Which traits make a leader successful? Creating a Personal Leadership Development Plan




This is a blog concerning leadership development. Each post will discuss essential elements for your continual growth as a leader.  Development is a process that must be continuously fed and nurtured.  It is my hope this blog will aid you on your journey.


There are many people who believe leaders are born, others believe they can be made. I believe both are correct.  Leadership is a subjective term; ask ten people you will receive ten different answers.  Google, it, and you will receive over 370 million results.  Each with different views of the characteristics and competencies necessary to make a leader great.  All of us are born with distinctive personalities, gifts, and talents that make us unique from one another.  Thus, no two leaders are the same.  What traits are necessary to become a successful leader?  A leader, in my opinion, must have a high level of emotional intelligence, empathy, active listening and communication skills, integrity, adaptability, ability to connect with, empower, and inspire others, be visionary, courageous, determined, patient, and consistent.  Again, this is my definition of what makes a great leader.  Take a moment and think about the qualities you think a leader must have. 

Personal Leadership Development Plan

Ø  List the qualities you believe make an successful leader.  Look to a mentor or a leader you admire.  For example, the ability to connect with others, integrity, and consistency.

Ø  Take a self-assessment.  There are many online assessments that will help you determine your personality traits and strengths.  Ask family members, friends, and colleagues to describe you (Hint: you will use this information in Step 5 as well).  Assessments can include personality tests such as Jung's Typology Test or leadership style assessments.  Psychology Today offers a free assessment on their website).  Click on the link below to take the assessment.

Psychology Today

Ø  Establish your core values.  In the first step you identified your core characteristics, now you must determine the values, no more than 10, that influence your decision-making and ethical profile.  Core values are values that you feel are non-negotiable.

Ø  Create a vision statement: A personal vision statement helps you focus on moving forward ad provides clarity on where you want to go.  It also forces you to ask who you are and what is your purpose or calling.  A vision statement reflects your personality traits and your core values.  It should consist of what you want to be, what you want to achieve, and the values or principles that drive your decision-making.  For examples of personal vision statements click on the link below.

Forbes.com

Ø  Perceptions of Others.  In step 2 you asked colleagues, friends, and family members to describe you.  Ask yourself a few questions:

1.       What does your team or colleagues say about you when you are not around? If you do not know, ask someone you trust.
2.       What are the expectations for someone in your position?


Asking these questions will allow you to identify and correct any discrepancies in where you are and where you want to go.

Ø  Skills:  By now you have defined the qualities you believe a leader must have, identified your traits and core values, created a personal vision statement, and examined the perceptions of others.  In this step you will identify the skills and traits you possess and those you need to develop to become an effective leader.  Make a list of breaking them down by personal, interpersonal, group, and technical skills.  Mark each entry as either as a (S) for strength or as a (D) if this is an item that you need to develop. 

Ø  Set SMART goals.  Smart goals are goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time bound.  Creating goals using the SMART system allows you to create goals with structure and accountability.  See the image below for an explanation of each aspect of SMART.  Create 2-4 goals.




Ø  Create an Action Plan.   An action plan is a detailed outline of the SMART goals you created.  It takes you goals and puts them into steps based on a timeline.  It is a road map to achieving all the goals you have set and provides you accountability.  Determine the specific actions, resources, time needed to achieve each goal and place them in the order on importance.


You have now created a personal leadership development plan.  I have attached an example of a completed individual development plan.  Click on the link below to view.


Personal Leadership Development Plan Example

Thank you for reading and I look forward to you comments and questions.

Sandra









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