This paper provides an opportunity to analyze relevant leadership concerns for an increasingly global future and commit to an emerging leadership theory that is appropriate to guide enactment of the leadership agenda. Please be aware that Gardner's Five Minds is not a theory but a model. Emerging theories include Relational Leadership, Theory U, Contingency Theory, and Path-Goal Theory.
What you create in this assignment is the starting point for the Leadership Development Plan project. Remember that the plan is about you, your career, your firm, and your industry. If your company or industry is local or national only, think of how it might impact or be impacted by the global environment. The work you completed in the discussions in Units 1 and 2 prepared you to write this assignment.
•Provide context by defining the shaping and driving forces that impact the development of your new leadership agenda. This should include your awareness of the global impact of your company or your chosen field and its welcoming of a global diversity of ideas and leadership. It should also include what "minds" you most need to develop.
•Think about how your agenda compares to the predominant leadership model in your field. (Examples of contemporary leadership agendas might include "might makes right," "Americans know better," and "partnering makes a better product.") Evaluate the strength of your own agenda in comparison to other possible agendas. Provide the rationale for one of the emerging leadership theories as a guide for your leadership agenda.
•Plan on writing five pages of narrative.
Throughout the course, you will write sections of the Leadership Development Plan that will culminate in Units 5 and 6. In Unit 5, you will submit your completed plan, and in Unit 6 you will create an executive summary and a PowerPoint presentation.
Note: Your instructor may also use the Writing Feedback Tool to provide feedback on your writing. In the tool, click the linked resources for helpful writing information.