Four Frames of Leadership

Orientation Questionnaire

This questionnaire asks you to describe yourself as a manager and as a leader. You
will give each item a number. 4 = best describes me, 3 = next best describes me, 2 =
sort of describes me, 1 = least describes me.

Every line will be filled in with a ranking. For example:

1. My strongest skills are: 2. The best way to describe me is:

_____ A. Political Skills _____ A. Inspirational leader
_____ B. Interpersonal Skills _____ B. Technical expert
_____ C. Analytic skills _____ C. Skilled negotiator
_____ D. Flair for drama _____ D. Good listener

1. My strongest skills are: 4. What people are most likely to notice

about me is my:
_____ A. Political Skills
_____ A. Attention to detail
_____ B. Interpersonal Skills
_____ B. Ability to succeed in the face
_____ C. Analytic skills
of conflict and opposition
_____ D. Flair for drama
_____ C. Charisma
_____ D. Concern for people
2. The best way to describe me is:
_____ A. Inspirational leader
5. My most important leadership trait is:
_____ B. Technical expert
_____ A. Caring and support for others
_____ C. Skilled negotiator
_____ B. Toughness and
_____ D. Good listener aggressiveness
_____ C. Clear, logical thinking
3. What has helped me the most to be
_____ D. Imagination and creativity
successful is my ability to:
_____ A. Build strong alliances and a
6. I am best describes as:
power base
_____ A. A visionary
_____ B. Inspire and excite others
_____ B. A humanist
_____ C. Coach and develop people
_____ C. A politician
_____ D. Make good decisions
_____ D. An analyst

Compiled by Raquel Gutirrez Page 1 of 6 From Bolman & Deal, Reframing Organizations, 1997
 Four Frames of Leadership

Orientation Summary

In the blank spaces of each column below, insert the score for the item listed to the left
of each blank on the questionnaire. For example, if you ranked the line Analytic skills
(1C) with the number 4, place a 4 in the blank next to 1c on this page. Continue until
the blanks are filled. Total each of the columns and place the score under each.

Structural Human Resource Political Symbolic

1C_____ 1B_____ 1A_____ 1D_____
2B_____ 2D_____ 2C_____ 2A_____
3D_____ 3C_____ 3A_____ 3B_____
4A_____ 4D_____ 4B_____ 4C_____
5C_____ 5A_____ 5B_____ 5D_____
6D_____ 6B_____ 6C_____ 6A_____
Structural Total _____ Human Resource Total _____ Political Total _____ Symbolic Total _____

As you review your totals, ask yourself the following questions:

Are these descriptions true of my style?
When has my style been the most effective?
When do I run into trouble with my style?
How might I benefit from working with leaders from other frames?
What might be the challenges of working with leaders from other frames?

Compiled by Raquel Gutirrez Page 2 of 6 From Bolman & Deal, Reframing Organizations, 1997
 Four Frames of Leadership

Human Resource_____________________________________________
Human Resource leaders emphasize the importance of people. They view the central
task of management is to develop coaching, participation,
motivation, and teamwork.

For them a good leaders is a facilitator and participative manager who supports and
empowers others.

Structural___________________________________________________
Structural leaders emphasize rationality, analysis, logic, facts and data. They are likely
to believe strongly in the importance of clear structure and well developed management
systems.

For them, a good leader is someone who thinks clearly, makes goof decision, has good
analytical skills, can design structures and systems that get job done.

Symbolic____________________________________________________
Symbolic leaders believe that the essential task of management is to illicit vision and
inspiration. They rely on personal charisma and a flair for drama to get people excited
and committed to the organizational mission.

To them, a good leader is a prophet and visionary, who uses symbols, tells stories, and
frames experience in ways that give people hope and meaning.

Political_____________________________________________________
Political leaders believe that managers and leaders live in a world of competing interest
and scarce resources.

The central task of management is to mobilize the resources needed to advocate and
fight for the units, or the organizations goals and objectives. Political leaders
emphasize their importance of building a power base of allies, networks, and coalitions.

For them, a good leader is an advocate and negotiator who understand politics and is
comfortable with conflict.

Compiled by Raquel Gutirrez Page 3 of 6 From Bolman & Deal, Reframing Organizations, 1997
 My Leadership Frame
Raising Awareness

My predominant leadership frame is

Strengths of my leadership frame are:

Challenges of my leadership frame are:

Elements of My Other Leadership Frames

Strengths Challenges
Second highest
leadership frame total:

Third highest leadership

frame total:

Lowest leadership
frame total:

FOUR-Frame Model
Compiled by Raquel Gutirrez Page 4 of 6 From Bolman & Deal, Reframing Organizations, 1997
 PARADIGM SHIFT

Human
Structural Political Symbolic
Resource

Image of Social
Empowerment Advocacy Inspiration
Leadership architecture

Attune structure Align

Basic Develop Create faith,
to task, organizational
Leadership agenda and beauty,
technology, and human
Challenge power base meaning
environment needs
Culture,
Rules, roles, Power, conflict, meaning,
Central goals, policies, Needs, skills, competition, metaphor,
Concepts technology, relationships organizational ritual,
environment politics ceremony,
stories, heroes

Metaphor Factory or
Carnival,
for an machine Family Jungle
temple, theater
Organization

Compiled by Raquel Gutirrez Page 5 of 6 From Bolman & Deal, Reframing Organizations, 1997
 Four-Frames Model

INTERPRETATION OF ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESSES

Process Structural Human Political Symbolic

Frame Resources Frame Frame Frame
Ritual to signal
Strategies to set responsibility,
Gatherings to Areas to air
Strategic objectives and produce
promote conflicts and re-
Planning coordinate symbols,
participation align power
resources negotiate
meaning
Ritual to confirm
Rational
Open process to Opportunity to values and
Decision sequence to
produce gain or exercise provide
Making produce right
commitment power opportunities for
decision
bonding
Way to distribute
Process for
reward or Occasion to play
helping Opportunities to
Evaluating penalties and roles in shared
individuals grow exercise power
control ritual
and improve
performance
Maintain Develop power Develop shared
Develop
organization by bargaining, values and used
Approaching relationship by
goals by having forcing, or conflict to
Conflict having individual
authorities manipulating negotiate
confront conflict
resolve conflict others to win meaning
Provide
Keep Keep people
opportunities for Develop symbols
organization involved and
Goal Setting individuals and and shared
headed in the communication
groups to make values
right direction open
interests known
Exchange
Influence or
Transmits facts information,
Communication manipulate Tell Stories
and information needs, and
others
feelings
Informal Sacred occasion
Formal occasion Competitive
occasion for to celebrate and
Meetings for making occasions to win
involvement, transform the
decision points
shared feelings culture

Coercion,
Economic Growth and self- Symbols and
Motivation manipulation,
incentives actualization celebrations
and seduction

Compiled by Raquel Gutirrez Page 6 of 6 From Bolman & Deal, Reframing Organizations, 1997