Leadership Compass
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‌Projected Time
60 minutes
Trainees take the test before the class, you may want to remind them at the start of the day to complete this before the session! ‌
Instructions
Click the link
Create a copy
Score out of 10
1 being completely disagree
10 being strongly agree
Total your scores
In the bottom table, put 1-4 from highest to lowest scores under North, South, East, and West
Developing a deeper sense of self-awareness about one’s leadership style and approach.
How you are going to do this
Intro and agenda – 1 min
Goal – 1 min
What is leadership compass - 4 mins
Objectives - 1 min
Explain the exercise - 5 mins
Exercise -10 mins
Discussion - 20 mins
Best ways to work with… - 10 mins
Summary and questions - 8 mins
Total 60 minutes
Outcomes
Explored leadership styles.
Started to learn and identify how others work.
How adapting their style can impact on team performance. ‌
Link to slides to be added once saved in the correct place‌.
Teaching notes added to slides.
Where possible give real world examples – maybe you and your team have had success or have overcome a challenge by identifying leadership style?
The main element of the session is the exercise and subsequent discussion. The exercise aims demonstrate we are all different – such as how we give and receive instruction, how we motivate and encourage, how we measure success in ourselves and others… and this will form the main area of discussion after the trainees have completed the exercise.
You can add a competitive element such as the first team to complete the task wins if you feel this works with your group.
As the exercise is timed the workshop lead will need to make sure the trainees are aware at regular intervals specifically start and end of 2 minutes prep and start of 6 minutes for the objects.
The exercise:
The aim of the exercise is for you and your team to find 4 items in 6 minutes or less.
1 member will describe an object of their choosing without mentioning its name and the other 3 team members will need to identify what it is and find it.
You only need to find one per team.
You have a maximum of 6 minutes to find all the items.
Repeat step 1 until each member of the team has had a turn at describing an item
You will be allocated a breakout room in a team of 4
You have 2 minutes to prepare how you plan to complete the task as a team, but this must include choosing your object for your teammates to find.
This will be a timed exercise and the breakout rooms will automatically close at the end
If you finish the exercise before the breakout rooms close, please rejoin the main room
Some tips for the trainees:
Remember - Don’t tell your team what your item is; they have to guess.
Keep it simple and use items that are easy to find and likely to be nearby (pen, phone, book, notepad, mug, glasses, keyboard etc).
Keep an eye on the time.
You will need to reinforce that although the session is called leadership compass you do not need to be a manager to lead.
Make sure you address the negative thinking that some people may have.
This is not relevant to me – teamwork and personal growth.
I don’t have to learn this now – it will help with working with other trainees.
I will only be a junior so I won’t be able to change anything – Leaders aren’t just managers – remind about roles in tech and how members of teams may need to lead certain elements of a project.
All instructions and questions are added to the slide notes to facilitate conversation and discussion.
Ideas for what they could do outside of class.
Did you identify skills and strengths you would like to enhance?
How can you build on the skills to help you adapt to others around you?
Examples of characteristics
North: Results
Score 1-10
Assertive, active, decisive
Likes to determine course of events and be in control of professional relationship
Enjoys Challenges presented by difficult situations and people
Thinks in terms of “bottom line”
Quick to act or decide; expresses urgency for others to take action
Perseveres, not stopped by hearing “No”, probes and presses to get at hidden resistances
Likes variety, novelty, new projects
Comfortable being in front
Values action-orientated phrases, “Do it now!”, “I’ll do it”, “What’s the bottom line?”
Total
South: Relationships
Score 1-10
Understands how people need to receive information in order to act on it
Integrates others input in determining direction of what’s happening
Value-driven regarding aspects of professional life
Uses professional relationships to accomplish tasks, interaction is a primary way of getting things done
Supportive of colleagues and peers
Willingness to trust others’ statements at face value
Feeling-based, trusts own emotions and intuition, intuition regarded as “truth”
Receptive to others ideas, builds on ideas, team player, non-competitive
Able to focus on the present
Total
East: Vision
Score 1-10
Visionary who sees the big picture
Generative and creative thinker, able to think outside the box
Very idea-orientated; focuses on future thought
Makes decisions by standing in the future (insight/imagination)
Insight into mission and purpose
Looks for overarching themes, ideas
Adept at and enjoys problem solving
Likes to experiment, explore
Appreciates a lot of information
Total
West: Process
Score 1-10
Understands what information is needed to assist in decision making
Seen as practical, dependable, and thorough in task situations
Provides planning and resources, is helpful to others in these ways and comes through for the team
Moves carefully and follows procedures and guidelines
Uses data analysis and logic to make decisions
Weighs all sides of an issue, balanced
Introspective, self-analytical, critical thinker
Skilled at finding fatal flaws in an idea or project
Maximises existing resources - gets the most out of what has been done in the past
Total
North
South
East
West