The purpose of all three assessments combined is to reflect on your own leadership journey, obtain feedback from your assigned partner and other trusted sources, evaluate your current leadership style, effectiveness and potential and then prepare a plan for your continued development as a leader. The three assessments are integrated pieces of work and you should draw on the first parts as you work on this final part. The first assessment focused on your journey so far and current capabilities. This final assessment report should present your plans for your future development as a leader. While there is some overlap between this assessment and previous ones, it is expected that students convey a more heightened sense of self-awareness and understanding, and to demonstrate that their appreciation of the key topic areas of this course has matured over the course of this subject. Simply restating discussion from previous assessments is insufficient for this task.
The task for this assessment is to prepare and present a plan for your development as a leader. The period of your plan could be 2, 5 or 10 years. Select the period that makes most sense to you, depending on the current stage of your life and career. Briefly explain the reason for the time period that you have selected.
Your plan needs to be based on or anchored by an established model of personal development. A number of possible models were provided in Module 1. The choice of model is up to you. The Whitmore GROW and Boyatzis Intentional Change models are two of the most comprehensive at a personal level. However, other models may be more relevant to your current needs. You are also welcome to use an appropriate model that was not included in Module 1, provided it meets the tests of academic rigour and usefulness to you. You must provide a brief description of your chosen model and a justification for your selection. It is important that you go to the source documents and not rely only on the summary version of your chosen model.
Please also include a section in your report about the impact of national culture on your leadership direction.
Your development plan must draw on the resources of the subject to demonstrate your increased awareness of the factors that contribute to effective leadership. Your development goals should be based on at least four of the topics covered in the subject, such as enhanced emotional intelligence, more effective strategic thinking, enhanced influencing and motivational skills, greater cultural sensitivity, greater support for creativity and innovation, more effective change leadership, greater resilience, etc Additional information on leadership development to help you prepare your plan is provided in the Subject Resources section of each module.
Within the body of your report, the model of development that you choose will largely determine the structure and section headings. The precise structure is up to you however a clear logic flow is important.
A possible structure for your report is as follows:
1. The use of an “Executive Summary” to summarise the content of your report.
2. A clear logic flow, demonstrated by using a “Table of Contents” page and section headings. The Table of Contents should be attractively formatted to present a positive first impression to readers.
3. An “Introduction” to set the context and provide background to the aim.
4. An “Aim” that communicates exactly what the report is setting out to achieve. This should reflect and summarise the precise question set in the assessment brief.
5. The body of your report should address and explore the issues set out in the assessment brief.
6. A “Conclusion” to capture your key learnings is desirable in a business subject.
Detailed, supporting information such as psychometric results and planning templates should be placed in an appendix, where they will not be included in the word count.
7. A list of References formatted in the correct APA style. These sources need to have actually been consulted in the drafting of the assignment, and must contain the information attributed to them.
8. Appendices may be used to hold information that is relevant to your discussion but not suitable (too lengthy, complex, etc) for inclusion in the body of your report. All items included in appendices must be referred to specifically in the report.
A leadership plan helps a leader to develop and grow in his career, similarly, the plan helps in outlining the weakness of the leaders so that he can work at those weaknesses and strengthen his skills. Leadership skills are highly impacted by cultural changes and this report has disused the modification in leadership directions due to culture. Leaders must make a SMART plan that can help them to develop their goals and succeed in their aim of coaching their employees. Similarly, there are several models that encourage leaders to prepare this plan and the GROW model is used in this report to support the development plan. MBA Assignment help, A fixed time period for developing the skills of the leader is a necessary approach as it helps the leaders to fulfil their goals and strengthen their capabilities within the expected time limit. Overall, this report has aimed to discuss all such factors that have an impact on leaders and assist them to improve their skills as well. It is being analyzed that the most important part of a developmental plan is to make a plan that can outline the strengths and weaknesses of the leader before making the SMART plan.
This report aims to create a developmental plan that can assist leadership skills to be developed. Similarly, the GROW model is used to make the development plan and gain feedback about the plan as well. On the other hand, the report has aimed to analyze the main motors that have a significant impact on leadership skills and all such factors are clearly outlined.
The time period of the leadership plan with justification
I would like to develop the leadership plan within a minimum amount of time so that I can deploy the plan in my present life and improve my skills. My ambition in life is to become a successful leader and I need to achieve that at the earliest so that I can prosper in my career as well. As a consequence, I have chosen the time span of 2 years so that I can start working on the plan and improve my leadership skills. Similarly, I have realized that there are certain issues in my leadership capabilities and such issues are hampering my role in teamwork as well. Whenever I am given the role of a leader in team assignments, I am not able to do teamwork and that is lowering the overall score of the teams. As a result, it is necessary that the time period is shortened so that I can start working on my development plan within the second year. It is beneficial to start at the earliest so that by the time I complete a course, I can work on my certain weaknesses and convert them into my strengths. It shall help me to get selected for challenging jobs in the leadership domain and can also provide me with job satisfaction. These are the primary reasons that have encouraged me to choose the shortest tenure possible for the development of the leadership plan.
Planning before the creation of a development plan is necessary as it helps in outlining the weakness of the leader and can be improved with the help of the plan. As per transformational leadership theory, leaders must accept changes in the workplace and motivate team members to work as per organizational change (Mangkunegara, 2021). Innovation And creativity are the primary reasons for organizational change and it is necessary that the form can gain competitive advantages in the global platform. On the other hand, creativity and innovation enhance organizational productivity and leaders must encourage employees to brainstorm new ideas for the mitigation of organizational challenges (Rasheed et al., 2021). However, I realized that I lack the ability to innovate and I prefer sticking to the traditional mode of working. As an example, when I was given the role of leading in a team for a group assignment, I did not prefer the use of It tools for the documentation of data, rather I guided my team to use pen and paper for the documentation of information about the research work. However, I realize that these methods of wiring are outdated and IT technologies such as computers and laptops are efficient in making mote, checking grammar issues and sentence formation. Therefore, I plan to make changes in my innovation and creativity skills so that I can encourage my team members to use more technology in the workplace.
Similarly, I understood the importance of being resilient in a team so that any form of problem and challenge can be resolved with efficiency. However, I usually get nervous and lose confidence when my team faces any problem or they are not able to proceed with a specific task. Any major challenge makes me nervous and it reflects my non-resilient attitude as a leader. Therefore, my plan intends to prepare a developmental plan that can help me with my resilience and can allow me to increase my self-confidence while solving an issue. The enactment of a resilient attitude shall make a leader successful as it can encourage team members to follow the leader and nurture his experience of solving problems. Creativity and resilience are necessary skills of a leader as it helps the person to innovate new ideas of solving issues.
National culture has a significant impact on the organizational structure and the mix of working of a firm. Employees who belong to different cultures modify the working culture of the firm and the organizational structure as well. Therefore, the cultural aspect has an influence on leadership development as it modifies the behavioural patterns of the leaders. Leaders who come over from different cultures and locations have different professional expectations which shape their attitudes and personality differences. As per Edgar Schein's model of organizational culture, there are three levels which influence the internal structure of a firm and they are the values, artefacts and assumptions (McBath, 2018). Every firm has its own set of organizational values that assist it to set its goals and mission. Similarly, the visible artefacts such as the dressing patterns of the leaders also vary from company to company to company. However, the behavioural patterns of leaders are mostly influenced by the assumptions that are developed by the belief of the workforce including employees, leaders and managers. As a result, I understood that when I will work in an organization, I need to also the real values and the culture of the firm and I shall not allow my leadership style to be derived from the assumed value of the workforce. Assumed values are based on the thought of the employees and managers and they may or may not match oath the actual value of the firm. I shall openly communicate with senior management to understand the organizational mission and vision statement and decide on the most effective leadership style to guide the workforce.
As per Hofstede's cultural dimension model, there are six main dimensions that have an influence on the behavioural patterns of the leader such as power index, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance index, long-term orientation, individualism and indulgence. As per the culture of the UK, leaders tend to take risks in the workplace as their uncertainty avoidance index is low (Minkov,2018). However. if the leaders of the UK tend to manage cross-cultural teams, they find work with employees whose culture encourages them to avoid risk and have a high uncertainty avoidance index. Behavioural patterns of a person are highly impacted by the national culture and leaders must modify their working style so that they can make cross-cultural teams as well.
Figure 1: Hofstede's cultural dimensions
(Source: Hofstede-insights.com, 2022)
As per task-oriented culture, it is necessary that employers are driven to deliver the expected output of the project. As a leader, I shall adapt to this organizational culture where my team members will be encouraged to focus on the mission of the project and deliver the required results in time. Similarly, task orientation shall assist my employees to take risks as required and such an organizational culture shall influence the productivity of the firm as well.
Increased awareness of the factors that contribute to effective leadership
There are several factors that help a leader to develop their skills. Such factors include resilience, innovation, cultural sensitivity and the ability to motivate. As per my experience in team works, I am able to motivate my team members and encourage them to complete the work on time. I never allow any failure to demotivate my team members and that motivates them to learn from failures and cooperate with the work on time. On the other hand, I also have the ability to understand employees from different cultures and encourage them to openly communicate among themselves. As a result, it can be analyzed that my motivational skills and cultural sensitivity are enough to develop my career as a leader.
Several factors contribute to effective leadership. In this context, as per the comments of Tafvelin et al. (2021), training and personal evaluation are considered similar terms and important considerations in the case of influencing leadership. Through the application of the training, it can be possible for the leaders to identify gaps and limitations in the existing business operations and to amend all the necessary innovations accordingly. Good interpersonal and reflection are also some of the potential factors that contribute to effective leadership. In order to be a good leader, it is very necessary to have good interpersonal, active listening, critical thinking, and situation-handling skills. Tafvelin et al. (2021) have argued that through effective training and personal development, it can be possible to influence the factors for effective leadership practices.
Coaching leadership can also be a great option in order to increase awareness of the factors that contribute to effective leadership. In this context, as per the view of Wang et al. (2022), coaching leadership is one of the best leadership styles through the application of which it can be possible to influence the entire decision-making and system maintenance process. It is very important to invest more time and energy in developing the team members and generating more insights into the existing business operations. Through the application of this consideration, it can be possible to accomplish weekly training and employee management development and increase productivity by coaching.
Whitmore GROW model
There are several models of personal development. In order to develop personal skills, it is very important to identify the key factors that affect interpersonal characteristics and attributes first.
Figure 2: Honey and Mumford’s learning styles test
(Source: Self-created)
As per this test, it is observed that I have activist leadership behavior. It is mentioned that cultural and motivational skills are widely evident in self-evaluation. Through the application of these skills, it has been possible to motivate others along with accounting for diversification in the workplace. Being an activist, I like to get into conversations easily and I also like to provide decisions and mutual understanding. I have an open-minded learning approach that makes me more culturally motivated in my work. However, in the case of personal growth and development, I think that I need to consider certain frameworks and models in order to link the entire personal development plan. In this context, I need to use the Whitmore GROW model through the application of which it can be possible to make changes in the existing attitude and be more resilient.
The Whitmore GROW model is considered one of the best coaching models for personal development and growth. The Whitmore Growth model also works best in the case of leadership, and it is applicable in every industry or culture (Gergen, 2019). The GROW model is a four-step technique that has gained widespread popularity because of its apparent ease of use. Through the application of its purposes and functionalities, this model is currently used by many leaders and coaches in different industries in order to expect personal and professional development. It can help achieve goals, either on an individual or a collective level.
Figure 3: GROW model
(Source: Performanceconsultants.com, 2022)
The Whitmore GROW refers to the four pillars of GROW coaching which are goals, reality, options, and will. The above picture provides the description of the mentioned four pillars that are included with the GROW Model (Reames, 2018). Through the application of certain selected coaching questions, a leader or coach can quickly enhance awareness and accountability in any area of responsibility. This model clarifies the need and delivers thoughts to overcome or gain maximum effectiveness on the concerned issue.
G: Goals and inspirations
R: Resources and internal and external requirements
O: Strength, opportunities
W: will and action
This model also subjects the development of SMART goals and certain criteria for personal development. I have used this model in order to determine my goals and to work accordingly. A leader needs to design a goal that is not only SMART but also inspirational and challenging with specific, measurable, and achievable goals in realistic time frame aspects in order to become successful.
Goal The main goal is to develop interpersonal skills and critical learning skills. I think that through the application of this development, it can be possible for me to generate more sense in leadership and to develop my personal and key attributes as well to effectively manage my team. |
Reality As far as my understanding, I think that I have limited communication and critical thinking skills. In this context, I feel less interested in talking with others, especially unknown individuals. Moreover, I also feel demotivated in initiating certain responsibilities through the application of critical learning. |
Option There is a high opportunity for me to get success in this venture. In this context, I need to practice both verbal and nonverbal communication methods in order to manage all my operations. Moreover, through the application of improved communication, I will be able to make improvements in the development and reflection of my interpersonal skills. |
Will There are certain things that I need to consider in case of my personal development. So far in my career, I observed that I lack a resilient attitude and innovation. For this reason, it is very important for me to generate more skills in communication to be more resilient and understand the situation. I need to be more active in listening, understanding, analyzing, and making decisions. I also need to use both verbal and non-verbal communication to communicate effectively with others. |
Table 1: GROW analysis
(Source: Self-created)
There are certain things that are generated so far throughout the entire process of leadership development. As per my understanding and realization, it is evident that a limited resilient attitude and innovation are the key concerns that need to be fixed. In order to develop a more resilient attitude and be innovative, it is very important to consider the regular practice of communication and interpret more data. I have used a coaching leadership style in order to fix this. Regular communication and interaction make the job easier (Simpson, 2020). Through the application of practicing both verbal and non-verbal communication ways, it has been possible for me to interact with more individuals and to gather all the responses equally. As per the comments of Algert (2020), coaching leadership generates more motivation and knowledge in managing details in the entire system. I have followed that leadership style in order to become a good coach and manage my associates.
SMART action plan: Communication skills development
Specific |
I have developed my communication skills effectively. I can now manage to interact with unknown individuals frequently without having any sort of issues. Moreover, I can now manage to jump into any situation and use critical thinking and active listening skills with communication to make decisions. |
Measurable |
I can measure the frequency and effectiveness of every operation being managed by me. Moreover, I can also be able to track down the performance of my associates through communication and understanding. |
Attainable |
I think that I can attain more effectiveness in my leadership and communication skills through the application of communication skills. In this context, I have managed to verify my personality through the application of the Honey and Mumford test. I have an activist character that makes me more active in all situations. |
Realistic |
This action plan seems to be very realistic as it can help me to attain more knowledge in managing a workforce and to be more resilient. In this context, through communication and leadership, I can manage any situation with proper decision-making. |
Time-bound |
6 months |
Table 2: Action plan
(Source: Self-created)
This paper is based on a leadership development plan. Several considerations are being taken to develop this paper. In this context, the aim has been developed for this report. Based on the aim, the entire report has been developed. This report provides a discussion on the period of leadership along with proper justification. This report also provides information about the planning and overall processes of leadership development. The impact of national culture on the leadership development plan has also been discussed in this paper. The impact of awareness of the factors that affect leadership practice is also discussed in this paper. Honey Mumford learning style test has been considered in this case for making perpetual analysis. Through the application of the mentioned test, key leadership styles affecting personal attributes are identified. Following this process, the GROW model has been initiated and personal growth factors are analyzed accordingly. Through the application of the GROW model, it has been possible to identify the goal, reality, opportunities, and possibilities accordingly to develop the leadership style. A SMART action plan aiming at communications development has also been discussed in this report. Through the application of the mentioned action plan, it can be possible to practice effective coaching leadership and motivational leadership in the workplace.
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