Leadership “Manifesto” and Development Plan Paper (Final Project) Instructions
Overview: The purpose of this assignment is to help you clarify and design your steps to attaining your potential. As a result, you will need develop and articulate your view of leadership and demonstrate that you have learned how to think in frames and in terms of reframing. This should reflect your growth from exposure to thoughts, ideas, concepts, and model presented in this class from discussions and reading. I’m looking for growth as part of your grade! This is a paper that will require thought and some reflective homework, so I encourage you to outline your paper early on and continue adding to it, revising sections of it, and deepening your ideas as the course progresses. Your RACOs will provide you with some of the reflection as you go along in the course. I also encourage you to discuss your ideas with others: family, co-workers, study team, mentors, roommates, carpoolers, etc; over the semester. esonated with you. Include comparisons with the leader that you interviewed. Be creative and expressive if you like. You’ll gain lots of thoughts on most of the sections during the course, so if you keep up with the regular assignments, you should have lots of material for paper ready to go by the end of the course. Please write so your paper flows nicely from topic to topic.
Interview Information
Provide a brief introduction to the leader you interviewed and a very short summary of the key points made in the interview.
Values, Assumptions, Beliefs
In this section, summarize your core values, assumptions, and beliefs that you discovered over the course of this semester. Consider some of the following questions:
• What are your non-negotiable values and assumptions about people, relationships, work, and life that you anticipate will not change?
• Which values, assumptions and assumptions do you currently have that you think are “fragile” and may be questioned and need more exploration?
• How do these inform your views of leadership?
• In what ways are these similar or different from the leader you interviewed?
Critical Style Self-Assessment
In this section, look critically and objectively at yourself in terms of your personality perspective(s) (frame) we learned in class (red, yellow, green, and blue). Some questions to consider:
• How does this perspective help provide insight into organizational frames and how does it potentially create blindspots?
• How do your preferences influence how you communicate to others and connect with others?
• How do they affect how you make decisions?
• In what ways will this perspective help or hinder you in an organizational setting?
• How may you need to alter your styles depending on the situation?
• In what ways do you see yourself reflected in the leader you interviewed or in what ways are you different?
Sources Of Meaning and Social/World Issues (Personal Mission)
A statement of what you think the most important problem(s)/opportunities in the world today and that in which you find the most meaning. In addition to meaning, what also provides you enjoyment? How would you like help contribute to their solution/implementation in the future and in what ways do you derive meaning from life? What type of leadership (personal, thought, and/or organizational leadership) could you see yourself playing? Turn this into a mission statement for yourself.
Your Definition/Model of Leadership and Core Leadership Principles
Describe what leadership means to you and/or develop a model or metaphor for what leadership is. Use what we have learned in class to support your model, especially the idea of frames and reframing. Generate a list of your core leadership principles, as well as your ethical perspective and an explanation of why you believe they are important. Highlight the principles that have been modified and/or added over the course of the semester. Compare and contrast this model with the model of the leader you interviewed.
Skills
Think of many of the skills we covered in class – change, communication, learning and feedback, influence, cultural adaptation, strategy, working with people, leading teams, etc.
Summarize what you currently think are your skills and opportunity areas for growth. Consider the following questions:
• What skills do you currently have that would be greatest to achieve the leadership role you identified?
• What do you do well? What gives you “flow”?
• What are some skills that you will need to develop?
Be specific and use examples or methods introduced in the course that fit your needs/interests. Relate them to frames and your “color(s).”
Organizational Cultural Expectations
Based on what you know about yourself, your values, your preferred frame(s), and your personal mission, define some cultural aspects of an organization you feel would best enable you to achieve your potential. Some questions to address could be:
• How would the four colors (red, yellow, green, blue) or four frames (jungle, theater, family, factory) play out?
• What do relationships amongst co-workers and employees and organizational leadership look like?
• What organizational values would best support you?
• What would the physical environment look like?
• How is work done? What types of rituals would you see?
Professional Network
In this area, identify any key people who can help in your development and to achieve your mission. Consider the following questions:
• Whom do you respect that could serve as a role model?
• Who would be a good mentor (most people have several mentors that serve different purposes)?
• Who could help coach you on skill development?
Describe specifically what each person can contribute to your personal and professional development
Development Plan
Based on what you have identified, isolate three strengths to enhance or opportunities for development and put together an action plan for the next six months about how to address them. Consider the following:
• What do you want to achieve (what does it look like in the end)?
• What are the specific actions you could take to move in that direction? By when (assign a date and hold yourself to it!)?
• What needs to do have (resources, people, tools, etc.)?
• What are some barriers that may get in the way? What can you do to remove them?
• How will you know that you are making progress?
