LSI Analysis
Kathy M. Yerdon
Keller University
MGMT591 Leadership and Organizational Behavior
Dr. Matasha Murrell-Jones

Table of Contents
Personal Thinking Style…………………………………………………………………2
Impact on Management Style….......................................................................................5
Genesis of Personal Style……………………………………………………………….6
Conclusion and Reflection……………………………………………………………...6
References………………………………………………………………………………7

According to Human Synergistics International (2016), The Life Styles Inventory (LSI) “assesses and provides feedback on thinking and behavioral patterns that people can change to develop themselves along multiple dimensions, including their ability to understand and manage their emotions.” It is a tool of self-answered questions that are then scored. The score lets the one taking the LSI know their leadership styles so they can then change or work on the areas where they are lacking and continue to develop in the areas where they are already strong.
Personal Thinking Styles
For myself, the strongest areas fall in positions 1, 2, 11, and 12, with numbers 11 and 12 being on top with a raw score of 40 and 99%. These areas are all considered to be “constructive styles” and encompass achievement, self-actualization, humanistic –encouragement, and affiliative traits.
Based on my LSI, achievement and self-actualizing are my strongest areas. Scoring high in achievement indicates a higher level of proficiency and an interest in attaining high-quality results on challenging projects. This reflects personally on my knack for identifying a problem and acting on it without hesitation. An example of this can be seen in my current job. Recently I noticed that one of the power points we were using was outdated and had inaccurate information. Due to my commitment to making things better, I went through and edited the power point and presented it to the rest of the team so they could use the updated version instead of the old one.
Scoring high in self-actualizing means that I have a way of thinking that results in the highest form of personal achievement. It means that I have a strong interest in working to become everything that I am capable of becoming. This is evident with my going back to school and earning my Master’s degree. It isn’t currently a requirement for my job, but I know that I am capable of achieving the goal and making myself a better person through education.
My second highest score (or backup) is affiliative with a raw score of 38 and percentile score of 93. Scoring high in this area indicates that I have a degree of sustaining satisfying relationships. For myself, I value the collaborative relationships I have built up in the workplace. According to Chan (2013), building collaborative relationships in the workplace includes being “clear and understanding’, making sure all “communication is two way”, keeping in sync with all team members by “regularly touching base” and maintaining “focus on the customer”. I see myself in all of these statements, as my team members and I regularly talk and collaborate and make sure that all of our students’ needs are being met.
My most limiting style, in my opinion, would be the perfectionistic position. On my LSI, I scored a raw of 18 and 38%. This is relatively low as far as the scale goes, but I do find myself wanting to make sure everything is perfect before it is presented to co-workers, students, or management. I am reluctant to share an idea unless I know for a fact that it is completely thought out and has support behind it. I believe that because of this, I tend to not share ideas in a brainstorming session because I am afraid that if it isn’t perfectly thought out then perhaps it will be shot down. I know that this isn’t true, but I feel that it has to be executed just right or else it isn’t worth discussing. I need to learn that ideas don’t have to be perfect, and that the whole purpose of a brainstorming session is to get the ball rolling for full development of ideas. These sessions are designed to be not so perfect, yet I agonize over speaking out if my idea isn’t the most fantastic one I have. Realizing this could make a huge difference and might get one of my ideas used, complete with its imperfections.

Impact on Management Style
Although I am not currently a manager in my department, I am the manager of my classroom. My LSI reflects how I manage my classroom pretty accurately. In regards to planning, I think the self-actualizing illustrates my planning style. According to the LSI analysis, I am effective because I am able to see possibilities and opportunities in most situations. I take an open-minded, flexible approach to my classroom activities and lab exercises, and I like to ensure that my students do the same. I don’t like doing the same old thing every day, yet at the same time I maker certain my students know exactly what we are doing every day so that they know what to expect. With leading, I feel affiliative is what drives my organizational skills. According to the analysis, I get satisfaction from my own goals, and may have a tendency to impose these goals on my students. I like to help my students discover for themselves the power of personal goal setting. With organizing, I think perfectionistic describes my style. Although I didn’t score especially high in that category, I am highly organized and know exactly what I am doing each and every day I go into the classroom, even weeks ahead of time. It sometimes can be a hindrance, as it tends to lead to a lack of flexibility on my part. It is certainly something I need to work on. Finally, with controlling, I think self-actualizing is a good indicator of my controlling style. I respect the abilities and talents of my students, and actively encourage them to work together toward success. I like to control them by not controlling them. I feel they need to figure some things out for themselves, even if it means they don’t necessarily succeed at first.
Genesis of Personal Style
I think most of my personal styles come from growing up in a household of 9 siblings. I am the oldest girl, second oldest child, and often had to be the loudest to garner my parent’s attentions. When I went out into the real world, I had no choice but to be successful. I didn’t want to end up like my family: poor, uneducated, and unfulfilled in life. I often use my personal life experiences in the classroom, and I think it helps my students to see that I’ve been there. This is especially true when they realize that I put myself through Respiratory school as a single mom with a special needs child. I know what it’s like to not have a babysitter, to have to work overtime, to have to need to miss class because my child is sick. I believe it makes me more human in their eyes, and also sets an example that they, too, can achieve their goals.
Conclusion and Reflection
I was actually a little surprised with my results. I don’t always have the most confident attitude with my work sometimes, and was delighted to see that the areas I did score well indicate that I am much stronger as a leader than I thought. I need to take this analysis and remind myself that I am a capable, strong leader and that those in my charge can benefit greatly from what I have to offer. I also have to remember that perfection isn’t always what I need to strive for. It’s okay to not be the best, as long as I continually strive to be better.

References
Chan, K., (2013). Building collaborative relationships in the workplace. Retrieved from http://www.onedesk.com/building-collaborative-relationships-in-the-workplace/
Human Synergistics International, (2016). Retrieved from http://www.humansynergistics.com/products-services/IndividualDevelopment/LifeStylesInventory
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