Organizational leadership research paper example

For the following assignment Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Internal/External locus of control and Machiavellianism tests have been selected. Since they target various aspects of human personality and character traits, using the results from the three assessments it is possible to draw some conclusions regarding individual strengths and weaknesses, devise a strategy for self-improvement and to become aware of the organizational settings and career paths, where individual personality will find the best fit.

The first self-assessment instrument, chosen for this assignment is Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). It is designed to evaluate personality preferences according to four dimensions: mental preference, making decisions and judgements, energy consciousness and life management orientation. According to mental preferences people can be divided into Sensing (S) and Intuition (N), based on the ability to perceive information. Those with S perception accept tangible information, while N orientation implies more abstract thinking. Decision-making can be also categorized based on two parameter: Thinking (T) and Feeling (F). T people make decisions according to logical and objective argumentation, emphasizing results and tasks, while F population is more concerned about the global implications of the decisions and on their impact on people. Energy consciousness preferences distinguish Extraverts (E) and Introverts (I) among all the personality types, where the former possess very outgoing character, while the latter are more quiet and reserved. Life management styles divide people into Judging (J), who try to take control over their life, and Perceiving (P), who are more flexible and try to adopt to the existing environment. The combination of the four factors define a personality type, which characterizes a person (Rojas ).

According to the Myers-Briggs model, my personality type is INTJ. This indicates that I tend to be quiet, logical in decision-making, task-oriented and relatively inflexible to the changing life environment. Of course the benefits and negative aspects of these personality features can be only viewed in relation to the particular organizational and environmental requirements, however it is still possible to make some conclusions about the areas for further improvement. Thus, introversion in character is likely to have a negative impact on building relationships with the co-workers, networking and leadership. In order to be charismatic, it is crucial to be more outgoing, to improve social interactions and to display more energetic life approach. Although abstract thinking may be helpful in some cases, I believe my future career requires more fact based approach. Therefore, it is necessary for me to keep in mind my tendency to overlook facts in favour of more conceptual reasoning, and to focus on more concrete information perception. My strong side is the ability to concentrate on tasks, which is necessary for analytical work. However, in order to succeed in the field of management, it is also necessary to consider the implications of the decisions on the team and subordinates, therefore F aspect should be developed further in my personality. Finally, J indicates the tendency to change life according to the expectations. However, some flexibility on my side could significantly reduce the stress, related to the ever-changing market and organizational environment, especially if my career follows the chosen path into business and finance field.

The second personality assessment I used referred to the internal versus external locus of control. In psychology, locus defines the degree to which people perceive their behaviour reinforced by personal traits or by external factors, such as luck or fate. If a person attributes his/her behaviour to the personal decisions, then the locus of control is internal. On the other hand, if external factors are believed to be responsible for one’s actions, the locus of control is external (Hoeger, and Hoeger ). Although it is hardly possible to fall into one or the other extreme, in my case the locus of control tends to be more internal than external. This conclusion has quite significant implications for my career path today and in the future. This provides an opportunity to engage in more active goal pursuit and motivates me for higher achievement in every task (Akoko ). Internal locus of control gives me the belief that everything is possible and achievable. This personality trait is consistent with the Judging life management style in the Myers-Briggs model. The negative consequences in this case are also similar: inability to accept external influence makes me inflexible in the face of failures and changing environment. Although I do not intend to develop a different control locus, a minor refocus on the external side may be beneficial for reducing stress and for becoming more open to the alteration of the original plans. Flexibility nowadays is key to the changing business demand and organizational environment, therefore excessive internalizing of the control locus may prevent me from adjusting to the job requirements in the business field.

The final test assessed my level of Machiavellianism, or the tendency to manipulate people for the sake of personal gains (Weber ). My score classified me as a low-Mach, which means that I am highly unlikely to manipulate the others and to believe that ends justify the means. Although living highly moral lives is considered a positive personality feature, foregoing personal gains for the sake of the others in many instances can be naive. Keeping in mind my tendency to idealize people and their motives, it is necessary to be extra careful and not to fall into a trap of “ high-Machs”. Moreover, increasing my score on the Machiavellianism scale may help to improve my orientation for personal gains and to become more competitive in the job market.

The results of the three assessments made me realize more clearly the strengths and weaknesses of my personality and their implications for my career. In order to improve my performance, it is necessary to become more open and to focus on people, who work around and with me. It is also crucial to become more flexible and to acknowledge the fact that plans cannot always be followed. Finally, self-interest interest and ability to succeed in the politics of the organizations are important improvement areas for me, which could help me to enhance my career prospects. On the other hand, my strong task-orientation and internal locus of control can help me to take control over life and to succeed in any, even the most challenging tasks. Knowing all the strong and weak sides of the personality is crucial for devising a successful strategy for the future. That is why, I believe, that after having evaluated the results of the self-assessment instruments, I am more confident about my career path and I know with a greater certainty how to leverage my strengths and to overcome my weaknesses in order to succeed in the future.

References

Akoko, Mathew. Assessment Of The Effects Of Affective Student Characteristics And
Educational Background On Mathematics Achievement At The Level Of Higher
Education In Cameroon. Norderstedt, Germany: GRIN Verlag, 2010.
Hoeger, Wener W. K., and Sharon A. Hoeger. Lifetime Physical Fitness And Wellness, A
Personalized Program. 10th. Balmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2009.
Rojas, Eddy M. Construction Productivity, A Practical Guide For Building And Electrical
Contractors. Fort Lauderdale, FL: J. Ross Publishing, 2008.
Weber, Stephan. Organizational Behaviour – Google Corporate Culture In Perspective.
Norderstedt, Germany: GRIN Verlag, 2007.

Appendix
1. Myers Briggs Test
http://www. personalitypathways. com/type_inventory. html
Result: INTJ
2. Locus of Control
http://www. psych. uncc. edu/pagoolka/LC. html
Score: 2
3. HOW POWER-ORIENTED AM I? (Machiavellianism test)
http://www. horton. ednet. ns. ca/staff/boyd/Self-assessment%20Library/wwo/q27. html
Score: 26