A Leadership Development Plan
Curtis. Lee Hill Jr.
March 26, 2007
A Leadership Development Plan
One of the eminent leader and thinker on management science, Peter Drucker, theorized the concept of an efficient and effective business which can be placed in an individual context. Drucker (Drucker 2004).stated following:
A theory of a business has three parts. First, there are assumptions about the environment of the organization: society and its structure, the market, the customer and the technology. The assumptions about the environment define what an organization is paid for. Second, there are assumptions about the specific mission of the organization. The assumptions about the mission define what an organization considers to be meaningful results – they point to how it envisions itself making a difference in the economy and society at large. Third, there are assumptions about core competencies needed to accomplish the organization’s mission. Core competencies define where an organization must excel in order to maintain leadership (p.84).
Drucker offers an informed understanding of what any plan must account for in the construction of a plan, understanding of environment, self and desire of what impact one or an organization wants to have on an environment.
A presentation of a personal leadership development plan will be outline along with delineation a strategy for maximizing leadership effectiveness that encompasses the following seven points:
- Identification of the leadership theory that supports a personal leadership development plan.
- Identification of personal leadership strengthens and weakness.
- A plan that balances strengthens and weakness.
- Identification of the gap of the leader of now and the leader of the future.
- Statement of how my current model of leadership is informed by and relates to the scholar/practitioner/leadership model (SPL).
- Outline of actions steps that will close the gap of the leader of now and the leader of the future.
- And, finally a timeline of implementation will summarize and conclude this personal leadership development plan.
My Leadership which feeds my personal leadership development plan
Curtis, an asspiring educational professionanl with a background as customer service associated and an expansive experience in political activism and public service uses servant leadership and seeks to be a multifaceted leader/ awaken leader. It was said perfectly by scholars of leadership, “servant leadership views a leader as a servant of his/her followers. It places the interest of followers before the self-interest of a leader, emphasizes personal development and empowerment of followers. The servant leader is a facilitator for followers to achieve a shared vision“(Greenleaf, 1977; Spears, 1998; Spears & Lawrence, 2002; Laub, 1999). The image that comes to mind of a servant leader is a Saint of the Catholic religion, teachers in a defined context of teaching. And, the ultimate example of a servant leader would be Jesus Christ, an individual who placed his life in a secondary role to that of his followers and the vision of universal salvation. My day to day operations hold Stephen Covey’s admonishment central in all interactions, “seek to understand and then seek to be understood” (Covey 2005), which has found most of my interactions based on servant leadership principles, yet my actions strive to pursue the precepts of multifaceted leadership/ awaken leadership. Multifaceted leadership theory can be understood as awakened leadership which encompasses other styles and competencies, such as autocratic leadership, laissez faire leadership and democratic leadership. (Marques 2006) Additionally, an awaken leader is tuned into servant leadership and understands how to and when to apply the precepts of servant leadership (Marques 2006). The person whom comes to mind as a multifaceted leader/awakened leader is Richard Branson, the creator of the Virgin brand name which encompasses over 200 companies worldwide, employing over 35,000 people with total revenues around the world in 2002 that exceeds £4 billion {US$7.2 billion} (Virgin, n.d.). In creating the brand name and company, Branson had to maintain a perspective that was dynamic and open to all cultures and methodologies. In his autobiography, Richard Branson: Losing my Virginity, Branson said, “If there’s a good business plan that offers good value, limited downside, good people, a good product, we will go for it” (p. 351). From that brief quote Branson offers a real world example of a multifaceted leader/awakened leader, a leader who I seek to model.
In an article written by Dr. Mark J. Nigrini, he offers an intriguing understanding of inspiration, one of the many key operating principles in servant leadership. In his article titled, Inspiration from Beethoven's Sixth, Nigrini presents an observation of a DVD recording of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra performing Beethoven's Sixth Symphony, Nigrini saw inspiration in operation and it was operating in a harmonies manner with all the parts of the orchestra giving to the whole, which created a state of joy, excitement and momentary points of perfection. Within Nigrini's observation is the present of a leader, the conductor, who is in command, "poised," "self -assured" and moves with an "air of assertiveness, not arrogance" that inspires the various parts of the symphony to reach in unison for the momentary points of perfection that will move an audience (p. 54). The germane points of Nigrini’s article are derived from the principles of how the conductor can take various experts (cellists, violinists, flute players and etc.) and their talents and forge a new state of being. To put it another way a conductor is paraphrasing, he or she must seek out an understanding of a body of work, create a vision then pull together the various points of expert understanding within there community to create the whole. And, the successful conductor recognizes that inspiration is the key. A popular artist once said, " …we all have a need to belong" (Jackson, J., Harris III, J., Lewis, T., Elizando Jr., R., McLaren, M., Horn, T., and Oldfield, M., 1997 track 2) and that point and it's power upon an individual or group/organization can be an important enabling force in achieving a goal.
So, in reflecting upon my leadership style, I seek to create and operate in an environment of open communication and harmony. My manner adds to team effectiveness by seeking holding my ego in check and allowing my ego to become a part of the whole which has a greater impact on any endeavor.
Strengths and Weaknesses
My current position of understanding and operation within scholar/practitioner/leader model is one of an apprentice ready to be a novice. Current and past learning opportunities have shown me how to let go of my apprehensions and stand ready to move forward in a greater understanding of self and my environment, Additionally, within my new position an achieved of a point of recognition of a need to change my current professionally position has taken place. My current professional position offers no points of growth nor are there any opportunities of understanding. There is an is an saying, that says, “with knowledge you realize what you do not have,” and today I stand ready after 11 weeks of a challenge and a full understanding of where I stand and where I want to go and what I want to be, Dr. Curtis Lee Hill Jr., scholar/practitioner/leader in the field of managagement and organizational leadership
A Way to Balance
The one important point of understanding achieved about leadership is the following point from Robert Greenleaf (1977), the innovator/discoverer of servant leadership
There is a wealth of experience available on how to achieve to this perspective of foresight, but only one aspect is mention here. Required is that one live a sort of schizoid life. One is always at two levels of consciousness. One is in the real world – concerned, responsible, effective, valued oriented. One is also detached, riding above it, seeing today’s events and seeing oneself deeply involved in today’s events, in the perspective of a long sweep of history and projected into the indefinite future. Such a split enables one better to foresee the unforeseeable. Also, from one level of consciousness, each of us acts resolutely from moment to moment on a set of assumptions that then govern our life. Simultaneously, from another level, the adequacy of these assumptions is examined, in action, with the aim of future revision and improvement. Such a view gives one the perspective that makes it possible for one to live and act in the real world with a clearer conscience (p.40).
One can gain an understanding of why leaders need to plan and prepare themselves is acquired from Greenleaf’s perspective. In the planning, a scholar/practitioner/leader can avoid the negative effects of living a schizoid life and capture and use double consciousness in a manner that keeps one informed and able to realize and maintain understanding as he or she progress with their vision. Additionally, an importance of the interaction between intuition and learning in the context of leadership is achieved, which is the operation of self discovery. Bob Gunn, Robert Gunn and Betsy Raskin Gullickson (2005, March) state:
The key to success that we continuously discuss in these columns is the integration of earned capabilities (learning, experience, skills) with the innate capacity to access insight, intuition, gut instinct, wisdom. Stepping up from management to leadership is really the inner game of self-discovery (p. 10).
Intuition and learning operates as partners in endeavors of understanding of self and one’s impact upon their environment.
Statement of SPL (Scholar/Practitioner/ Leadership Model)
The following insight of Robert Penn Warren offers an inquiring perspective of how different leadership models fit within the Scholar Practitioner Leadership model (SPL). What Warren had said in his novel, All the Kings Men, is as follows:
The creation of man whom God in his foreknowledge knew doomed to sin was the awful index of God’s omnipotence. For it would have been a thing of trifling and contemptible ease for Perfection to create mere perfection. To do so would, to speak truth, be not creation but extension. Separateness is identity and the only way for God to create, truly create, man was to him separate from God Himself, and to be separate from God is to be sinful. The creation of evil is therefore the index of God’s glory and His power. That had to be so that the creation of good might be the index of man’s glory and power. But by God’s help. By His help and in His wisdom.(p. 529).
What Warren offers is an understanding that my leadership model does not operate in a vacuum but instead is connect to a host of players and my environment and failure to recognize the interdependence means the doom of any enterprise. The same can be asserted with SPL and the use of various leadership theories. In understanding SPL one needs to possess an understanding of information literacy (IL) and how IL adds to one prescriptive of SPL. There are many definitions for IL but the one of the two that stands out are the ability to find, evaluate and effectively use information (Zabel 2004). The other definition of LI is seen as a means of personal empowerment which allows people to verify or refute expert opinion and to become independent seekers of truth (Bruce 2002). As one can see, the above definitions presented by Zabel and Bruce mirrors each other in an understanding of IL as a skill that can expand thinking and leads one into a greater understanding of one’s greater environment, Drucker’s Theory of Business presents some points of consideration. The germane part of Drucker’s theory to our discussion/ exploration of IL and SPL are the first assumption, “First, there are assumptions about the environment of the organization: society and its structure, the market, the customer and the technology.” Within the first assumption, independent thinking must take place or all the other assumptions with Drucker’s theory are not valid because without a real honest and accurate interpretation of an environment, a business or individual cannot operate in an effective and efficient manner. IL presents an operational method of seeking out facts and opinions will that will impact a theory.
The specifics benefits of IL can be gained with the use of the scientific method. The scientific method is a process that puts theories in perspective – that is using theories as the basis for experiments instead of viewing theory, any theory, as gospel (Promoting technical literacy in the executive suite). The era of the of Medici Family or the period of the Merchant Princes of Florence Italy offers use a reflection of leadership, SPL, in operation with IL and the scientific method. This leadership impact is called the “Medici Effect.” The “Medici Effect” in its basic form is an exponential increase in concept combinations (Johnansson 2004, p.101). As one can see, the “Medici Effect,” a business enterprise or a scholarly endeavor cannot take place without a strong dose of IL. IL is the means of personal empowerment which allows people to verify or refute expert opinion and to become independent seekers of truth (Presidential committee on information literacy: Final report.). And, are not “independent seekers of truth” Scholars/Practitioners/ Leaders.
Meaning to Life
In moving any plan forward and deciding upon what steps to take a vision or mean to life must be developed. Victor Frankle , author and survivor of the Nazi death camps once said, “Man's search for meaning is the primary motivation in his life and not a secondary rationalization of instinctual drives. This meaning is unique and specific in that it must and can be fulfilled by him alone; only then does it achieve a significance, which will satisfy his own will to meaning... Man, however, is able to live and even to die for the sake of his ideals and values (Frankle, 1959)!"
My meaning of life from is derived from my ethical standards which are based on the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom; the pursuit of knowledge for me is fun but the obtainment of wisdom is exhilarating.
From Frankle’s quote is derived an understanding of how my personal ethics, organizational and cultural values affect my decision--making in my personal and professional life. This triumvirate of perspectives interplays upon each other enabling me and I surmise others to make choices, assign value or worth to the direction of one’s life be it in a personal or professional context.
I will delineate a perspective that defines what my personal, organizational and cultural values and how they impact others and my decision--making in a personal and professional manner. Additionally, I will construct an understanding of a dynamic system that exhibits interplay of three different perspectives directed by individual choice.
One must defined concepts to begin the process of understanding. Values are beliefs, a mission or philosophy that holds meaning for a person, be it a commonplace principle or a psychological position (Posner, 2005). Values are all encompassing. They pervade, they are imbedded in our feelings, assumptions, choices, relationships and all other points of concern in the human realm of being (Stuhr, 2003). Personal, organizational and cultural values are a set of eyeglasses or lens to be used to view and understand the world and actions through. The best definition for personal values is that they are the principles that define one as an individual and how one faces the world (Posner, 2005). Organizational values is that it is a pattern of basic beliefs created to help one deal with problems of outside variation and interior assimilation within an organization (Schein, 1990). Thus, organizational values are the filters that one uses to justify his or her actions or others actions. One can then surmise that cultural values are just a border and general extenuation of the definition of organizational values. I agree with Posner’s point when he said, “the key point to keep in mind about values is that implanting personal values energizes everything and everybody involved” (Posner, 2005)
The dynamism of personal, organizational and cultural values comes into being with individual choices or adherence to a set of beliefs. Interplay happens with the pursuit of knowledge which enables one to solve a problem and thus obtain wisdom. A nurse presented with a choice of performing a task that he or she is uncomfortable with has the professional and personal ability to refuse to perform the action by making a conscientious objection. By making this objection a nurse keeps their integrity intact and adheres to their professional code of ethics, which gives worth to their personal values (Baker, 1996). Why would someone in an organization perform a risky or disagreeable task for an organization? One performs the task because the organizational values or the cultural values serve as a mediating force to justify his or her actions within the organization or culture (Tuler, Machlis and Kasperson, 1992). From this perspective, one can see the continuous rearranging of priorities and beliefs that one goes through when a course of action is taken. The re-prioritization of values happens because the individual has been presented with a new result. This new choice alters the importance of the value that holds primacy, be it personal, organizational or cultural.
There have been times where one of my values of the triumvirate (personal, organizational and cultural) has held ultimate sway in my decision-making and that value perspective enabled me to justify actions, create a sense of acceptance and obtain personal fulfillment. As an undergraduate brother of Delta Tau Delta, my decision-making was influenced by the organization, thus it held primacy in my decision-making. In the early stages of my life, organizational values (family, clubs and loose associations’ values) held ultimate sway because they gave me my personal worth and shape my personal values. The interchanging and expansion of values happened among my triumvirate when my needs of existence and wants changed. With acknowledge and experience, the triumvirate increases its dynamism and becomes fluid in its interchanging of dominance in decision-making. As I moved out into the world, I tested and experimented with various types of cultural values be it the inter-city culture, the suburban culture, the African-American culture, and the list goes on, but in the end I constructed a template of what I defined as my cultural values, which is the most malleable of the triumvirate of values. My personal and organizational values are defined by an interlocking free flowing stream of understanding and meaning with my cultural values providing a context of actions, actions-based on the obtainment of knowledge so as to obtain wisdom and ultimately to place myself in a state of exhilaration. My conceptualization of values are not static they grow with each new experience. The free flowing interchange of values is where I see my power of choice in operation. And, when my interlocking free flowing stream of understanding and meaning is disrupted, my meaning of life faults and my sense of stability falters.
Stephen Covey, an international respected authority on leadership, outlined in his book, THE 8th HABIT From Effectiveness to Greatness, the power of choice and the power of the individual to make or not to make a choice. From Mr. Covey‘s testament of effectiveness to greatness, individuals are not pawns in the positioning of the hierarchy of values: personal, organizational and cultural (Convey, 2004). Instead, the individual is the chess master who moves his or her values around the chessboard of life to maximize his or her lives, be it personal and/or professional. And, they the individual have to do the moving.
My decision-making, the triumvirate (personal, organizational and cultural values and ethics) are fluid players that impact various decisions in my personal and professional life. They provide the context in which I make decisions so as to give “meaning to life.” And the meaning I am searching for is wisdom, the place of happiness where I am challenged to expand my competencies, and thus with expanded competencies I become an efficient and effective scholar practitioner leader.
The timeline to becoming efficient and effective scholar practitioner leader
There are some poignant lyrics written my Masser and Goffin (1975) and song by Diana Ross is germane to our discussion and those lyrics are as follows:
Do you know where going to/ Do you like what life is showing you.
The end game in my developmental plan is the creation of expertise in the following areas:
Leadership development,
Organizational efficiency and effectiveness
Individual and organizational motivation
Appendix A outlines the timeline and actions that will be pursued in my leadership developmental plan. Although figure 1 is brief in content, my developmental plan maintains a key element of flexibility to change with as needed with the introduction of innovations and situational opportunities.
Appendix A:
Complete doctoral program.- Dec. 2013
Develop topics for dissertation - Next two to three months. (2008)
Began research - October 2008
Select a topic and write outline - January 2009
Seek out member with the National Black MBA Association and other professional association - Today
Seek out different professional employment from retail - Next week
Start a professional and personal journal of reflection. - Start of Jan. 2008
Set a milestone review or big premise review of professional and personal goals. - Bi –Annual (August and January)
Start a Blog as means of self improvement. - End of 2008
Add and read new book on leadership to my personal library (outside of coursework) - Monthly
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Networks/ Networking’s impact upon leadership:
