Leadership Self-Assessment

At times, society defines a leader based on a position of authority. It is common to forget that a leader may be a peer, manager, or family member. As a nursing student, the writer has often thought about the different ways she can better her leadership skills. In order to be an effective leader, it is important to assess the ways that she visualizes problem-solving and team effort. The writer underwent a series of assessments that helped define her leadership that aided in her understanding of leading others in the workplace, conquering responsibilities, and acknowledging her personal leadership style.

Self-Assessment Results

In order to properly identify under a specific leadership, the writer completed two assessments: The Leadership Compass Self-Assessment and The Blake and Mouton Managerial Grid and Leadership Style Questionnaire. The Leadership Compass Self-Assessment asked a series of questions about how the writer approached her work/ work style. The results of the assessment concluded that the writer was "analytical". The writer was not surprised with the result, as she spends time on specific details, enjoys observation and finds value in completing objectives. The Blake and Mouton Managerial Grid and Leadership Style questionnaire asked questions about her work habits and personal interactions. The writer was not surprised that she received "Team Leadership", as she has always been quick to jump on an opportunity to lead others and get the job done. These results inspired the writer to continue striving in her career. Analytical leaders are important aspects to the nursing community, which then serves as motivation to continue to lead others for the future of health care.

Self-Assessment Insights

After taking the assessments, the writer began to think about her values, attitude, and overall approach to nursing tasks. She has described herself as an analytical person for most of her life and finds joy in researching data to resolve a problem. The writer has held several positions of both informal and formal leadership, which was reflected in the results of the second assessment. There are times when a task is presented to an individual and it seems almost impossible to complete; however, the writer finds herself researching a variety of ways to accomplish an objective. The writer's values include appreciation, commitment, and perseverance. She appreciates a challenge and does not give up when a task becomes too much to handle. The writer has been able to open up to her peers when she needs help, which demonstrates her perseverance, despite the challenge. Leaders should be willing to take on a task with the intention of completing it; if she needs to ask others for help, the opportunity of teamwork becomes available. With team effort, leaders excel in areas that they may not have expected.

Self-Assessment Significance

As seen above, the writer has always been aware of her natural leadership and analytical work style. One thing that stood out to the writer was that "action" was the second highest result in the first assessment. With analytics and quick action, the writer is able to act rapidly in stressful situations. As a leader, she is able to help others though data and previous knowledge. Referencing Topic 1, the writer was able to differentiate between the different leadership styles, such as: relationship-oriented, task-oriented, democratic, and authoritarian. After going through the assessments, the writer feels that she best identifies as a task-oriented leader. This style is characterized by organization, explanation, and determination (Huber, 2014, p. 9). Team leadership was the writer's result for the second assessment, which pairs well with task-oriented leadership style. In task-oriented leadership, one is responsible for guiding a team and delegating tasks to ensure the completion of a goal.

Conclusion

Overall, the assessments gave the writer confirmation that her leadership and work style is analytical. This can serve as a benefit in the health care community, especially since evidence-based practice is becoming more well-known. Based on her analytical approach to task completion, she is able to pull apart data and visualize what may or may not work. As previously mentioned, the writer is heavily involved in leadership activities and can often see herself utilizing that in her nursing career. The two assessments gave the writer the opportunity to comprehend other types of leaders, styles and approaches to completing an objective, which aided in the understanding of her own type of leadership.

References

Huber, D. (2014). Leadership and Nursing Management. (5th ed). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Inc.

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