Leadership:
An Engineer's Viewpoint
The first step to being comfortable in leadership roles is to learn about what kind of leader you are. Below are several self-assessment indicators to help learn more about what motivates you, what your strengths are, and what this means for your life as a leader.
True Colors
The True Colors indicator is a personality assessment which sorts users into one of four different personality "colors" - blue, gold, orange, and green. As an assessment it is quick, user friendly, and easy to understand. While not remarkably rigorous, the True Colors indicator offers a quick glimpse into the introspective benefits of personality assessments.
More information can be found at http://truecolorsintl.com.
MyersBriggs Type Indicator
The MyersBriggs Type Indicator is a fairly rigorous personality inventory which sorts users into one of sixteen types. The study identifies preferences across four different categories: orientation to the outer world, information gathering, decision making, and structure. Test participants receive a four letter identification for their personality, along with a comprehensive description of its meaning. It is important to note that the preferences identified by MyersBriggs are exactly that - preferences, and that everyone is capable of using all sixteen types.
More information can be found at http://www.myersbriggs.org.
StrengthsQuest
StrengthsQuest is a well-developed and intensive strengths finding guide presented by the Gallup organization. It is grounded in the fundamentals of positive psychology, as it focuses on improving strengths rather than eliminating areas of weakness. The assessment provides each participant with a list of their top five (out of 34) basic strengths, as well as a description of each. In this way the indicator allows participants to recognize these strengths as areas in which they excel and should focus their future efforts.
For more information, visit http://www.strengthsquest.com/home.aspx.