The MultiFactor Leadership Questionnaire

Overview | The Program | MultiFactor Leadership Questionnaire | Facilitator

360-degree Feedback and the MLQ

In recent years the use of 360-degree feedback, in which managers receive feedback on their performance from their peers and subordinates as well as from their bosses, has greatly increased. This process of receiving feedback from multiple sources is seen to be fairer than top- down feedback from a single source and a number of studies have shown that 360-degree feedback accompanied by ongoing training or coaching does enable employees to improve their performance significantly.

The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) is designed to give comprehensive 360-degree confidential feedback on managers' leadership styles that is then followed up with individualized coaching by an Accredited MLQ Management Coach over a period of several months. During this time, the manager and coach work jointly on items chosen by the manager/leader from areas of leadership concern identified in the MLQ Leadership Report.

How does the MLQ work?

The MLQ is based on the Full Range Leadership Model developed by Bernard Bass and Bruce Avolio. It is a short and comprehensive survey of 45 items that measures a full range of leadership styles. The leader/manager and up to 10 raters complete the questionnaire. (Greater numbers of raters can be included if desired.) Completing the questionnaire usually takes about 15 minutes and is now usually done on a soft copy. The soft copy is emailed back to the MLQ Management Coach who then compiles the feedback and arranges for the data to be processed through MLQ Pty Ltd, and an MLQ Leadership Report generated. Given that all the raters return their forms promptly, the whole process can be handled in under two weeks.

To use the MLQ for research purposes, visit http://www.mlq.com.au and follow the links.

What does the MLQ measure?

The MLQ dimensions include:

• Transformational Leadership
• Transactional Leadership
• Non-Transactional Leadership
• Outcomes of Leadership, such as Effort, Effectiveness and Satisfaction.

Details of these dimensions are shown in the table below.

The Leadership Styles

I. Transformational Leadership

1. Idealised (Attributes)
2. Idealised (Behaviours)
3. Inspirational Motivation
4. Intellectual Stimulation
5. Individualised Consideration

II. Transactional Leadership

1. Contingent Rewards
2. Management-by-exception(Active)
3. Management-by-exception (Passive)

III. Non-Transactional Leadership

1. Laissez-Faire

IV. Outcomes of Leadership

1. Extra Effort
2. Effectiveness
3. Satisfaction

How valid and reliable is the MLQ?

The MLQ has excellent validity and reliability and has been used extensively worldwide. It has been shown to be strongly predictive of leader performance across a broad range of organisations. (E.g., Bass, B.N. Does the Transactional-Transformational Leadership Paradigm Transcend Organisational and National Boundaries' American Psychologist, February, 1997. Vol. 52, No.2.)

To apply to use the MLQ in your research, visit http://www.mlq.com.au and follow the links.

The MLQ Leadership Report

Once the leader and raters have completed the MLQ questionnaire, their responses are collated in a well designed, easy to read, extensive and confidential report that enables leaders to understand their scores. The report includes:

• Full descriptions of the various leadership styles
• Scale and item level information at all rater levels
• A narrative of the leader's style
• Agreement levels along ratings
• Leadership outcomes
• Tips for building leadership competency
• Suggestions for interpreting the report.

Additional one-on-one coaching with an Accredited MLQ Management Coach optimizes the benefits of this assessment and feedback process.

To apply to use the MLQ in your research, visit http://www.mlq.com.au and follow the links.

About the MLQ Team Report

The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire for Teams (MLQT) is a short but comprehensive survey of 50 items that measures a full range of leadership styles as these are expressed in a team's actions. This instrument complements the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) used in 360degree feedback for individual leaders.

The MLQT is often a good place to start with a work group since it provides valuable feedback to the whole team about how its members see the group performing leadership functions. The MLQT provides a "snapshot" at a micro level of the extent to which a team sees itself to be supporting and practicing the Full Range Leadership Model. It also introduces the members of the team to the concept of the Full Range Leadership Model as shown in the table below.

The Leadership Styles

I. Transformational Leadership

1. Idealised (Attributes)
2. Idealised (Behaviours)
3. Inspirational Motivation
4. Intellectual Stimulation
5. Individualised Consideration

II. Transactional Leadership

1. Contingent Rewards
2. Management-by-exception(Active)
3. Management-by-exception (Passive)

III. Non-Transactional Leadership

1. Laissez-Faire

IV. Outcomes of Leadership

1. Extra Effort
2. Effectiveness
3. Satisfaction

Responses from the MLQT are gathered from each team member and the results are aggregated for the whole group. These are then reported in a comprehensive Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire for Teams Report comprising 31 pages. This report contains:

• Explanations of the concepts used
• Graphs of team responses (including the levels of disagreement about perceptions of the team's exercise of the full transformational-transactional paradigm leadership behaviours)
• Comments about the optimum levels of various leadership behaviours that the team should consider adopting as a goal to achieve outcomes that exceed expectations.

It is recommended that executive coaching with an Accredited MLQ Management Coach be used with both the MLQ and the MLQT.

If you wish to use the MLQ for research purposes, please visit http://www.mlq.com.au/Research/research.html

What is a Leadership Development Plan (LDP)?

A Leadership Development Plan (LDP) is a working document, prepared by an accredited MLQ Management Coach in consultation with the manager/leader or team being assessed. Usually, a final LDP is about four pages in length with variations covering a one-month period. It is arranged into single page weekly cycles for simplicity and ease of access.

The LDP sets out in detail and sequence the behaviours that the manager or team has identified and decided to implement to achieve maximum leadership development. The LDP is based on the findings of the MLQ Report (for individual leaders) or the MLQ Team Assessment Report (for teams). In consultation with the coach, the manager or team progressively implements and integrates the items identified in the LDP.

For each leader or team, an LDP (Leadership Development Plan) is established in two sessions following the leader's initial session to discuss the MLQ Leadership Report. The MLQ Management Coach prepares a Draft Leadership Development Plan (DLDP). This is discussed and developed collaboratively with each leader or team.

The DLDP is reviewed and organised in ways that suit the learning style and preferences of the individuals involved. The key principle driving this coaching process is that leaders must "own" for themselves the items they have selected if the plan is to be fully and effectively implemented.

For more information on the MLQ, the team MLQ, and the Leadership Development Plan, visit http://www.mlq.com.au and follow the links.

Transformasia Pty Ltd
ACN 097 139 725
Tel: +61 3 9525 3409
E-mail:
www.transformasia.com.au