A520.1.2.RB_RuggerioSteven

Self-Awareness: The Road to Life Improvement

I want to be a better man.  One of my key motivations is to strengthen my role as husband, father, friend, and employee.  And, the moment I stop pursuing higher awareness and deeper character is when I am headed for trouble.  From Ken Lay to Eliot Spitzer and Ted Haggard to Eddie Long, none of these gentlemen (and scores like them) ever woke up one morning and thought, “Today, I am going to make illegal financial transactions,” or, Today I hope to embarrass my family and constituents, or “Today I am going to throw away my ministry and hurt my family.” And yet, it happens more than we would care to count.  “I’m sorry,” “I didn’t know what I was thinking” and “I am ashamed of my actions” litter the media headlines as leader after leader falls prey to hubris and power.

In Die Empty, Todd Henry (2013) said, “Knowing yourself will help you counter self-delusion and pursue the unique contribution you are alone are capable of making” (p. 106).  I lead a men’s group that meets the second and fourth Saturday of every month.  What started as a handful of men in my living room has grown to a roster of nearly 50 men.  Last Saturday, I spoke on our propensity to settle for a mediocre life.  Henry said mediocrity is “a negotiation between the drive to excel and the biological urge to settle for the most comfortable option” (p. 36).  Before you know where you want to go, you first must know where you are.  This recent self-awareness assignment is perfectly designed to lead individuals on a journey to a place many choose to ignore.  The inner self. 

            The following five questions are a summary of my journey (test results were added at the end of my blog):

What do you notice in your results?

            I recently took the MBTI and a Management Assessment Profile (MA) through NextSteps Research.  The diagnostic survey from the Whetten & Cameron textbook confirmed the findings from the MA.  Identified by the MA as a “highly confident, highly extraverted and tactical leader” is displayed in the Self-Assessment as well.  

            Whetten & Cameron (2011) said, “Management skills are developable. Performance can improve” (p. 11).  As I stated earlier, self-improvement is a core goal of mine.  The results of this self-assessment identified my strengths and the areas where I may be inclined to choose another path than the best way forward.  While my highest score was found in the self-assessment test (top quartile), three of the other tests all scored me within the “third quartile.”  Obviously, this means I answered the questions as truthfully as possible because there is a commonality through the entire test.

How much of this rang true for you?

            As stated above, I took the MBTI recently and was astonished at its accuracy.  My family was so amazed that they all took it after dinner.  The self-assessment was much more detailed and specific than the generalized MBTI.  However, it certainly pinpointed certain inclinations of mine. 

What did you see that you were expecting in the results?

            The high self-awareness and the high core self-evaluation scale were two areas that I scored what I would have previously considered.  However, in reference to the men’s group discussed earlier, I often tell them men, “Be careful with deceit.  We are often to believe we are much more advanced in relationships, our marriage, and our character than may be true.”  While this test confirmed much of what I believed about my leadership, it also highlighted areas that I was unaware.

What were the surprises?

            For starters, the extremely low locus of control score.  My score of 2 identified a significantly low external locus of control; which means, I am a strong internal.  Whetten & Cameron (2011) said, “people with an internal locus of control are more likely to (1) be attentive to aspects of the environment that provide information for the future, (2) engage in actions to improve their environment, (3) place greater emphasis on striving for achievement, (4) be more inclined to develop their own skills, (5) ask more questions, and (6) remember more information that people with an external locus of control” (p. 78).

           Being an internal was not surprising as I regularly tell people they can make decisions today that completely alter their life.  They can choose to be different.  However, scoring so highly as an internal was slightly surprising.

How will you make use of this information?

            The goal of our course, Management Skills for Leaders is to “develop a foundation of management skills for emerging leaders.”  This self-assessment diagnostic is a great tool of enlightenment.  Like Whetten & Cameron (2011) said, “By knowing your scores, you will be able to choose situations in which you are more likely to feel comfortable, perform effectively, and understand the point of view of those whose perspectives are different from yours.” And then, most importantly, they said, “Self-understanding is a prerequisite to self-improvement and change” (p. 79).

            This is my tenth class within the ERAU Leadership curriculum (MSLD).  I have another MBA (2004) from a credible online institution.  This curriculum has been one of the most pleasant experiences of my adult life.  I told a friend the other day, “The textbook for this class is like reading a book that I would have bought myself.”  With only two classes left after this one, it is imperative that I continue to shed light on the things that I do well and those that I am more challenged with.  The information gleaned from this diagnostic will lead me to succeeding in my opening statement.

Leaders look inside before they ever look outside.

Steve

Results from pre-test:
1.     Self-awareness – 56 (top quartile)
2.     EQ – 65 (3^rd quartile)
3.     Defining Issues (stage of moral development)
4.     Cognitive Style Indicator
      a.     Knowing – 3.0 (m = 4.06)
      b.     Planning – 3.78 (m = 3.81)
      c.     Creating – 3.42 (m = 4.16)
5.     Locus of Control Scale – 2 (low external locus of control)
6.     Tolerance of Ambiguity Scale – 60 (3^rd quartile)
7.     Core Self-Evaluation Scale – 4.1 (3^rd quartile)
 

References:

Henry, T. (2013). Die empty. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

Whetten, D.A., & Cameron, K.S. (2011). Developing Management Skills. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

A631.8.4.RB_RuggerioSteven

Giving Leadership

Every Tuesday and Thursday night, my entire family eats dinner together.  It consists of my wife and I, my daughter and son-in-law, my twenty-year old son, and a good friend of mine.  Throughout my ERAU course curriculum, I often pose questions and provide discussion topics based upon the course curriculum.  One of our favorite discussions arose from the “train track” ethical dilemma from a previous class.  However, last week’s dinner conversation proved to top them all.  I asked each member of my family to take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) 72-question personality test.  It’s been a week since we took the test and we have not stopped talking about it since.

Going into the test, no one believed it would identify each member as closely as it has.  We read the personality explanations from the Personality Type Portraits found at http://www.personalitypage.com/portraits.html.

The results were:

-       Me (Steve): ENFJ – The Givers

-       My wife (Laurie): INFJ – The Protectors

-       My daughter (Jessica): ENFP – The Inspirers

-       My son-in-law (Tyler): ENTJ – The Executive

-       My son (Aaron): ESTJ – The Guardians

-       Our friend (Chad) – ISFP – The Artists

-       His girlfriend (Amber) – ISTJ – The Duty Fulfillers

As we read the results, everyone laughed and agreed with the comments while providing commentary and examples to support the results.  After all the personality narratives were dissected and discussed, everyone agreed that the MBTI most accurate was the ENFJ assigned to me.  The test provided an uncanny accuracy that created a window into our family dynamics.

Being an ENFJ explains why I was so interested in Daniel Goleman’s research toward Emotional Intelligence (EQ).  Throughout the book, Goleman talks about how a high EQ is just as important—and in some cases, even more important—than a high IQ.  Goleman (1995) said, “People who are able to help soothe their feelings have an especially valued social commodity; they are the souls others turn to when in greatest emotional need.  We are all part of each other’s tool kit for emotional change, for better or for worse” (p. 115).

The MBTI test confirmed my desire to study EQ and my interaction with people.  Outside of Lockheed Martin, I spend most of my time working as a ministry leader at our local church.  Averaging between 20-30 hours a week meeting with people, spending time in church settings, preparing sermons, and conducting church business is all done on a volunteer basis.  Many of my Lockheed counterparts are amazed that someone would spend that many hours working and serving without pay.  What they miss is the MBTI explanation of an ENTJ.  It stated, “ENFJs are people-focused individuals.  They live in the world of people possibilities.  More so than any other type, they have excellent people skills.  They understand and care about people, and have a special talent for bringing out the best in others.  ENFJ's main interest in life is giving love, support, and a good time to other people.  They are focused on understanding, supporting, and encouraging others.  They make things happen for people, and get their best personal satisfaction from this.”  My pay and my reward for helping and encouraging people is the reward itself.  

Being a leader as a “Giver” is beneficial because it opens the door to communicate on an intimate level with people.  We are “straightforward and honest” with a lot of “self-confidence and energy.”  In the business world, ENFJs are growing more and more popular as teams and people-focused strategies become the norm within businesses.  In his book Die Empty, Todd Henry (2013) said, “In baseball, there is a place on the bat called the ‘sweet spot,’ the best part with which to strike the ball.  It will send the ball soaring a lot farther than if you hit it even a few fractions of an inch of the mark with the same effort.  Similarly, you have a ‘sweet spot’ in your life by which you will add the most unique value through your efforts” (p. 11).  As an ENFJ leader, my sweet spot is working in a social setting serving and inspiring people to become the best possible version of themselves, whether personally or professionally.

However, as we all know, sometimes our greatest strength can be our greatest weakness.  An underdeveloped Feeling side “may have difficulty making good decisions, and may rely heavily on other people in the decision-making process.”  Recently, the Next Step Research Company evaluated my leadership and personality profile within a business setting.  One of their insights was that I was very astute at “identifying” problems but needed to continue working on the ability to “solve” problems.  Most of the population can identify problems; however, the great leaders and managers see problems AND solutions.  My previous pastor used to say, “Don’t bring me problems, bring me solutions.”  As an ENFJ leader, I must seek and study problems and solutions.

Operating with a “richly developed insight into what makes people tick” is a great advantage in leading teams and seeing the growth potential in people.  Giving and caring are personality traits that are globally accepted and warmly appreciated.  Building relationships toward common goals and sharing in the successes and failures of people allow the ENFJ to thrive.  Seeing people walk in their “sweet spot” and living a life that builds humanity is in essence its own reward.  In the end though, as a leader, ENFJs must remember to protect their most valuable asset: themselves.  Without self-awareness and personal care, there will be little to offer others.  Learning to say “no” and spending the time alone to recharge and relax is just as important as standing in the middle of a crowd and leading the charge.  If Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan, Peyton Manning, and Barack Obama have mastered the art of an ENFJ lifestyle, then there is certainly hope for me.

Steve

References:

Henry, T. (2013). Die empty. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

HumanMetrics. (2013). Jung Typology Test. Retrieved at http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp

Goleman, D. (1994). Emotional intelligence. New York, NY: Bantam Dell.

Personality Page. (n.d.). The Personality Type Portraits. Retrieved at http://www.personalitypage.com/portraits.html