The Task:
In the group assignment you were given the opportunity to lead your team for one section of the assignment in order to create a high-quality report and presentation. We hope that you made the most of this opportunity and found this experience valuable and interesting. Of course, nobody is perfect and even top leaders and CEOs constantly strive to learn more and to lead more effectively.
This assessment is asking you to prepare one document. The document will contain three sections. The first section is asking you to evaluate leadership skills. You will first evaluate a leadership role model you have chosen. Then you will evaluate your own leadership skills and then benchmark yourself against your role model on three key leadership skills.
The second section deals with creating a leadership development plan (LDP). You will identify opportunities and strategies to improve your leadership, set goals to achieve and also identify the resources you will need to make progress on these goals.
The third section requires you to draw on your learning about Change Management to overcome likely barriers to the implementation of your LDP.
Why an individual assignment?
Individual assignments help you to:
• create something totally of your own, for personal use and/or to demonstrate your individual talents
• concentrate on developing and trying out your ideas
• develop your own writing 'voice'
• work at your own pace
• make your own decisions (structure, content, time management, prioritising)
• explore related ideas that interest you
Keep in mind that self-evaluations such as this need to be honest to be most useful. Your work will be treated in the strictest confidence by your tutor.
Although this assignment is given to you as part of your assessment for this 630 Leadership paper, it is equally for your own continuing use and selfdevelopment.
I hope it proves valuable to you.
Task 1 Evaluation of Role Model & Yourself
With reference to the Social Identity Theory of leadership, consider a leader you know of and admire as an excellent leader. This can be someone living or dead;
however, avoid long-dead leaders, as it is more probable that their leadership style would not suit the modern era.
a) Research this person:
Provide some background information about the person herself/himself:
i. The full name of the person is (known as - if applicable):
ii. S/he is/was from (country, city, organisation - as applicable):
iii. S/he is/was born (date - approximate, if unknown):
iv. S/he is/was a leader for (which organisation, where):
v. S/he is/was famous for (please be as specific as possible here): (Remember to correctly reference all sources you use.)
b) Drawing on your own research:
i. With reference to Social Identity theory, explain three (3) key skills/competences you believe made your chosen leader effective (see Appendix for a list of leadership skills).
ii. You should relate two (2) situations that you believe clearly demonstrate that person's leadership.
iii. Include an explanation of the cultural context in which s/he is/was leading and the ways this is similar or different with your cultural situation at present.
(Remember to correctly reference all sources you use.)
c) Think carefully about your experience of leading your group. You will use a job interview tool ("S.T.A.R.T.") to evaluate how well you used the Social Identity theory of leadership. (ie. How well you, as leader, altered your behaviours according to situational factors and to the evolving needs and expectations of your followers.)
Think of three (3) situations or moments where you were leading your team. For each:
i. SITUATION: Briefly describe the situation/moment.
ii. TASK: What were you trying to achieve?
iii. ACTION: How did you act in that situation?
iv. RESULT: How effective you believe your leadership was in each situation?
v. THINKING: Reflecting on your actions and effectiveness, what could you have done in each situation to improve the effectiveness of your leadership? (For ideas on what to improve, you may want to refer to Social Identity theory of leadership.)
d) 'Benchmark' yourself against your chosen role model: Benchmarking is a method of comparing how well you do something at present as compared with an excellent role model. It is commonly used for improving functions and processes within a company, but here you are going to use it to improve yourself.
i. Using the three skills/competences from (b)(i) above, create a simple table (below; 3 columns and 4 rows). Evaluate your role model's strengths (out of 5; this is your 'benchmark score'). Then give yourself an honest rating for how you compare at present (out of 5).
ii. Give a reason for each of the numbers you have given yourself. Benchmark areas Benchmark:
out of 5 for the leader Current:
[one cognitive strength / behaviour]
[one interpersonal strength / behav.]
[one social strength / behaviour]
"Leadership means not only having a dream but claiming that dream and the role you want to play in it."
- Bennis & Goldsmith, Learning to Lead
a) Considering the three leadership skills/competences you benchmarked above, jot down as many ideas for reaching these benchmarks as you can think of. Think of opportunities you have around you and also strategies you use. (You do not need to
submit all your brainstorming and notes.)
i. Choose four (4) of these opportunities and/or strategies that you could use in the next few months to develop your skills/competencies towards your benchmark. Explain these four ideas/opportunities clearly and show how each would help you move towards one (or more) of your benchmarks.
ii. Which of these opportunities/strategies do you consider are 'low-hanging fruit' [i.e. the easiest and quickest to achieve], and why?
iii. Which of the opportunities/strategies will take the longest to achieve, and why?
b) Write a clear and specific 'rationale' (i.e. reasons + expectations) for your leadership development plan. These should answer the following questions from your own personal perspective:
i. Why is developing your leadership abilities ‘a must' for you? (This may be in order to achieve a positive future dream or to escape a negative past - try to be as specific as you can. What is your vision?)
ii. How does this leadership development plan connect to (and enhance) your current knowledge, skills work and/or studies?
iii. How do you expect this leadership development plan to impact you professionally and personally?
i. Drawing on your answers above, carefully design two (2) SMART goals for the next year or so that will most likely lead to your desired objectives and make your vision happen.
ii. What resources/people will you need to achieve these goals (ie. to put your plan in place and monitor your progress?) Identify three (3) resources you may draw on to achieve your goal. In what way they would help you, and how you might find them.
Task 3 Implementing personal change
Now your plan has a rationale, strategies and actionable goals, all you have to do is follow it and stick to it. However, this won't be without challenges. Let's explore how you can use Change Management tools and skills to make sure your plan has the
maximum chance of succeeding!
a) Barriers to change
What two (2) main obstacles/barriers do you think might prevent you making the changes necessary for accomplishing (one or both of) your SMART goals? Suggest ways you would effectively overcome or minimise these obstacles/barriers.
b) Change framework
Referring to the effort and changes you will need to make to achieve your SMART goals and also the timeframe you have given yourself to complete them:
i. Do you consider your SMART goals to be examples of incremental change or radical change, and why?
ii. What are two (2) challenges common to that type of change?
iii. What are two (2) different ways you might avoid or overcome these?