KidLead


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Social Influence Survey (SIS) 
As mentioned and described in the book: KidLead "Growing Great Leaders"

 EXPLANATION:  The purpose of the Social Influence Survey (SIS) is to identify observable leadership behaviors in children for the purpose of developing these latent aptitudes for future effectiveness.  While the SIS does not predict the absence of leadership potential, it is designed to help identify children with natural aptitude, those deemed as "early bloomers" and at times whose actions might otherwise be overlooked or wrongly assessed.  Adults respond to questions about the child.  This is not for children to take for themselves.

 

The SIS is used as part of the LeadNow and LeadWell training program application, as well as a pre-test for benchmarking growth among those accepted into a program.  Each training program applicant needs to submit an application and 2 SIS forms, one of which is from a non-relative.

 

If you are using this for your own child as a personal growth tool, be sure to mark the form appropriately.  Only those who mark the "Parent" respond key will receive a feedback summary in return.  If you are taking this for another child who is applying for a KidLead training program—then your survey will NEITHER be returned to you NOR the parent/guardian of the child, so that your anonymity is retained.  This provides more accurate feedback for us in considering the fit of the training program.

 

The SIS depends on the person taking the survey having observed the student in a social setting.  This might include parents, relatives, school teachers, coaches, religious teachers, after school program directors, family friends and neighbors.  There will be 25, multiple-choice questions. 

 

There are no right or wrong, good or bad answers.  Mark the response that seems to best reflect how you have observed the student.  If you do not feel you can adequately answer a question, mark “Unsure.”  (Please note that surveys with six or more responses marked “Unsure” will not be usable, but that is okay if it best represents your awareness.)

KidLead retains this data for its ongoing research on leadership development, but will not share any personal information with anyone other than a certified trainer.  KidLead will not make the contact information available to other organizations.

 

Special note to school teachers and parents responding to this survey:

Teachers, we’ve found that educators sometimes mix academic skills with leading.  Please try to distinguish between these when you respond, thinking in terms of the student’s social skills and ability to influence others toward a common goal (leading).  We’ve also found that sometimes parents like to project their wishes onto their children, so as much as possible, strive to be objective in terms of actual behaviors witnessed in social settings.

 (Click HERE for a MSWord format of the SIS.  This has no automated summary or parental key and is only recommended if you cannot use the following online format and it needs to be submitted as part of a KidLead training application.)

Student Firstname:  
Student Lastname:  
Parent's Firstname:  
Parent's Lastname:  
Parent's Email:  
Student Hometown:  
Student State:
How long have you known the student:  
Date submitted:  
Relation to student:    
Student age:

INSTRUCTIONS: Mark the answer that best describes your observations of the student noted.

1. The child tends to persuade or be persuaded by peers  
2. The child tends to be task oriented and/or goal oriented  
3. The child is observed to be opinionated and/or strong-willed  
4. The child connects well with adults and/or seems to be adult-like in terms of responsibility  
5. Peers seem to like and follow child (on the playground, in the classroom, in the neighborhood)  
6. This child has been disciplined or critiqued for being “bossy”  
7. This child sticks to his/her principles, even when peers deviate or disagree.  
8. Child initiates new projects and tasks  
9. How independent does this child seem to be  
10. If you needed to step away from your class or team for awhile, how likely would you be to put this child in charge while you were away:  
11. The child negotiates options, compromises, “deals.”  
12. The child is decisive  
13. When child interrupts a conversation...  
14. Child exudes confidence in pressure situations  
15. Demonstrates ambition / vision  
16. Child initiates supervision of younger children socially  
17. Child is optimistic  
18. Use of humor and sometimes the “class clown”  
19. Exudes a can-do spirit and perseveres  
20. Child is willing to takes risks and try new things  
21. Child challenges rules that don’t seem to make sense or seem unfair  
22. Child is not afraid of healthy conflict, confronting a person/situation  
23. This child is competitive  
24. The child demonstrates strategic thinking skills / solving a problem without a lot of resources or adult intervention  
25. Organizational leadership: The ability to influence others as a group, toward accomplishing common goals.
Based on the above definition of organizational leadership, how would you rate the observed organizational leadership qualities of the child?  
This section is ONLY for those responding to this form for a training program applicant:
Give an example of where you’ve seen this child lead a group of peers or others:
What was the goal/project:
How did the child behave:
What went well and what did not:
Why do you think this child should be considered for a preteen leadership development program:
Feel free to add any other comments about what you’ve observed regarding this child’s ability to influence others: