How you can improve your own leadership qualities and effectiveness through three learning stages, Observation, Leadership Development Plan and Feedback

Overview: This is a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) assessment task that allows students to apply their knowledge and skills to practical situations. It is assessed through a real workplace context where feedback from industry is integral to students’ experience. This assessment is designed to lead you from critical analysis of your role model to reflect on how you can improve your own leadership qualities and effectiveness through three learning stages: a) Observation; b) Leadership Development Plan and c) Feedback. The first stage is to select a person whom you consider to be a successful and effective leader. Then, through your observation or research, you will identify the person’s leadership traits, behaviours and qualities. The learning outcome of this stage is that you are challenged to apply the theories in this course to your research or observation. For the second stage, you are asked to reflect on your own leadership, based on what you learnt from the research/observation of your role model, and to consider how your own leadership qualities could be improved. At this stage, you are required to create a leadership development plan. In the final stage, you must seek feedback on your plan from an established leader. This leader can be anyone you know who holds a leadership position in an organisation. By going through these three stages, you should be able to critically analyse and evaluate leadership theories and practices and understand how to improve your own leadership effectiveness and qualities. Leadership Development – Final Paper Stage One – Research/Observation Identify a person who you consider to be a successful or effective leader. This could be someone you work with or for (for example: business, professional, sport, volunteer work, religious organisations etc.) or anyone you judge to be a good leader. This leader could be someone you can observe in person or from your past experience or a public figure or someone you have read about same qualifier as above. From your research and/or observation, critically analyse: 1. What makes this person a good leader? 2. What you perceive this person’s leadership traits, behaviours and qualities; 3. How the person uses power and influence to make him/her an effective leader. You must be able to apply theories/concepts/models covered in this course to support your research/observation. Second Stage – Leadership Development Plan For the second stage, you are asked to reflect on your own leadership, based on what you learnt the research/observation of your role model, and consider how your own leadership qualities could be improved. First, using ideas and knowledge you have gained from the course and what you learnt from the first stage to guide you, you are required to diagnose and assess your current strengths and weaknesses as a leader (or potential leader). To identify your leadership strengths and weaknesses, you will complete the ‘leadership attributes’ diagnostic tools provided (see Canvas for the diagnostic tools). Second, you are then required to create a leadership development plan. The plan must at least maintain or further develop your leadership strengths and improve weaknesses. You must review the leadership theories and concepts explored in this course and describe how they relate to you and your leadership development plan. The plan should consist of key components such as timeframe, activities, goals and measurement indicators etc. (see Canvas for Suggested Development Plan template). Stage Three – Feedback In the final stage, you must seek feedback on your plan from a leader. This leader can be anyone you know who holds a leadership position in an organisation. This leader could be the same person as Stage One or a different leader. At this stage, you must: 1. Describe what and how you have incorporated this leader’s feedback into your plan; 2. Describe how you will evaluate whether or not you have reached the level of development set out in your plan (e.g. how will you know that you’ve achieved the goals set out in your leadership development plan? what kind(s) of data and information will inform this?) Key questions you might think of at this stage: a) what did the leader have to say about your draft leadership development plan? b) how have you modified your draft as a consequence? (For example, if the leader you consulted said that your timeframe to achieve your leadership goals was unrealistically short, did you then extend the timeframe top achieve these?) Format: This assignment should have the following format: 1) Introduction 2) Body with headings and sub-headings (e.g. Observation, Leadership Development Plan; Feedback) 3) Conclusion 4) References 5) Appendix (Your leader’s feedback on the Feedback Checklist form) Note: 4), 5) and Leader Background Information are not included in the word count. Referencing: It is expected that you will use at least 15 academic references, preferably refereed journal/research articles. Websites, such as Wikipedia, will not be accepted, other than for providing general details of the leaders and these will not be counted in the minimum references required. Correct and thorough referencing will be a key evaluation element. The quality of your sources will also be considered in the evaluation of your assignment. Please ensure that your spelling, grammar and syntax are correct before you submit your essay. Your tutor will advise on a variety of support services such as SLAMS and the SLC. Further information about referencing style is available in the RMIT Business Referencing Guidelines. Harvard style referencing (in¬text and list of references) Assessment Criteria: • o Ability to critically analyse the leader’s leadership behaviours, traits, qualities and use of power; o Demonstrate a good understanding of relevant leadership theories/issues referred to in the observation/research. o Ability to diagnose leadership strengths and weaknesses as a result of self-assessment; o Ability to create a leadership development plan based on self-assessment; o Ability to describe how to incorporate the feedback into the plan o Ability to identify plan evaluation approach/es o Quality and quantity of references