The Learning Connections Inventory (LCI) is not a test



Personal Inventory Analysis

Carrie Mouser Gravely

Virginia Commonwealth University

Background

I always thought I knew who I was as a person as well as a leader. However, during the first course of my doctoral studies, I have been pleasantly surprised to the outcomes of the inventories I have taken. This has been an eye opening experience for me this semester. I have found out I always knew who I was along with surprising characteristics.

During the course of the semester we were asked to complete the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) which is a tool developed by Katherine C. Briggs and Isabel Briggs-Myers based on Carl Jung’s Psychological Types. The MBTI is used to report your key preferences, tendencies, and characteristics. The report generates four letters which indicate your types. There are sixteen types from the MBTI.

We also were asked to complete the Learning Connections Inventory at the first class meeting. The Learning Connections Inventory (LCI) is not a test. It looks at brain and mind functions to understand how we take in stimuli using our five senses. The brain routes the stimuli using its system of pathways and conductions. The brain also communicates and transfers the product of the stimuli to the mind. The mind receives the communication from the brain. It processes information through its pattern of operations. The LCI is different from the MBTI. The LCI is not learning styles; however, it is a learning and working system.

We were also introduced to the Chinese Five Element Theory of Individuals and Organizations. The five elements are fire, wood, earth, water and metal. The five elements intertwine with different leadership styles and elements. The different elements help to describe the different phases of organization life our school is in and to identify whether or not it is balanced.

Who Am I?

Previously I would have been able to tell you I am a thirty-four year old woman, mother, wife, daughter and educator. Now after participating in the different assessments, I have a deeper and broader understanding of myself. According to the MBTI I am an ESFJ. That means that I have strengths in the areas of extraversion, sensing, feeling and judging.

Having a strength in the area of extraversion means I prefer to focus on the outer world of people and things rather than the inner workings. I also prefer to be around others and tend to talk too much. An extravert will never allow others to see you sweat and tend to be too involved in whatever the project may be. My focus tends to be on changing the world instead of trying to understand it. I also tend to have a relaxed and confident attitude. I am understandable and accessible. I tend to be an after thinker and my work environment is varied and action-oriented.

A strength in the area sensing lends itself to the five senses. My focus is usually on details, practicality, and reality. I love to live life as it is instead of trying to change or rearrange it. In regards to my work environment, I am patient with details and I make very few factual errors. I am an editor; proofreader and I pay attention to details.

Having a strength in the area of feeling means that I focus on the human values and needs. I value people and harmony. I am naturally friendly, personal, and treat others as I would want to be treated. I have very strong interactions with people and have genuine care and compassion for others. This strength lends itself to being a weakness with having too much heart. This could appear to others as being weak.

According to the LCI, my use first patterns are sequence and precision. These results are true because I love having an agenda. This allows me to check off the items that have been completed so I know what is left to do. During the work day, I begin by writing a to do list so I know what needs to be completed and what is left to do. I find great pleasure in crossing items off of my list. This gives me a sense of accomplishment. I like taking a task and breaking it into smaller pieces in order to accomplish it. I always have to read directions when it comes to assembling something (i.e., my daughter’s toys). Precision learning proves to be true because I love to learn and would do it professionally if it would pay the bills. I think that knowledge is power. I hate not knowing what is going on. No matter who I talk to, I have to write things down because I like having the documentation in case I need it. I don’t like when people do not check things out to be sure that information is correct. I like to know where the information comes from. In dealing with decision making tasks, I like to collect all of the facts and then make an informed decision.

When it comes to confluence, I use this learning pattern as needed. I enjoy thinking outside of the box. This was true this past school year with a transportation issue. I was able to come up with a solution that was not the obvious solution but in fact it was the most efficient solution. I am able to read between the lines in situations. When I think about the coming school year, I look at the big picture and then I start to come up with ideas and start the planning process. This allows me to connect all of the pieces and make them relevant to each other. I love the brainstorming process. During faculty meetings and/or staff development, my staff and I sit down and brainstorm ideas for our school.

I choose to avoid technical reasoning learning patterns. I strongly dislike mechanical issues. I do not try to fix anything at the house. I would rather call someone to fix it. I do not enjoy cooking because I don’t like to follow the recipe. I can tell you how to fix something, but if I actually had to do it, it wouldn’t get done. My brother used to tell me that I was full of book sense but I had no business trying to put a bike together and now I understand why. I will put things together if there is no other choice, but I will read the directions to get the project done. I do not enjoy building things nor do I enjoy things that do not have an impact on the real world.

I completed a brief quiz to find out my Chinese Element strengths. My results are fire - 22%, wood - 22%, Earth - 20%, metal - 18% and water - 16% (). Fire people usually have big smiles, reddish coloring on their neck. They are also charming, exciting, and mischievous and they love stimulating environments. Wood people have olive-colored skin and are tall like trees or short like bushes. They are aggressive, direct and have a lot of drive. Earth element people have rounded limbs and soft flesh. They have plump cheeks and big mouths. They are collectors. Metal people like blank walls and plain color schemes. They are very organized and clean. They physically have fair skin, broad shoulders and long noses. Water people need to live near it. They have large bones and high foreheads. Truth and spirituality are associated with water.

How does who I am relate to my effectiveness as a leader?

There are many things that relate to my effectiveness as a leader. I strongly believe the way I was raised has played a significant role in the leader that I am today. The results of the MBTI indicate that my preferences are ESFJ with a temperament of SJ. Based on these findings I chose to lead with feeling but with a score of three I could easily be a thinker and take the human side away from my decisions. As a leader, there are different scenarios that will require different outcomes. My preferences are only strong when it comes to sensing. All other areas could change depending on the situation. Based on the ESFJ preference, I am a warm-hearted and cooperative individual. I thrive on harmony in my environment and I work diligently to establish it. I enjoy working with others to complete assignments in a timely manner. As a leader, I find myself being very loyal. I am loyal to my staff and my organization. I try to pay attention to the details of the every day workings of my school and try my best to provide things that my staff need in order to be productive. I like to be appreciated and as a leader I like for my staff to feel they are appreciated. As a result of the LCI, I found the results are consistent with the findings of the MBTI. I use the sequence and precision patterns frequently in my daily routine as a leader. These characteristics allow me to be a strong leader and to make informed decisions. As a leader, I choose to avoid technical reasoning and rely on the stronger patterns. As a leader, confluence is used as needed. In particular situations, I may need to think outside of the box and therefore I would need to use this pattern. The Chinese Five Elements suggest that my strengths lie in the areas of water and fire. As a leader, I need certain elements of those areas in order to be effective. With fire, I am expressive, charming, versatile and curious. With water I am secretive, private, intellectual, patient, wise, serious, truthful, stubborn and observant. These are all characteristics that make a great leader. I feel that each part makes me who I am today. I believe that I am a great leader.

What have I learned about myself that helps me be an effective leader?

Participation in the different indicators has brought forth information that I did not know about myself. The MBTI indicates that I have a temperament of an SJ. With this in mind, I like to organize information. Whether it is through an agenda or a to do list, I enjoy being organized in my daily life. I like to make decisions, but I don’t make them without all of the information unless the situation requires a quick response. As a leader, I love structure. My school runs on structure and therefore is an indicator of my leadership style. As a leader, I am required to hold people accountable for their actions just as I am held responsible for mine. I have a take charge attitude that allows me to be the leader that I am. I don’t wait to be told what to do, I just do. It is always better to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission. In some cases, you just have to make a decision and move on. One of the most important things that I have learned about myself as a leader is compassion. Situations may arise that cause others a great deal of stress that I may not feel. It is necessary for me to be compassionate towards my staff members as well as students and their families. According to the MBTI, one of my strengths is feeling which is the human side of that characteristic. As a leader you have to have a balance between feeling and thinking, however, it is so important to understand the background of an situation to fully understand what is going on. I love my job and what I do, but on the other hand, my family comes first and always will. Some of my staff members are dealing with some very tough situations at home and it is important for them to know that I support them fully and that I am here for them. This is important to me since I consider my staff a team. We support each other and look out for each other.

What have I learned about myself that hinders my effectiveness as a leader?

With this in mind as well as my profile of an ESFJ, I also have “blind spots” that I need to watch out for as a leader. One of my biggest blind spots would be the fact that I tend to worry too much. Sometimes I need to just move on and don’t worry about what the outcome is going to be. I enjoy harmony and strive to have it at school as well as at home. I enjoy the sense of calmness do not like stressful situations and try my best to avoid them. This is problematic because I try to push my ideas on others and eventually push harmony on others. As a leader I know I can not make everyone get along, but I will try my best to alleviate any conflict amongst my staff to ensure harmony as best as I can. My motto is “You don’t have to like each other, but you do have to get a long with each other.” As a leader, I know this is impossible but I try to avoid conflict at all costs. Under stress, I find myself being too critical of others. This is a problem for me. I have to look out for this and find other people that can balance me. I am supportive of those persons that are in positions of authority and those that are my superiors. All of these characteristics could be classified as areas of growth depending on the situation.

I have learned that in order to be a great leader you have to rely on your given strengths but I it is even more important to surround yourself with others that have strengths in other areas that will help you be more grounded and well rounded.

How do I see myself as a leader in a school?

I see myself as a strong instructional leader. I try to lead by example and provide my staff with the support they need to be successful. If my teachers and staff fail, then I have failed as their leader and “cheerleader”. I have had the opportunity to work as the leader of two different elementary schools. I was moved to my first school in October 2008 after the principal moved to another state. The morale and atmosphere at that school left much to be desired when I arrived. I am such an upbeat person and strive for harmony; my first order of business was to change the morale of the staff. There was so much negativity and discord that it was impossible to share my vision with them until this was taken care of. The previous principal did not inform the staff of any news that was important to the school. The staff believed that she favored certain cliques within the building and they did not feel as if they were part of a team. This had to change once I took over the school. My leadership style allows for me to share information with my staff and include them in many of the decision making processes. This is important since many of those decisions directly impact the staff. Faculty and staff happiness directly impacts the instruction in the building. If the staff is miserable, they are more likely to not to be enthusiastic about there work and therefore the quality of their job performance is poor. This is why it is extremely important for there to be harmony and great staff morale. I am a very happy person and as a leader I hope it resonates to my staff and students.

Conclusion

During the past semester, I have had to opportunities to reflect on who I am. There are many characteristics that represent who I am as a leader. I am a compassionate extravert who enjoys using my sequence and precision patterns. I use my senses in order to gather information and enjoy harmony in my life. Nottoway County Public Schools are lucky to have me in their organization. I like to think I bring a lot to the table and offer many things that support the division as a whole. I have lived in Nottoway County for almost all of my life and understand the community. I also know many of the parents which allows me to connect with them on a personal level. I am the youngest administrator in the county, but I have proven myself as a force to be reckoned with. I am very dedicated and loyal to my organization and put forth 200% everyday. I lead with my heart but require the facts to make a decision. According to all of the indicators and inventories we had to participate in during the previous semester, I can say that I am a well-rounded individual and possess many of the characteristics of a great leader. My enthusiasm is contagious and I enjoy working with such a great team of people in my school. I was asked to pursue a leadership role when I had only been teaching for four years. I have now been an administrator for Nottoway County for six years and working on my seventh year with the school division. I continue to strive for excellence in both my personal and professional life. I feel confident that with my MBTI and LCI characteristics, I am destined for greatness. I have the potential to be a great leader and will work diligently to reach my potential. I have learned a great deal about myself in regards to the Chinese Element Theory, the Learning Connections Inventory, and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. I feel comfortable in my types and know that in order to be an effective leader, I must surround myself with people that have strengths in areas that I do not. This will fill my blind spots and balance me in my leadership style. This is why I believe my school is successful because we all have different strengths and weaknesses and we are able share our gifts with one another.

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