S E L F - A S S E S S M E N T 1
As with all of the self-assessment exercises in this book,
there are no right or wrong answers, so don’t try to pick
what you think is the right answer. Be honest in answering
the questions, so that you can better understand
yourself and your behavior as it relates to leadership.
For each pair of statements distribute 5 points, based
on how characteristic each statement is of you. If the first
statement is totally like you and the second is not like
you at all, give 5 points to the first and 0 to the second. If
it is the opposite, use 0 and 5. If the statement is usually
like you, then the distribution can be 4 and 1, or 1 and 4.
If both statements tend to be like you, the distribution
should be 3 and 2, or 2 and 3. Again, the combined
score for each pair of statements must equal 5.
Here are the scoring distributions for each pair of
statements:
0–5 or 5–0 One of the statements is totally like
you, the other not like you at all.
1–4 or 4–1 One statement is usually like you, the
other not.
2–3 or 3–2 Both statements are like you, although
one is slightly more like you.
I’m interested in and willing to take charge
of a group of people.
I want someone else to be in charge of
the group.
2. When I’m not in charge, I’m willing to give
input to the leader to improve performance.
When I’m not in charge, I do things
the leader’s way, rather than offer my
suggestions.
3. I’m interested in and willing to get people
to listen to my suggestions and to implement
them.
I’m not interested in influencing other
people.
4. When I’m in charge, I want to share the
management responsibilities with group
members.
When I’m in charge, I want to perform the
management functions for the group.
5. I want to have clear goals and to develop
and implement plans to achieve them.
I like to have very general goals and take
things as they come.
6. I like to change the way my job is done
and to learn and do new things.
I like stability, or to do my job the same way;
I don’t like learning and doing new things.
7. I enjoy working with people and helping
them succeed.
I don’t really like working with people and
helping them succeed.
To determine your leadership potential score, add up
the numbers (0–5) for the first statement in each pair;
don’t bother adding the numbers for the second statement.
The total should be between 0 and 35. Place
your score on the continuum at the end of this assessment.
Generally, the higher your score, the greater
your potential to be an effective leader. However, the
key to success is not simply potential, but persistence
and hard work. You can develop your leadership abili ty
through this course by applying the principles and
theories to your personal and professional lives.
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Low leadership potential High leadership potentia
