, D., Grint, K., Jackson, B., & Uhl-Bien, M. (2010). The SAGE Handbook of Leadership. New York: Sage Publications.
Leatherman, R., & Leatherman, D. (2008). Quality Leadership Skills, 3rd Edition: Standards of Leadership Behavior. Amherst, MA: HRD Press, Inc.
Rath, T. (2012). Strengths Finder 2.0: Strength-based leadership. Washington: Gallup, Inc.
Sager, J. (1998). Working with emotional intelligence. New York, NY: Bantam Books.
