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Authentic Leadership Self-Assessment Questionnaire
Unauthentic leaders hide behind masks
This questionnaire contains statements about authentic leadership. Next to each statement, circle the number that represents how strongly you feel about the statement by using the following scoring system:
- Almost Always True — 5
- Mostly True — 4
- Occasionally True — 3
- Seldom True — 2
- Almost Never True — 1
Be honest about your choices, as this will help you to reflect on your strengths and areas that need improvement. If you are not in a leadership position, try to relate each question to similar actions you have taken in the past.
Authentic Leadership Survey
| 1. | I know my true passions and the directions I must take to achieve them. |
5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 2. | The actions I take are always aligned with my values. |
5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 3. | I enjoy helping others to understand the value and deeper purpose of their work. |
5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 4. | I look forward to creating genuine relationships through my connections at work. |
5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 5. | My team knows they can always rely on me because my values ensure I'm always consistent with the actions I take. |
5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 6. | One of my passions is serving customers. |
5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 7. | When facing decisions, I normally consult with my team, however, the most important thing that affects the outcome are my deeply held values. |
5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 8. | One of the main reasons my team not only follows me, but also dedicate themselves to the common cause, is that they feel I'm genuinely interested in serving them. |
5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 9. | One thing my team will never accuse me of is being a detached leader. |
5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 10. | I have rarely been counseled by others because of my strong self-discipline. |
5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 11. | My sense of purpose helps my team to realize their potential by providing meaning in their work. |
5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 12. | I always tell the truth, both within and outside of the company because integrity runs deep within the fabric of my soul. |
5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 13. | I enjoy getting to know the life stories of those with whom I work with as it gives me the opportunity to develop my hearts. |
5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 14. | Trust is built and sustained in the depths the relationships I have with my team. |
5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 15. | I would never act in a way that is inconsistent with the company's values. |
5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 16. | I not only tell the truth, but I tell the whole truth, as painful as it may be. |
5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 17. | My values are shaped by personal beliefs, introspection, experiences, and consultation with others. |
5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 18. | My team entrust their hopes and dreams to me because they know I am a reliable vessel. |
5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 19. | I never present a false front to others, as I fear it may harm our relationship. |
5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 20. | I would never set double standards for my team and myself. |
5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Scoring
1. Sum the responses for items 1, 6, 11, and 16 (purpose and passion) - Score _____
2. Sum the responses for items 2, 7, 12, and 17 (values and behavior) - Score _____
3. Sum the responses for items 3, 8, 13, and 18 (heart and compassion) - Score _____
4. Sum the responses for items 4, 9, 14, and 19 (relationships and connectedness) - Score _____
5. Sum the responses for items 5, 10, 15, and 20 (self-discipline and consistency) - Score _____
Interpreting Your Score
This self-assessment questionnaire is designed to measure your authentic attributes by assessing the five dimensions of authentic leadership (for more information see, Authentic Leadership and Social Influence):
- Purpose - Passion: Leaders understand their purpose, which is driven by their passion.
- Values - Behavior: Leaders live their values, which is important as others determine a leader's value through the leader's actions (behavior).
- Heart - Compassion: Leaders help others to see the value and deeper purpose of their work.
- Relationships - Connectedness: Leaders create enduring and genuine relationships through connections.
- Self-discipline - Consistency: Leaders convert their values into consistent actions that others can rely on.
By studying and reflecting upon your scores for each of these dimensions, you can determine your stronger and weaker attributes. The maximum score you can receive for each dimension is 20, while the lowest you can receive is 4. Scores in the upper range indicate stronger authentic leadership attributes, while scores in the lower range indicate weaker attributes.
You should reflect upon the weaker score, identify opportunities to improve them, and create an action plan that will help you implement your plan.
Reliability and Validity
Since this survey is a learning tool used in training programs such as leadership development, rather than a research tool, it has not been formally checked for reliability or validity. Unlike most of the other questionnaires on this site, this is a fairly new one and I have trialled it only a couple of times, thus I have received very little feedback about it. Please email me is you have suggestions to improve it.
Next Steps
Return to the Authentic Leadership and Social Influence page