4.10.6 Organizational Leadership Assessment by Laub (1999)
Purpose
The purpose of the Organizational Leadership Assessment is to assess servant leadership, a leadership style in which the leader prioritizes serving others and their needs, promoting their development and well-being. The characteristics of servant leadership involve putting the needs of others first, practicing empathy, listening actively, fostering collaboration, and promoting the growth and autonomy of individuals and teams (Greenleaf, 1977). This instrument is intended to address the changing dynamics in the workplace and society by exploring a leadership model that goes beyond traditional power and authority.
Description
James Alan Laub developed the instrument in 1999 as part of his doctoral dissertation at Florida Atlantic University. Laub recruited between 14 and 25 servant leadership experts to participate in a three-step Delphi process to bolster his question bank. After the third iteration of the Delphi process, the Organizational Leadership Assessment contained 80 items. Those items were field tested with 828 participants, and a series of exploratory factor analyses (EFAs) were conducted. Laub found that 27 items loaded on one component (organizational assessment), and 53 items loaded on another component (leadership assessment). After the EFAs, the instrument was reduced
to 60 questions to decrease the time it took to complete it. Laub reported Cronbach Alpha scores for each subscale in the range of .90 to .93.
Access
The instrument is available through multiple online platforms. No permission from the author is required. The instrument can be purchased through ProQuest: https://www.proquest.com/docview/304517144?pq-origsite=gscholar&fromopenview=true
http://www.olagroup.net/Images/mmDocument/Laub%20Dissertation%20Complete%2099.pdf
It can also be accessed for free through the website of Servant Leader Performance: https://www.servantleaderperformance.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/1999-Laub-Dissertation.pdf
References
Blanchard, K., & Broadwell, R. (Eds.) (2018). Servant leadership in action: How you can achieve great relationships and results. Berrett-Koehler Publishers. http://dspace.vnbrims.org:13000/jspui/bitstream/123456789/4907/1/Servant%20Leadership%20in%20Action%20How%20You%20Can%20Achieve%20Great%20Relationships%20and%20Results.pdf
Greenleaf, R. K. (2002). Servant leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. Paulist Press. https://www.urbanleaders.org/620Leadership/92Readings/articles/Greenleaf-Servant%20Leadership.pdf
Laub, J. A. (1999). Assessing the servant organization: Development of the Servant Organizational Leadership Assessment (SOLA) instrument (Publication No. 9921922) [Doctoral dissertation, Florida Atlantic University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses.
Stogdill, R. M., & Bass, B. M. (1981). Stogdill’s handbook of leadership: A survey of theory and research. Free Press.
