You are on page 1of 5

Leadership 1

Leadership Self Assessment


Portia Pelow-Dickerson
University of New England

Leadership 2
It is important for a leader to have a good understanding of themselves and their style in order to be
effective in their roles. Being aware of one's strengths and weaknesses allows a leader to best strategize
how to deal with a variety of situations and better serve their community. It it my purpose to outline the
strengths of my leadership styles and the consequence of using these strengths, as well as to define my
personal philosophy of leadership in education.
Personal Philosophy of Education Leadership
Each leader needs to have a foundation for the decisions they make, and by synthesizing this in written
form, it allows a leader to remind themselves of these values as they lead on a daily basis. My personal
philosophy of educational leadership is as follows:
I wish to support others in helping students to achieve their best and foster collegiality and community,
as we all learn from one another and make productive progress.
Leadership Strengths
After taking Glanz's (2002) test in Finding your Leadership Style, I found that my leadership style was
perfectly split between Dynamic Supportive and Adaptive Aggressive. As a leader, I am always trying
to strike a balance and negotiate situations in appropriately differentiated ways, therefore it makes
sense that I would have two different styles that I adjust between accordingly.
As a Dynamic Supporter, I have many positive qualities when it comes to interpersonal relationships. I
am a good listener and often put other people ahead of myself, as I care deeply about helping others.
On the other hand, I can be strong and determined. Due to my interpersonal skills, others have often
looked to me for help, and as a result, early in my teaching career I fell into leadership positions
(Glanz, 2002). For example, it was in my second year of teaching that I became the English
Department Head. Although it was not necessarily something that I initially sought out on my own, I
began to see that through leadership roles I could more easily help others.
As an Adaptive Aggressor, I share similar qualities to my other leadership style in that both styles are

Leadership 3
socially aware, but in this style, I tend to be more goal driven and hard working. I can be resourceful
and independent thinking. I enjoy a challenge and like the success I feel when it is overcome. I like to
work behind the scenes and have confidence in my ability to make the best of a situation. Adaptive
Aggressors often land leadership roles and function well in a management role (Glanz, 2002). This is
my second year as Academic Dean, and I can say that many of these characteristics are true. I enjoy
leading and feel like I can be very supportive and productive in this role. I must admit, I can get
frustrated when I feel that a meeting is not moving forward as quickly as I would like, as I like for the
valuable time that I have to work with all the faculty to be solution driven and productive.
Although my two types of leadership styles seem different, there are areas where they collide for
success. They are both confident, goal oriented, socially aware, and like to work behind the scenes
(Glanz, 2002). In combining these two styles I can use the more developed people skills of the
Dynamic Supporter to achieve the goals that the Adaptive Assertive thrives on. In a way, combining
these two types can be a huge asset, because it gives me the ability to be compassionate and still see
end goals as a priority. If decisions are made with both these things in mind, there is great possibility
for people to feel supported and see proactive results of change.
Consequences of Using Strengths
A potential downfall of using my strengths is that I can appear manipulative, and as though I am trying
to persuade others through my social influence in order to achieve that goals that I care so much to
achieve. This is a result of the fact that I can both be charismatic and goal driven. Dynamic supporters
are good at influencing others, and therefore they must make sure this doesn't come off in a negative
way, especially since my other leadership style can be so focused on the end result.
Consequences of Not Using Strengths
If I were to not use my strengths I would become truly frustrated. I really enjoy working with others to
achieve goals. I love to see progress and know that I am making an impact. If I did not use my

Leadership 4
strengths and just sat back, I would become frustrated when a problem occurred, and I could not be a
part of the solution. One of my mentors once told me that being and administrator is being a problem
solver, and although this can feel overwhelming at times, I truly enjoy helping other and being part of
removing obstacles from forward progress.
Concluding Thoughts
At first I found it strange that I would straddle two such seemingly different leadership styles, but in the
end, I find that it makes good sense for me. I really enjoy supporting teachers and working with others
to find new ways of doing things that in order to better support our students. I am both compassionate
and goal oriented. One of my friends and colleges once said that I was the nicest person he knew that
you could not mess with, which is very true. I will bend over backwards for others to support them, but
only if it means we can work together in the spirit of progress.

Leadership 5
Reference
Glanz, J. (2002). Finding your leadership style: A guide for educators. Alexandria, VA:
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

You might also like