Assessing Leadership Styles and Characteristics

Effective leaders have a high degree of self-awareness and know how to leverage their strengths in the workplace (Goleman, 2004). Assessments are a valuable tool that can enable leaders to learn more about themselves and to begin to think about how their particular temperaments and unique preferences influence their interactions with others.
There are a variety of assessments available to promote self-reflection. In this course, you are required to complete the DiSC Classic 2.0,but you are also encouraged to take or review additional assessments (e.g., Myers-Briggs, Keirsey Temperament Sorter, a 360-degree evaluation) on your own.
As you engage in this process, it is important to remember that everyone—regardless of temperament type—experiences challenges and opportunities with regard to leadership.
To prepare for this Application Assignment:

• · Bring to mind specific instances in which a leader has had a powerful impact on you. These leadership examples may be ones that you consider to be unsuccessful as well as those that you consider to be successful; they may be from within the health care industry or from other fields (e.g., politics). Consider the behaviors that you observed and the way in which they relate to leadership characteristics and styles as well as to values.
• · Complete the DiSC Classic 2.0 self-assessment and review your results. Be sure to save a copy of your results for future reference. In addition, you may wish to complete additional assessments.
• · Consider how the leadership examples that you have identified and the statements in your DiSC Classic 2.0 profile (as well as any other assessments and the information presented in the Week 4 Learning Resources) relate to each other. What insights does this give you with regard to:
  • How you, personally, evaluate leadership effectiveness
  • Your own leadership strengths and preferences
  • Potential challenges or areas in which you need to strengthen your leadership skills and competencies

To complete this Application Assignment, write a 1- to 2-page paper that synthesizes your analysis, including the following:

•  Two or more leadership examples that are personally meaningful
• Your leadership strengths and preferences, as well as potential challenges and areas for development. Be sure to refer to specifics of your DiSC Classic 2.0 profile as well as to insights from the Learning Resources.

Your written assignments must follow APA guidelines. Be sure to support your work with specific citations from this week’s Learning Resources and additional scholarly sources as appropriate. Refer to the Essential Guide to APA Style for Walden Students to ensure your in-text citations and reference list are correct.