The Leadership Dimensions Questionnaire

The LDQ is based on the original emotional intelligence model with distinctions between interpersonal and personal. It includes 4 components (personal enablers, interpersonal enablers, drivers and constrainers) which are made up of 15 dimensions; Critical Analysis and Judgement, Visions and Imagination, Strategic Perspective, Self-Awareness, Emotional Resilience, Intuitiveness, Engaging Communication, Managing Resources, Empowering, Developing, Interpersonal Sensitivity, Influencing, Motivation and Achieving and Conscientiousness.

What the Leadership Dimensions Questionnaire identifies​

The Leadership Dimensions Questionnaire, developed and published by Prof Victor Dulewicz and Prof Malcolm Higgs, was produced when they concluded that their initial Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire could be further developed into a questionnaire to measure and examine the components of emotionally intelligent leadership. The roots of the LDQ lie in the authors original emotional intelligence model, but incorporates an important distinction between interpersonal and personal, encompassing 4 components; personal enablers, interpersonal enablers, drivers and constrainers.

The LDQ is unique to the market, providing an indication of the leadership style the respondent is likely to exhibit based on his or her responses to the questionnaire. It then compares the predominant style to that which would seem to be effective given the change context using the Organisational Context sub-scale. This is a valuable insight as we understand the context within which leaders operate is a major factor mediating their performance.

Leaders are presented with a number of statements and asked to rate each on how they feel it relates to their own feeling and behaviour. Three distinct leadership styles can be derived from their answers.

Engaging Leadership
A style based on a high level of empowerment and involvement appropriate in a highly transformational context in which the organisation is facing radical change that impacts many aspects of the business. Such a style is focused on producing radical change with high levels of engagement and commitment.

Involving Leadership
A style based on a high level of empowerment and involvement appropriate in a highly transformational context in which the organisation is facing radical change that impacts many aspects of the business. Such a style is focused on producing radical change with high levels of engagement and commitment.

Goal-Orientated Leadership
A style that is focused on delivering results within a relatively stable context. This is a leader-led style aligned to a stable organisation delivering clearly understood results. This is not to say that no change is involved. It may be that incremental adjustment may be taking place in a number of aspects of the business but these are likely to be peripheral to the core business model.