MANA 6310—Leadership in Management

Personal Leadership Development Plan

Below is an outline for your paper. Please feel free to use the outline headings in your paper as headings and subheadings. I have listed the outline twice: one with notes and one without. The notes beside each section will guide you on exactly what to put in that part of the paper. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

This paper is about you—who you are as a leader and who you want to become. Hopefully, the instruments you have chosen have helped you discover some things about yourself, and hopefully our study and discussions of leadership have caused you to think about how you can develop as a leader.

I. Introduction

II. Synthesis of Data

a. Instruments/Tools and Results

b. Personal Reflection

III. Personal and Professional Growth

IV. Action Plan

a. Proposed Course

b. Assessment

V. Conclusion

I. Introduction—An introduction should cause the reader to become interested in the topic you are explore. An introduction should also let the reader know what to expect; so you should indicate the three major sections that are forthcoming.

II. Synthesis of Data—This is the section that tells me who you are—at least who you are according to the instruments.

a. Theories and Results—In this section, choose four tools (instruments) from the text or other reputable sources, and provide a summary of each tool with your specific results. This is not the place to either agree or disagree with the results; it should be “just the facts.”

b. Personal Reflection—This is where you reflect on what the instruments have revealed about you. You can use some of the following questions to guide your thinking. Do you agree or disagree with the results? Where and how have you seen the results play out in your life? How do you feel about the results? Does it make you happy, frustrated, sad? Would your friends and family agree with the results? Were you surprised by anything?

III. Personal and Professional Growth—This section is designed to help you think about self-improvement. What is the point of all this information if we don’t apply it to our lives? The most important part of this section is to pick goals that are both specific and measurable. An outside observer should be able to measure your progress. Describe at least three goals you have for your personal and/or professional life based on the results of the instruments and your study. What has been revealed about you that you need to work on? What would you like to change about yourself?

IV. Action Plan—This section concerns how you will accomplish the goals you set in the previous section.

a. Proposed Course—What specific steps will you take to reach your goals? Will you share your goals and ask for accountability? Will you research a particular trait, skill, or behavior you want to develop? Will you attend a training seminar or hire a personal coach? Will you classify your employees according to their development level? Will you move to a different job? Write about the specific things you will actually do so that you could check them off a list if necessary.

b. Assessment—How will you know if you have accomplished your goals? Your goals should be measurable, so how will you measure them? When will you measure them? Will you re-take a specific instrument in six months? Will you give your employees a survey and ask them to rate your progress?

V. Conclusion—Conclusions should summarize and recap the paper for the reader.