1

Running Head [Self-Assessment]

[Self-Assessment]
[Mackenzie R. Forristal]
[Algonquin College]
[Professionalism and Ethics]
[Professor Erin Whyte]
[Due: November 29, 2013]

Table of Contents
1. Title page
2. Table of contents
3. Key person of my past and mission statement
4. Learning style assessment and multiple intelligence
5. Multiple intelligence and personality assessment
6. Leadership skills and Leadership styles
7. Summary
8. Summary and references
9. Appendices

1. Key person of my past

The person of my past that I admire most is my friend Nik Vogel. Nik is
a high school friend, co-worker and band member whom I grew up. The
reasons for this admiration range from music mentorship to the
understanding of fundamental human values that of which I try to
practice each day of my life. There are times when I don't succeed in
these practices however because of the friendship that we created, I
am able to remember the old lessons and change my ways. I admire
this person on many levels. To begin with I find his courage to explore
the unknown internal and external world to be a great quality. He is
constantly trying to grow as a person in many ways such as traveling
and spiritual experiences. Nik is the most talented musician that I know
and he has helped me to become a better player as well. Nik was the
first person to offer me a different way of looking into myself. He
taught me that I could change anything about myself that I did not feel
was right. Society today has a way of convincing us that we are
someone powerless to our adversities. I am now able to conquer my
own personal demons in a more warrior like fashion whereas before I
was helpless. In the ocean of ways that this man has improved my life,
I have been able to give back to him. In the same light that Nik was
able to teach me to listen in music; I was able to help him listen in life.
It is important to mention that this man is not perfect and that he
recognizes the flaws within himself. I am truly great full to have Nik as
a friend and I hope that our fellowship last until the end.
2. Mission Statement
Take care of your mind, body and spirit. Be kind to yourself and to
others. Pursue what makes you happy.

3. Learning Style Assessment

The result of my assessment quiz articulated that I am primarily a
visual and active learning that also benefits from using the senses and
intuition to comprehend information. The implications for these results
are as follows; Balance is key in every aspect of life including ones
ability to learn using various methods in different situations. It will
never be the ideal situation for your specific style. One must have the
ability to draw upon different styles to ensure the comprehension of
ideas and techniques that are taught from different angles.
Furthermore, it is critical that you find out what works for you. Having a
strong method that you can trust and call upon is far greater than not
having any way of which you come to an understanding. I found a lot
of the questions in this assessment difficult to answer because I often
wanted to select both choices. My way of learning is unique to the
situation at hand. For example; when I learn songs on guitar there are
times when I must see the music in front of me and other times when I
can hear it in my head and draw upon that. There are also
circumstances where I must have someone walk me through it step by
step. A common theme with all of these methods is perseverance. The
downsides to my learning styles are that they are not well balanced to
the point where I am confident in any situation where learning is
essential.
4. Multiple Intelligence
It was a positive experience to finally see the recognition of the fact
that multiple types of intelligence exist in a school environment. This is

often forgotten in not only the educational system but in society as

well. It seems that the true standard of someones intelligence today is
measured in their ability to profit. We have forgotten the vast range of
what can be considered smart. These chances to prove these
intelligences have been ever present as I grew up in the school system;
however they seemed to have a hierarchy in the eyes of society. I
believe that it is impossible to measure one type of intelligence against
another. I believe that they are equal in their greatness.
5. Myers Briggs Personality Assessment
After completing these two tests I found that the results from both
correlated almost completely. For both test I am considered primarily
an introverted feeler who perceives. The only difference was that for
the Jung test I was considered primarily intuitive and in the other I was
considered to be primarily a user of senses. I found these test result to
be accurate because I am mainly introverted however I feel
comfortable performing or presenting to a large group of people. I
would also consider myself a feeler over a thinker. To quote Horace
Walpole, "Life is a tragedy for those who feel, but a comedy to those
who think." This is why I feel that it is important for lovers or friends to
be one of each. This creates a beautiful balance. Having said this, I do
feel that it is possible for an individual to be both. However I think that
people tend to magnify to one more than the other. This could most
definitely affect your leadership style because a more introverted
person could potentially find it difficult to play a directive role when it
is called for.
6. Leadership skills

After completing the leadership ranking workout I realized that I have a

great amount of room for improvement. The workout allowed me to
reflect on what areas of leadership that I am able and confident while
also shedding light on my weaknesses. This tells me that I should strive
to not only improve the areas where I am weaker but also continue to
grow in the areas where I feel strong. Some real life examples that I
can call upon to support my answers are as follows; I ranked my
discipline as medium because I am much disciplined in the practice of
what I am passionate about however, I lack discipline in completing the
mundane yet important tasks of everyday life. A theme that is ever
present in myself assessment is balance. I rank balance as one of the
most important virtues of a great leader and human being. I will
continue to grow and try to create this balance in every aspect of my
life. I ranked my beliefs as strong because I feel that they are open to
change. I fell that it is important to know what you believe but to never
be afraid to adapt when something new or more relating comes along.
7. Leadership Styles
I consider myself to be more of a participating leader who can allow
the others in the group to use their abilities to complete the task. I try
my best to lead by example and only direct when absolutely necessary.
I think it is important to mention that no matter what type of leader
you are, you must be able to adapt to the situation at hand. It is
immensely important in life to be present in the moment. This will
insure your success as well as the success of the group. I strive to be
observant and to speak out when I see something that I do not agree
with. I am not always successful at this and I often make mistakes. A
real life example of my leadership style was my position as captain for

my high school rugby team. I was never very vocal; I would simply
work hard in practice and in the matches.

8. Summary
Based on the self-assessment, I have come to some
conclusions that I was not aware of before about my leadership
style. I have learned that I am primarily an introvert who
observes and then reacts. Some implications of this are that
sometimes, especially in the outdoor industry it necessary to
react on instinct without much time for observation. This skill
and ability will grow with preparation and experience. I have
also learned that I have a vast amount of skills that need work
and practice. This is not necessarily an epiphany for me, for I
know that I am flawed in many ways. However, I find that it is
easy in this fast paced technology age to become ignorant and

distracted from the fundamental values that make humans

thrive. It is easier to go on living without taking the time to
grow and learn about ones self. I feel that this time is beyond
important if you ever wish to improve not only the quality of
your life, but the quality of life for the people around you as
well. The career assignment that this assessment points
towards is that of a listener. There are many path to which
listening is crucial. I will journey the path of an actor when the
time is right. It is here where I will be able to put my listening
ability to use. My three main strengths are listening, belief and
hard work. My three main weaknesses are balance, selfawareness and goal setting. The key implication with this fact
is that without balance, I belief that you cannot achieve your
potential as a human being. I will use my strength of work
ethic towards the things that I am passionate about and strive
to create balance not only for myself but for the people around
me as well. The ever present theme of this assignment was
balance and its necessary presence for success. A
contradiction that emerged from this assessment was that
although I am an introvert, I feel an obligation often to perform
when the opportunity arises. I hope to grow stronger in being
able to recognise these situations and act upon them. To quote
Marianne Williamson, Our deepest fear is not that we are
inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond
measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens
us. Youre playing small does not serve the world. There is
nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't
feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as

children do. And as we let our own light shine, we

unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As
we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically
liberates others.
References
Williamson, M. (1992) Our Deepest Fear. A Return to Love:
Reflections on the Principles of a Course in Miracles. USA:
HarperCollins publisher.
Rogan, J. Hancock, G. (November 13th 2013) The Joe Rogan
Experience Podcast. [Audio Podcast] http://joerogan.net
Carnegie, D. (1934) How to Win Friends and Influence People.
New York, USA: Leon Shimkin