Leadership Style Analysis
Understanding one’s leadership style is critical in enhancing personal effectiveness and aligning with organizational objectives. This portfolio assignment delves into my leadership style as identified through two distinct assessments — one focusing on classic leadership styles (authoritarian, democratic, laissez-faire) and another derived from the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). I aim to compare these findings with my MBTI type, ESTJ, to explore their coherence and reflect on my self-perception as a leader.
Comparison of Leadership Assessment Results
The first assessment ranked my leadership preference as primarily democratic (24 points), followed by laissez-faire (17 points), and authoritarian (13 points). Democratic leadership, which values group participation and consensus, was the most pronounced style. The second tool revealed a strong inclination toward action-oriented leadership (27 points), with significant scores in leadership theorist (22 points) and goal-oriented (22 points) styles (Metarasa, n.d.). Action-oriented leadership, which focuses on task completion and practical outcomes, aligns closely with an ESTJ’s structured approach.
Alignment with My MBTI Type
As an ESTJ, my personality traits include extroversion, observation, thinking, and judging, which suggest a preference for structured, decisive, and practical approaches to leadership (16 Personalities, 2013). The ESTJ personality is known for being organized, logical, and pragmatic, often focusing on efficiency and systematic processes. ESTJs are typically decisive and prefer structured environments, where they can manage and lead through established rules and regulations (Myers & Myers, 1980). The prominence of action-oriented leadership in my assessment results underscores these ESTJ characteristics, reflecting a natural propensity for efficiency and direct task management. Although this aligns well with my tendency to prefer structured and logical problem-solving, it contrasts slightly with the democratic style’s emphasis on group consensus.
Alignment with Democratic and Action-Oriented Leadership
Democratic leadership has always appealed to me due to its focus on collaboration and consensus-building. In practice, I have prioritized this style by actively involving team members in decision-making processes, aiming to foster a sense of ownership and collective responsibility. This approach not only enhances team morale but also leads to more informed and comprehensive decisions, as team members contribute diverse perspectives and expertise.
Similarly, the action-oriented leadership style aligns well with my practical approach to project management. This style’s focus on seeing tasks through to fruition complements my role as a leader in a dynamic startup environment, where timely and effective execution is crucial. I strive to maintain momentum and ensure that projects meet their deadlines and quality standards, which often involves direct problem-solving and swift decision-making.
Learning from the Results and Recognizing Discrepancies
The leadership assessments have been enlightening, affirming many aspects of my leadership style that I had internally acknowledged but not explicitly recognized. For example, the action-oriented leadership style’s emphasis on task completion has helped me understand why I gravitate towards direct involvement in project tasks and decision-making processes. This insight encourages me to continue leveraging this strength, especially in high-stakes project scenarios.
However, the assessment also highlighted areas that did not completely align with my self-perception, particularly regarding the laissez-faire leadership style, which ranked lower. My natural inclination avoids the laissez-faire approach, as my experience has taught me that without sufficient guidance, projects can drift and fail to meet their objectives. This mismatch has been an essential learning point, reinforcing my belief in the need for a balanced approach that avoids the extremes of micromanagement and under-involvement.
Reflection
Reflecting on my role as a leader within a SaaS startup development team in Japan, I find that these results largely align with how I perceive myself in leadership positions. As both a Project Manager and Product Manager, my leadership approach has been characterized by an emphasis on support, guidance, and flexibility, traits that resonate with the democratic and action-oriented leadership styles identified in the assessments.
The assessment results have validated many aspects of how I view my leadership capabilities, especially in task orientation and decision-making efficiency. However, the lower scores in participative and visionary leadership styles indicate potential areas for development. Enhancing these areas could improve my effectiveness as a leader, particularly in fostering team engagement and developing long-term strategic perspectives.
Conclusion
Reflecting on the results from the leadership assessments has provided a valuable perspective on my strengths and areas for improvement as a leader. The alignment with democratic and action-oriented styles confirms my effective practices, while the lower laissez-faire score underlines my commitment to active and engaged leadership.
Moving forward, I will continue to cultivate my leadership abilities, ensuring that they not only align with successful outcomes but also adapt to the evolving needs of my team and projects. This introspection serves as a reminder that effective leadership is not static but a dynamic interplay of various styles tailored to specific contexts and challenges.
References
16 Personalities. (2013, August 1). Executive (ESTJ personality). 16 Personalities. https://www.16personalities.com/estj-personality
Metarasa. (n.d.). Leadership Styles. Metarasa Personality Page. https://www.metarasa.com/leadership-styles/
Myers, I. B., & Myers, P. B. (1980). Gifts Differing: Understanding Personality Type. Davies-Black Publishing.
Note:
This article is written based on University of The People Leading in Today’s Dynamic Context (BUS 5411) written assignment by Fristy Tania in May 2024
