What's Your Leadership Potential?

1. The executive's job is to accomplish work through people. Characterize your own view of the effective relationship between the executive and his subordinates:

1

2

3

4

I feel the best relationship is one in which the executive gives leadership by setting the direction and organizational structure while subordinates take responsibility for the parts.

I feel that the best relationship is one of give and take between executive and subordinates in order to achieve organizational goals that benefit all.

I feel that the best relationship is one in which the executive draws from the knowledge of his subordinates to determine organizational goals.

I feel that the best relationship is one in which the executive and the subordinates are working together as a team to meet organizational goals and needs for job satisfaction.

2. New ideas, worthy of implementation, are an important ingredient in overall success of an organization. To obtain them:

1

2

3

4

I feel that many of our best ideas come from interaction within the organization, so the more discussion I can generate internally, the more and better the ideas.

I feel that as an executive I must generate worthy ideas by having the pulse of the organization, the people, and the external environment.

I feel that our front line people are the greatest source of good ideas we have and it is my role to create an environment that encourages their contribution and help them implement.

I feel that it doesn't matter so much where ideas come from, but as an executive my role is to pick the good ones and implement.

3. The goals of an organization are intended to bring focus, direction, and motivation to its members. In your personal experience, what has been the most effective way of developing the organization goals for which you are ultimately responsible?

1

2

3

4

My subordinates and I jointly evaluate and develop the organizational goals in order to ensure a common perception and agreement on ways of attaining them.

I develop the goals after careful evaluation and analysis of the organization's situation both externally and internally and then inform my subordinates where the organization must go.

I develop goals following an interactive process with subordinates to ensure group ownership while still meeting organizational objectives.

I develop goals after careful evaluation of the organization and the needs and liabilities of my subordinates in order to move the organization in the needed directions.

4. Creating an environment of motivated employees is an important part of managerial leadership. Characterize your view from among the following:

1

2

3

4

Employees do what is inspected, therefore strong direction and accountability are essential to achieve productivity.

The greater the role one can give the employee in designing and structuring his own work, the greater his motivation and productivity toward organizational objectives.

Most employees are already motivated to work. What they need is instruction, correction, and reward along the way.

Good pay, good working conditions and a sense of job security will motivate most employees to serve the company well.

5. Good communication and information are essentials for success. Please characterize how you believe information should flow in a productive organization:

1

2

3

4

The very nature of leadership, direction, and responsibility implies that more information flow down an organization to those who need it for objectives to be achieved.

The communication of information needs to be open and two way. The more formal and informal interaction the better for the organization to achieve its objectives.

Information needs to flow according to management's direction to ensure it is receieved where needed.

The more information that can be effectively given to and elicited from the production and front lines of the organization, the greater the organizational effectiveness that will be achieved.

6. Problem solving is a continuous function in organizations. Please characterize your personal view of how to solve problems.

1

2

3

4

Solving problems requires everyone working together. There is information that front line production people need to contribute while senior management keeps the big picture to insure solutions line up with other organizational objectives.

Knowing the important problems to solve is as critical as solving them. Senior management is responsible for identifying problems and involving knowledgeable people to give their input.

Solving problems is the work of leadership and management. Part of the executive's responsibility is to handle the problems so the work force can function at highest productivity.

The employees often know what the problems are far better than senior management. They also can have better solutions. It is leadership's role to help them solve problems for themselves.

7. Implementing decisions resulting from the planning process is often where the rubber meets the road. Delegation and assignment of responsibilities is what must occur. How do you handle this function?

1

2

3

4

I determine with the help of my subordinates the responsibility and authority necessary for each job in order to insure that organizational goals and personal satisfaction are both achieved by those who accept the responsibilities.

I assign responsibility based on my judgement of who within the organization will best achieve the desired results.

I delegate responsibility based on my knowledge of subordinates and the job requirements, making sure that everyone understands the rationale for my decisions.

I try to let subordinates determine how they will allocate responsibilities among themselves as long as organizational objectives are being met.

8. After goal setting, delegation and implementation are accomplished, the measuring of progress through costs, productivity and other accounting data is necessary to insure proper alignment. How do you use this kind of information to control direction?

1

2

3

4

Financial and production reports are a way of rewarding performance and supplying feedback to departments in order for them to improve.

Financial and production reports provide an objective basis for individuals and departments to receive rewards for success and corrective action for short falls.

Financial and production reports are the feedback mechanisms individuals and departments need to be self guiding, self correcting and self challenging.

Financial and production reports are the most objective measure of individual and departmental performance. When people agree to goals and then the reports clearly reflect a falling short, the source of the problem is at least clear, and there is little debate about where to begin dealing with the issue.

9. It is generally accepted that much occurs in every organization that is not of a formal nature. That is, there is an informal side to the way things are communicated and decisions made that can help or hinder organizational effectiveness. Please characterize your views on this informal dynamic in your organization.

1

2

3

4

The informal organization is a necessity. Without it, a lot of small things would fall through the cracks.

10. Trust is an essential ingredient for any cooperative effort. Characterize your managerial philosophy regarding trust and employees.

1

2

3

4

I feel that employees deserve my trust and confidence until such time that they fail to live up to it.

I feel that employees have to earn my trust through loyalty and performance over time.

I feel that employees have a tendency to act out of their own self interest and not in support of organizational goals, thus the need for accountabiltiy and inspection.

I feel that the more confidence and trust I can place in employees, the greater the likelihood of their success.