Assessing Your Leadership Effectiveness

How effective a leader are you? How do you handle the people you lead?
Here is a little quiz that will help you assess your leadership effectiveness!

1. Do you present a clear idea of the goal of the group you lead?
2. Do the group members have an understanding of the goal?
3. Are the group members given an opportunity to have input on the goals set by the chapter?
4. Are the time frames clearly defined to accomplish the goals?
5. Is the discussion focused clearly on the topic?
6. Do you specifically call on the quieter members to give their thoughts on the topic being discussed?
7. Do you listen without judging? (It´s not easy to do, but try your best!)
8. Do you use humor to keep the members more relaxed?
9. Do you positively reinforce each comment made by chapter members?
10. Are you able to deal with conflict within the chapter without taking sides?

Give yourself 10 points for each "yes" answer. If your score totals:

Studies indicate there are 2 basic functions involved with groups.

1. Task functions: This includes behaviors that directly contribute to accomplishing the job.
2. Maintenance functions: These are activities that involve how the members of the group relate to one another.

The leader(s) in the chapter has the job of balancing both of these functions. Obviously, the job (social, w/m project) must be done. There is a "task" to be accomplished, and at the same time, the leader must maintain and encourage good relationships among the members of the chapter (maintenance).

Neither task nor maintenance must take precedence over the other, though. A good leader strives for balance, because both are essential to a successful and satisfied chapter!

General Eisenhower used to demonstrate the art of leadership with a simple piece of string. He´d put it on a table and say: pull it and it´ll follow wherever you wish. Push it and it will go nowhere at all. It´s just that way when it comes to leading people.

Here is a simple piece of string.

Try it!