One noticeable weakness in the scoring measures is the fact that the questions must be answered in too absolute a manner. There is no room for flexibility or for answering in ways such as, "I normally accept the feelings I have about myself, except when I am in a bad mood." There are also differences in the ways I react to other people and to group pressures: it all depends on the people who form the group and my reaction to them in particular. When working with others who are less experienced than I am, I tend to be more confident. Yet if I am working with a group of others who are more experienced or have higher status than I am, I may be less prone to being assertive, sharing my opinion, or expressing myself as a leader. This bit of self-awareness sprung as I was taking the ALQ. Although self-awareness is one of the core leadership factors measured by the ALQ, I cannot help but wonder what value the questionnaire actually has in the real, applied world of work.
Self-awareness itself is an important trait for leadership, which is why it is included in the nine-factor model. According to the staff at Teacher's College of Columbia University (n.d.), "Research has demonstrated positive links between leaders' self-awareness and their performance." The more self-assessment questionnaires we leaders take, the more likely we are to notice the areas that repeatedly show as weaknesses or...
I scored highest on the self-assessment and relational transparency sections of the ALQ, and weakest on balanced processing. I can use this information to improve my listening skills and better taken into account dissenting opinions. At the same time, I am confident that I will evolve and grow as a leader due to my innate need for self-awareness.
Even outside of a leadership context, I value self-awareness as a trait that precedes positive change. Leadership is a multifaceted issue, one that depends on being flexible and reacting to different types of organizational cultures and environments. As I become more sensitive to the needs of others, I can better serve whatever organization I am working for with common goals and shared visions of how we can achieve our goals together.
References
Avolio, B.J. Gardner, W.L., & Walumba, Fred O. (2010). ALQ: Measure Authentic Leadership. Mind Garden. Retrieved online: http://www.mindgarden.com/products/alqconsult.htm
McCann, J. (2008). Leadership in the apparel manufacturing environment: an analysis based on the multi-factor leadership questionnaire
Teacher's College, Columbia University (n.d.). Survey Wizard. Retrieved online: http://devtc3.tc.columbia.edu/surveys/nature/index.cfm
