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Sydney Barnes

Mr. Steckley

IDC 3OX

February 24, 2020

Leadership Inventories Reflection Essay

Looking back on past experiences where I have acted as a leader and taking what I

learned from the leadership quizzes, I was able to figure out what some of my strengths are for

leading any type of group. As a leader, I like to be organized and strive for perfection. My

ultimate goal is for everyone to work together and as well as they can to make the outcome as

close to perfect as possible. I am cautious when making decisions, so that I am sure we chose

the decision that is most beneficial for the project and for the group. This means taking extra

time to weigh the options and think of the pros and cons of each. Not only this, but I am an

inclusive leader. I make sure that everyone has a chance to speak and that everyone is capable

of doing their part. If someone feels that their task is too much or not enough, I rearrange the

tasks so that everyone feels equal and happy with their share of the work. These skills are what

have helped me in the past to finish with a group project that we were proud of and that

received a good grade on.

Even great leaders have weaknesses, meaning that I certainly have some things that

can be improved on when I am leading a group. Although striving for perfection is one of my

strengths, it also counts towards one of my weaknesses. Because I feel the need for everything

to run perfectly and organized, it can be hard to make decisions and meet deadlines which can

be very stressful. I know that there have been a few times where I found it difficult to make a

decision because I wanted the choice to be the right one. I spent more time than I should have
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weighing out the outcomes when it could have been a quick and easy decision. Another

downside of being a perfectionist is that sometimes I automatically convince myself that my

thoughts and ideas are the right ones. I think that my way is the only right way even before

hearing other people’s ideas, which I then have to tell myself to give everyone else a chance. Of

course I support other people's opinions and will agree with them if they have a great idea, it just

takes me a bit to allow others the chance to share.

The results of the quizzes told me that I am a democratic leader and I am considered

“cool blue”. This means that I work towards perfection and I am a good planner. I focus on

details and thrive from completing projects. I have the final say when it comes to making

decisions but I accept and consider the input and opinions of my group members, even if it

takes me a little while to warm up to them. I have a lot of perseverance and keep working hard

even when the rest of my group has given up. I use finer details in my planning when I am under

pressure which can cause delays and I need to work on giving others and their ideas a chance

when completing a project and not spend too much time making a decision.

There are definitely some things that I learned from these exercises that I didn’t know

before. To start, I learned that I am a “cool blue” leader instead of “fiery red” like I thought I was.

There is no doubt that I possess some qualities of a “fiery red” leader, which explains why I

thought I was that type, but after reading the explanation for “cool blue” I realized how accurate

it was about how I tend to lead. Another thing they made me realize was how organized and in

control I like to be. I’ve always known that I am an organized person, but after reading the

descriptions and traits it was really brought to my attention. I noticed that I like to know exactly

what’s going on and exactly what the plan is. Overall, I think that my style of leadership is very

beneficial to any situation where I might play the role of a leader.