Leadership: Reflective Analysis and Self-Development Plan

Introduction

Leadership is the capability of an individual to influence others through a set of behaviour and assist in aligning their collective direction. The study highlights the characteristics and skills, which are associated with leadership. I have taken six different personality tests to identify my capabilities and weaknesses related to leadership. It also contains a self-development plan to create effective strategies to improve my drawbacks appropriately.

Main body

The results of the six tests are analysed by applying the “Rolfe Reflective Framework”, which contains three steps. What, so what and now what.

The Global IE test

What
The global IE test generally has 40 questions of which I have answered 38 of them.
So, what
I scored 8 in Relationship management, which is the highest mark in the four quadrants. On the other hand, I scored 6, 4, and 5 in “self-awareness”, “self-management” and “social awareness. It highlights that I have adequate capabilities similar to visionary leaders who can inspire people through guidance and direction.
Now what
I have effective persuasive strategies along with introducing new ideas to manage change. On the contrary, the test results have highlighted a significant need for improvement in “self-management” and “social awareness” skills. Self-management helps in enhancing productivity to attain professional goals providing more control over career objectives (Claro and Loeb, 2019). On the other hand, social awareness assists in connecting with others and comprehending their perspectives. The result has highlighted a requirement for an active initiative to improve these capabilities.

UCLan Career Edge Sound Decision-Making Online Test

What
I scored 77 on the UCLan decision-making online test, which evaluates the capability of an individual to make appropriate decisions.
So, what

The score of 77 highlights that I take adequate time in making decisions and make an effort to understand a situation. During the data collection process, I rely on a wide range of resources and verify their credibility. However, the test has highlighted that I need to evaluate my options from different perspectives while determining the suitable one.
Now what
I will try to improve my perspective in choosing between alternatives in a particular situation. I will make an effort to improve my decision-making competencies further by analysing a situation from various viewpoints.

UCLan Career Edge Temperament Online Test

What
The test has 8 specific skills, which evaluate the personality and leadership characteristics of an individual. The result shows I have an “INFJ” type.
So, what
It shows that I am naturally protective of others and very intuitive. It has informed me that I work best when I can contribute to a decision, which affects others. On the other hand, INFJs struggle in case of conflicts. Conflicts often result in a decrease in productivity due to distinctions in values and behaviour (Boutron et al. 2019). I generally work better in case my role aligns with my core values.
Now what
I need to improve my temperament to improve my capability of working under various conditions. I need to be more assertive and utilise the political side of the job. I need to have a realistic idea about my drawbacks as well as others.

Barrett Values Online Test

What
The test has 10 different segments, which underline the human values of an individual. As per the test, my strongest values are Security and Stimulation.
So what
Security highlights my affinity toward stability and harmony in life and community. An individual who has high requirements for security are generally demanding and categorise sudden challenges as threatening (DiGiuseppe and Kleinberg, 2019). On the other hand, I scored lowest in Tradition, which depicts respect for other cultures and ideas.
Now what
I need to improve my values toward traditions to understand the diversity of cultural and social norms among people. It will help me understand the perspective of others who belong to different religions and cultures.

Conflict Management Online Test

What
The test has six different segments, which help in determining the conflict management style of an individual. My main conflict modes are “constructive competitive”, “Compromising”, and “Avoiding”.
So what
The test results show that in a situation of conflict resolution, I intend to achieve my own goals and interests without crossing a line. I scored quite low in cooperation, which is at 33%. It highlights the need to understand the diverse perspectives of the opponents. On the other hand, I am willing to compromise to acquire effective results from a situation. I also avoid conflicts in critical situations.
Now what
I need to improve my cooperation strategies in case of conflict management. I can practice effective communication strategies to foster cooperation with the opponent. Moreover, I need to be assertive to present my ideas with confidence without avoiding a conflicting situation.

Big Five Personality Test Report

What
The test measures five major components of the personality of an individual. I scored 64 in natural reactions followed by extraversion.
So, what
As per the test, I do not get upset easily in critical situations and I am relaxed and resilient in adverse events. On the other hand, I scored very low in agreeable, which is 9. A lower score in agreeable highlights the competitive and sceptical nature of individuals.
Now what
I will try to improve my cooperation skills to enhance my agreeability in a critical situation. It will help me in reducing my inclination toward avoiding conflicting situations as well.

Self-development plan

Table 1: Self-development plan
(Source: Self-created)

Conclusion

The study has highlighted various skills related to the leadership capabilities of individuals. Effective leaders generally have several competencies such as communication. perceiving, decision-making, relationship management and many more. I have used the “Rolfe Reflective Framework” to analyse the test results. It has helped me in creating a self-development plan with the needed resources and time. The findings of the Global IE exam have shown that “self-management” and “social awareness” skills need to be significantly improved. I learned from the Temperament Online Test that I function best when I can influence a choice that has consequences for other people. INFJs, on the other hand, find it difficult to resolve disputes. My strongest values on the Barrett Values Online Test are stimulation and security. An individual with high-security needs is typically demanding and views unexpected situations as frightening. My cooperation score was quite poor, which had an impact on my leadership abilities. I need to be assertive to confidently communicate my opinions while avoiding a potentially contentious situation.

References

Boutron, I., Page, M.J., Higgins, J.P., Altman, D.G., Lundh, A., Hróbjartsson, A. and Cochrane Bias Methods Group, 2019. Considering bias and conflicts of interest among the included studies. Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions, pp.177-204.

Claro, S. and Loeb, S., 2019. Self-management skills and student achievement gains: Evidence from California’s CORE districts. EdWorking Paper, 19(138), pp.1-35.

DiGiuseppe, M. and Kleinberg, K.B., 2019. Economics, security, and individual-level preferences for trade agreements. International Interactions, 45(2), pp.289-315.