Measuring Your Authentic Leadership and Identifying Development Opportunity

Amidst the rapidly changing landscapes of politics, business, and social movements, individuals are becoming increasingly skeptical of traditional leadership paradigms. They yearn for leaders who are genuine, transparent, and empathetic. Authentic leaders inspire trust and confidence, fostering an environment of collaboration and positive change.

Authentic leadership is often broken down into four distinct yet interrelated qualities: self-awareness, internalized moral perspective, balanced processing, and relational transparency.

Let's measure your authentic leadership and each of its components using the "Authentic Leadership Self-assessment Questionnaire" (Walumbwa et al.)

Please rate each statement on a scale from 1 to 5, where:

1= Strongly Disagree 2= Disagree 3= Neutral 4= Agree 5= Strongly Agree

1. I can list my three greatest weaknesses.
2. My actions reflect my core values.
3. I seek others' opinions before making my own mind.
4. I openly share my feelings with others.
5. I can list my three greatest strengths.
6. I do allow group pressure to control me.
7. I listen closely to the ideas of those who disagree with me.
8. I let others know who I truly am as a person.
9. I seek feedback as away of understanding who I really am as a person.
10. Other people know where I stand on controversial issues.
11. I do not emphasize my own point of view at the expense of others.
12. I rarely present a "false" front of others.
13. I accept the feelings I have about myself.
14. My morals guide what I do as a leader.
15. I listen very carefully to the ideas of others before making decisions.
16. I admit my mistakes.

Scoring

1. Sum the response on items 1,5,9,13 for Self-awareness _____ /20
2. Sum the response on items 2,6,10,14 for Internalized moral perspectives____ /20
3. Sum the response on items 3,7,11,15 for Balanced processing_____ /20
4. Sum the response on items 4,8,12,16 for relational transparency_____ /20
5. Sum the total of all for overall authentic leadership score ____ / 80

Scoring Interpretation

This self-assessment is designed to measure your authentic leadership by assessing four components of the process: self- awareness, internalized moral perspective, balanced processing, and relational transparency. By comparing your scores on each of these components, you can determine which are your stronger and weaker components in each category. You can use this guideline for interpreting your scores:

For each components of authentic leadership :

High = 16-20 and Low =15 and below. Scores in the upper range indicate stronger authentic leadership, whereas scores in the lower range indicate weaker authentic leadership.

Development Opportunity

Understanding your authentic leadership components provides a valuable starting point for personal growth and leadership development.

If, for instance, you score 18 for balanced processing and 13 for self-awareness, this indicates that you are stronger in balanced processing than self-awareness. Recognizing this discrepancy can help you identify which aspect of authentic leadership you excel in and where you have an opportunity for development.

Final Thoughts

The contemporary era places an extraordinary demand on authentic leaders. As our world faces upheavals and complexities, people are increasingly seeking leaders who are genuine, trustworthy, and compassionate. Authentic leadership is not a static trait; it is an ongoing journey of self-discovery and personal growth.

Are you prepared to answer the call for authentic leadership? While it's a challenge, the rewards are immeasurable: a more connected, engaged, and empowered team, along with the ability to make a positive impact in a rapidly changing world. What steps will you take to become an authentic leader? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below. Let's learn from each other and collectively evolve into better leaders.

#LeadershipStyle #LeadershipDevelopment

Reference: Walumbwa, F. O., Hartnell, C. A., & Oke, A. (2010). Servant leadership, procedural justice climate, service climate, employee attitudes, and organizational citizenship behavior: A cross-level investigation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95(3), 517–529.