The validation of the True Colors Personality Style Inventory and the True Colors Leadership Style Inventory and their use in investigating the relationship between personality style and leadership style in school administrators

• Main Author: Tate, Marcia L.
• Format: Others
• Published: DigitalCommons@Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center 1998
• Subjects: Education
• Online Access: http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/dissertations/1711; http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3309&context=dissertations

The purpose of this study was two-fold: 1) to establish validity for the True Colors Personality Style Inventory and the True Colors Leadership Style Inventory, and 2) to use both inventories to examine the relationship between the preferred personality styles and leadership styles of 41 elementary, 10 middle school, and 15 secondary principals in the DeKalb County School System. Personality and leadership style preferences were investigated in terms of four moderator variables; school type, gender, race, and years of administrative experience. Chi-square, Pearson correlation, analysis of variance, t-tests for Equality of Means and Cronbach alpha tests were used to establish the validity for both inventories as well as to assess the 11 hypothesis and 13 research questions posed. The primary findings indicated that: 1. Both the True Colors Personality Style Inventory and the True Colors Personality Style Inventory are valid measures of the constructs of personality and leadership, respectively. 2. There was a significant relationship between a principal's personality style and leadership style, regardless of color. 3. Gold was the preferred personality style and leadership style for DeKalb County principals. 4. There was no significant difference between the personality or leadership styles of principals in relation to school type, race, or years of administrative experience. 5. There was a significant difference between the personality styles of .. male and female principals but not a difference.in their leadership styles .. The main recommendations from the findings were that the DeKalb County School System should: 1. administer the True Colors Personality Style Inventory and the True Colors Leadership Style Inventory to prospective and veteran administrators in order to ascertain an indication of leadership style strengths and areas for staff development training and to ensure a better match between an administrative placement decision and the principal. 2. ensure that local school administrative teams are multi-colored to capitalize on the strengths which various administrators on the team bring to the position.