Executive Summary
The individual leadership development report focused on conducting a self-assessment to help outline and explain my personal strengths and weaknesses. I was interested in understanding factors that may negatively affect my capacity of becoming a successful senior manager in my current organization. I collected relevant information from various sources. Self-evaluation was one of the main sources of information in the study.
I read relevant literature to identify common strengths and weaknesses to leadership and then classified myself accordingly based on what I feel to be the truth. I also collected data from my colleagues who have known me for at least the last two years. They could explain what they feel to be my strengths and weaknesses as an aspiring leader. Data collected from the diverse sources was analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Findings of the study show a number of weaknesses that I need to address and strengths that I should capitalize on to become a successful leader in this company and in the society.
Introduction
The concept of leadership has been transforming over the years due to the socio-economic and political changes in the world. In the past, a successful leader was expected to be tough and capable of issuing commands that had to be followed by followers (Serrat 2018). Fear was a major factor that defined leadership. However, the trend has changed and leaders are expected to influence their followers in ways other than the use of fear.
Modern-day leadership involves providing direction to followers, helping them undertake specific duties, and challenging their current capabilities to ensure that they can register a continuous improvement in their performance. Sanghi (2016) argues that leadership is learned, and as such, one can become an excellent leader by understanding how to guide others through positive energy. I have a vision of becoming the chief executive officer in the company I work for now.
Currently, I am holding a junior managerial position within the human resource unit. I intend to use my current position as a stepping-stone to rise to the head of the department within the next five years before getting to the highest office within the next one decade. I am striving to become a transformational leader within the firm. I believe I have the capacity to become the leader who will introduce positive changes at this firm as we focus on improving our competitiveness in the market despite the existence of numerous challenges in the market.
Methodology
Building an individual leadership development plan requires a proper methodology. According to Timms (2016), one should have a clear approach of gathering information from different sources to inform their report. The methodology helps to determine the credibility of the report. Hooijberg, Hunt, Antonakis, Boal, and Lane (2007) believe that leadership development plan requires an individual to understand personal strengths and weaknesses so that they can define how to improve on their capabilities. In this section, I have provided a detailed explanation of the approach I used to collect data from various sources, tools I used, and the approach I used to process that information.
Process Used to Undertake Self-Assessment of Leadership Strengths and Weaknesses
Successful leaders have developed unique skills of understanding personal weaknesses and strengths with the aim of making relevant improvements. According to Serrat (2018), it all starts with self-assessment. An individual aspiring to become a good leader must be ready to face personal weaknesses while at the same time take advantage of strengths. I used multiple methods to undertake the self-assessment of my leadership strengths and weaknesses.
The first step was self-evaluation. I believe I understand myself better than any other person does. As such, I started by having a personal reflection. I asked myself what I believe I am good at in terms of leading people. I also listed what I believe to be personal weaknesses and fears as a leader. The process was meant to ensure that the information that I have about personal strengths and weaknesses would match what others think.
Reading activities also helped in identifying some of the personal weaknesses. As such, it was considered part of my self-assessment process. After conducting the personal reflection, I contacted 7 colleagues who have known me for at least the past two years. I wanted their unbiased personal opinion about how they view me as a person, and my leadership capabilities. I explained to them the significance of the report and requested them to be sincere in their report, especially when articulating specific strengths and weaknesses. I kept a close interaction with the mentor, sharing the data with him to ensure that if some issues needed attention, we would address them within the shortest time possible.
Methodology Used to Gather Information from a Diverse Group of People
Information used in this report was gathered from a diverse group of people. The seven colleagues who helped to provide information about my personal strengths and weaknesses include Jane McCarthy, James Armstrong, Susan McCain, Oliver Kidman, Julie Hogan, Kate Crowe, and Ellen Blanchett. I developed a questionnaire to help in the process of collecting data. It was possible to conduct a face-to-face interview, but I felt some participants might not tell me the truth in such a setting. As such, I delivered the questionnaires to each of the participants and requested them to answer the set questions about my strengths and weaknesses to the best of their knowledge. I collected the filled questionnaires from the participants after two days.
Techniques Used to Analyze to Analyze and Reflect on the Information
When data had been collected from the sources discussed above, the next step was to conduct an analysis to ensure that the information has meaning. I used mixed method research to process data. Sanghi (2016) explains that mixed research design enables a researcher to use both quantitative and qualitative approaches of analyzing information. Through qualitative data, I was able to determine the number of people who felt that I had a specific trait that is beneficial or detrimental to becoming a good leader. A trait that appeared several times among the respondents, whether good or bad, was given priority.
This method made it possible to identify major personal attributes that may hinder me from becoming a leader that I aspire to be in the future. At this stage of analysis, I was able to outline personal strengths and weaknesses in the order of priority. The process also made it possible for me to identify developmental objectives.
Qualitative approach of analyzing data made it possible to explain in details why a specific trait was strength or a weakness. According to Timms (2016), qualitative data analysis goes beyond providing statistics. It enables a researcher to explain why a phenomenon happened in a given way and why it had specific implications. Using open-ended questions, I allowed participants to provide their unbiased opinion over an issue.
The participants were requested to explain why they felt I had specific traits that may have direct or indirect impact on my leadership skills. Other than simply stating that I am temperamental, they were requested to explain why they felt so and how such a train affects my relationship with people around me. For instance, being keen to details is one my major strengths. It was necessary to understand why others felt this factor could make me to become a transformational leader. Such a detailed explanation of my personality made it easy to understand personal strengths and weaknesses. The analysis enabled me to reaffirm my development vision and build self-awareness. It enabled me to identify leadership strengths and weaknesses as I strive to climb to the C-suite at my company.
How I Interacted with My Mentor When Developing the Plan
It was necessary for me to interact with my mentor when developing the plan. The interaction was meant to ensure that I would get the necessary guidance when conducting the study and to avoid mistakes that would otherwise prolong the process of collecting data. Before starting the process of collecting data, I had a discussion with the mentor about information I needed to collect from various sources and why it was necessary to use a specific approach.
The mentor suggested that I should use a questionnaire to standardize the process of collecting data from respondents. I also contacted the mentor after collecting data and before the analysis to ensure that I had collected the information needed for the study. I also had a meeting after processing the data from the respondents. The regular interaction with the mentor made the process of collecting and processing data clear.
Data Collection Tool
When conducting a research, Timms (2016) advises that it is advisable to have a standard tool of collecting data from specific respondents. In this study, my mentor and I agreed that it was necessary to use a questionnaire. This tool made sure that all the respondents would be asked the same question to standardize the process. The questionnaire had two main sections. The first section focused on respondents’ demographics where they were asked to state their names, level of academic qualifications, employment status, and how long they have known me. The main inclusion criteria that made the first section of the questionnaire important were the length of time that the participants had known me.
It was particularly important to ensure that those who took part in the collection of data knew who I am as a person and as an aspiring leader because it was the focus of the study. The measure was taken to avoid cases where participants would provide answers based on what they hear from others. The second section of the paper focused on specifics about my traits, skills, and talents as they relate to leadership.
Key Findings
The previous section provided a detailed explanation of the method that the researcher used to collect and analyze data from various sources. In this section, the focus is to discuss findings made from the process. It was necessary to identify specific factors that may enhance chances that I will become a successful leader in my current organization. Hooijberg et al. (2007) suggest that these positive attributes should be promoted for one to achieve the desired goals. It was equally important to identify the undesirable traits that may limit my capacity to become a leader. When these factors are identified, it becomes easy to find a way of addressing them effectively.
Strengths
The study identified various strengths that I believe are critical in enabling me to become the leader I desire to be in the future. One of the factors that majority of the respondents identified was flexibility. They indicated that I tend to be flexible when circumstances demand so. They explained that I have the capacity to redefine my strategies to meet the changing environmental forces. As Hall et al. (2016) observe, in the current business environment, a good leader should be ready to respond to changes in the market as swiftly as possible to tap into new opportunities. It also emerged that I have the ability to work with people from various backgrounds.
Diversity is currently one of the biggest concerns in the workplace. Age, gender, race, religion, and sexual orientation are some of the main demographical factors that help classify people into different groups. Sometimes one group may be intolerant towards the other, creating a less conducive workplace environment (Hooper & Bernhardt 2016). My ability to work with people irrespective of their demographical classification means that I can lead a team of diversified workforce.
The respondents noted that I am keen on details. They explained that this trait makes it difficult for one to take advantage of me. My willingness to listen to issues affecting others and the desire to find an appropriate solution to their concern was another factor that participants classified as a major strength. I need to nurture these traits to become a successful leader.
Weaknesses
It is important to appreciate the fact that I have weaknesses that I should address to achieve my leadership goals. One of the biggest weaknesses that respondents noted was that I tend to be too strict. This trait makes some people to feel uncomfortable working with me because they believe they may not meet my expectations. Another major issue that respondents identified was being impatient. They felt that sometimes I am too focused on success that I fail to understand the steps that I have to follow to achieve my dreams. They noted that in some cases, they feel that I might be willing to take shorter routes toward the intended goal, a trait that is undesirable for a person leading a major corporation. The respondents also noted that in some cases I am slow when it comes to decision-making, a trait that contradicts my impatience. The table below provides a summary of my strengths and weaknesses based on the information obtained from various sauces.
Table 1: Personal strengths and weaknesses.
Lessons Learned
The assessment has provided major lessons that will help me achieve the desired goals. In terms of leadership development, one of the biggest lessons I have learnt is the process of building an individual leadership development plan (ILDP). According to Dickson and Tholl (2014), the ability of one to develop such a plan is important in enabling them to know issues that need to be addressed and areas where an individual is registering a good performance. Through this assessment, I have learnt that reading relevant literature is one of the valuable leadership development techniques that I have to embrace.
This technique makes it possible for an individual to learn new concepts and challenges in the society. I have also learned the importance of practicing new skills in different settings even when I am not in a leadership position.
The assessment has also provided me with critical lessons that I intend to take seriously as a developing leader. I have identified personal developmental needs that needs to be addressed, top of which is the need to make important decisions without self-doubt. Sanghi (2016) explains that when one is trusted with a leadership position, it is always an indication that the organization believes they can make critical decisions when it matters most.
I need to address this personal weakness before getting into senior managerial positions. I have also learned about the significance of working with a mentor as I strive to become a successful leader. The assessment has revealed that a mentor will enable me to understand the path that I need to take to achieve the desired level of success. The mentor will also help me to avoid mistakes that may be costly in my quest to become a successful leader.
Reference List
Dickson, G & Tholl, B 2014, Bringing leadership to life in health: leads in a caring environment: a new perspective, Springer, London.
Hall, P, Childs-Bowen, D, Cunningham-Morris, A, Pajardo, P & Simeral, A 2016, The principal influence: a framework for developing leadership capacity in principals, ASTD Press, Alexandria.
Hooijberg, R, Hunt, J, Antonakis, J, Boal, K & Lane, N 2007, Leadership in complex environments: being there even when you are not. Monographs in Leadership and Management, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 271-295.
Hooper, MA & Bernhardt, VL 2016, Creating capacity for learning and equity in schools: instructional, adaptive, and transformational leadership, Routledge, New York, NY.
Sanghi, S 2016, The handbook of competency mapping: understanding, designing and implementing competency models in organizations, SAGE Publications, New Delhi.
Serrat, O 2018, Personal leadership development plans: essentials and practicum, Chicago School of Professional Psychology, vol. 3, no, 1, pp. 21-45.
Timms, M 2016, Succession planning that works: the critical path of leadership development, Friesen Press, Victoria.