This questionnaire asks you to describe yourself as a manager and leader. For each item, enter the number "4" to the phrase that best describes you, "3" to the item that is next best, and on down to "1" for the item that is least like you.

A structural scenario casts managers and leaders in fundamental roles of clarifying goals, attending to the relationship between structure and environment, and developing a structure that is clear to everyone and appropriate to what needs to be done. Without a workable structure, people become unsure about what they are supposed to be doing. The result is confusion, frustration, and conflict. In an effective organization, individuals are relatively clear about their responsibilities and their contribution to the mission. Policies, linkages, and lines of authority are straightforward and widely accepted. When you have the right structure, one that people understand, organizations can achieve goals and individuals can see their role in the big picture. 

The main job of a leader is to focus on task, facts, and logic, rather than personality and emotions. Most "people problems" stem from structural flaws and not personal limitations or liabilities. Structural leaders are not rigidly authoritarian and do not necessarily solve every problem by issuing orders (though that is sometimes appropriate). Instead, they try to design and implement a process or structure appropriate to the circumstances. 

Human resource leaders believe that people are the heart of any organization. When people feel the 

organization is responsive to their needs and supportive of their goals, you can count on their commitment and loyalty. Administrators who are authoritarian or insensitive, who don't communicate effectively, or who don't care about their people can never be effective leaders. The human resource leader works on behalf of both the organization and its people, seeking to serve the best interests of both. 

The job of the leader is support and empowerment. Support takes a variety of forms: letting people know that you are concerned about them, listening to find out about their aspirations and goals, and communicating personal warmth and openness. You empower people through participation and openness and by making sure that they have the autonomy and the resources that they need to do their jobs well. 

Political leaders believe that managers have to recognize political reality and know how to deal with it. Inside and outside any organization, there are always a variety of interest groups, each with its own agenda. There are never enough resources to give all parties what they want, so there will always be conflict. 

The job of the leader is to recognize the major constituencies, develop ties to their leadership, and manager conflict as productively as possible. Above all, you need to build a power base and use power carefully. You can't give every group everything it wants. You can try to create arenas where groups can negotiate their differences and come up with reasonable compromises. You also have to work hard at articulating what everyone in your organization has in common. Tell the people in your organization that they cannot afford to waste their energies fighting each other when there are plenty of enemies outside that they can all fight together. Groups that don't get their act together internally tend to get trounced by out-siders who have their own agendas.

Symbolic leaders believe that the most important part of a leader's job is inspiration--giving people something that they can believe in. People become excited and committed to an organization that is special, a place with a unique identity, a place where people feel that what they do is really importation. Effective symbolic believers are passionate about making their organization that best of its kind and communicate that passion to others. They use dramatic, visible symbols to get people excited and to give them a sense of the organization's mission. They are visible and energetic. They create slogans, tell stories, hold rallies, give awards, appear where they are least expected, and manage by wandering around 

Symbolic leaders are sensitive to an organization's history and culture. They seek to use the best in an organization's traditions and values as a base for building a culture that provides cohesiveness and meaning. They articulate a vision that communicates the organization's unique capabilities and mission. 

Source: Bolman, L. and Deal, T.E. (1997) Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice and       Leadership, 2nd ed. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, p. 15.

Source:  Bolman, L. and Deal, T.E. (1997).  Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice and Leadership, 2nd ed.  Jossey-Bass, San Francisco. Page 303.