Life Styles Inventory (LSI)
“Holding the mirror up to provide leaders with a clear reflection of their leadership effectiveness”
The Life Style Inventory (
LSI) is a 360 degree feedback tool that identifies the underlying thoughts and motivations that guide a leader’s behaviour and how these impact on their personal effectiveness in their current role. Years of extensive research by Human Synergistics International has established that the information needed to allow insight, growth and self-improvement to occur is contained within our thoughts.
By providing leaders with accurate information about the way they think, leaders can bring about positive change in their behaviour, and increase their overall effectiveness. And that’s where the Life Styles Inventory (LSI) can help.
Based on a combination of respected psychological and measurement theories, the LSI reveals the thinking and behavioural styles which help or hinder individuals in fulfilling their potential as leaders. This information can help initiate positive changes in thinking and actions. The LSI is based around the Human Synergistics Circumplex, a conceptual model of 12 distinct thinking and behavioural styles describing constructive, passive/defensive and aggressive/defensive behaviours.
The Circumplex
©2001 Human Synergistics International/ Research & Development by Robert A. Cooke Ph.D & J.Clayton Rafferty Ph.D
Constructive Styles: reflect a healthy balance of people and task related concerns and promote the fulfilment of higher order needs. Styles associated with this orientation are directed towards the attainment of organisational goals through the development of people. Constructive styles explain why certain individuals, teams and organisations are particularly effective in terms of performance, growth and work quality. Style includes Achievement, Self Actualizing, Humanistic-Encouraging & Affiliative.
©2001 Human Synergistics International/ Research & Development by Robert A. Cooke Ph.D & J.Clayton Rafferty Ph.D
Passive/Defensive Styles: represents an underlying strong orientation towards people as opposed to tasks, fuelled by and reinforcing individual security. These styles characterise people who subordinate themselves to others but in the process create stress for themselves, stunt their growth and satisfaction. Passive/Defensive styles can produce predicable and secure situations, but at the cost of learning, adaptability and personal satisfaction. Styles include Approval, Conventional, Dependant and Avoidance.
©2001 Human Synergistics International/ Research & Development by Robert A. Cooke Ph.D & J.Clayton Rafferty Ph.D
Aggressive/Defensive Styles: emphasises task over people and are driven by underlying insecurities. In the extreme, these styles lead people to focus on their own needs at the expense of others. Though sometimes temporarily effective, Aggressive/Defensive styles may lead to stress, decisions made on status rather than expertise, conflict rather than collaboration and reduced satisfaction. Styles include Oppositional, Power, Competition and Perfectionistic.
©2001 Human Synergistics International/ Research & Development by Robert A. Cooke Ph.D & J.Clayton Rafferty Ph.D
The information from the LSI can initiate personal change through:
- Greater self awareness i.e. what an individual is like now and the causes of this behaviour
- Recognising the consequences of behaviour – how it affects self and others
- Pinpointing strengths as well as blindspots and stumbling blocks
- Identifying more constructive ways of thinking
- Deciding what aspects of behaviours need to change
- Developing a specific strategy to help bring about change
The LSI can be used as a stand-alone diagnostic for individual development, 1:1 leadership coaching or as part of a leadership development program.
People Axis is able to provide expertise in how to best use the LSI tool to meet your organisation’s specific needs.
For more information on the LSI contact Tania on e-mail:
info@peopleaxis.com.au or (03) 9894 2805.