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Running Head: Action Plan

Action Plan Application Journal - 6

Leah Beth Parsons Queens University of Charlotte Comm 628: Leader and Communication August 10, 2010

Leah Beth Parsons

Action Plan |2 August 10, 2010 You have asked us to create a leadership action plan, based on the things we have learned and discussed in class over the past few months. Fist off I want to express my delight in this assignment. Im not trying to be a brown noser, but I must say that in all the time I have spent in school I have never been asked to do such, however this is natural in the workforce. Creating a leadership plan seems easy, and many companies have gone above and beyond, however I find this task to be quite difficult. I think it is important to first ask yourself whether you believe that leadership is a characteristic you are born with, or is it one you can be developed over time. I still dont know the answer to this question so for me this is a very difficult task. What I think I have come to believe is that people are born with certain characteristics that seem prevalent in successful leaders: things such as charisma, sociability, extroversion, and drive. However, there are many characteristics that people can develop such as: adaptability, self-confidence, determination, and intelligence. The new question is what makes a person a leader? We decided on that first day of class that leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. So I think that a leader in one situation and group could be a follower in a completely different situation and grouping of people. I personally believe that an emergent leader, someone who is perceived by others as the most influential, is much more effect than an assigned leader, someone who is considered the leader based on their title and position. Therefore the leader must be someone the followers can relate to and understand.

Action Plan |3 So now that we understand what makes and who is considered a leader: someone who is able to influence others and the most influential leader is someone who others can relate to and understand, we can now talk about my action plan!! Who am I: I think the first step I need to take is figuring out who I am and what traits/characteristics I possess? One of our first assignments was to have others complete the leadership trait questionnaire. From this questionnaire I learned that others believe that my strongest traits are: trustworthy - being authentic and inspiring confidence; friendly showing kindness and warmth; outgoing talks freely, gets along well with others. While some of the things struggle with and need to work on are: Self assured being secure with self, free of doubts; conscientious is thorough organized, and controlled; and being empathic understands others, identifies with others. Knowing what others think is important because these are the people you will be leading. If you have one idea of yourself and they have another then you are sending mixed messages. I was happy with my results because all but one was right on with my opinion. I do believe that this is an ongoing process. I have learned that I am consistently growing and changing and my opinion of myself changes, therefore I must assume that others opinion of me will change as well. I think it is important to know your traits, however remember that you could develop new traits as you grow as an individual. How do I relate to others:

Action Plan |4 Not only should you know who you are as a person, but also how others perceive you as an individual. Relating to others is extremely important especially if you are considered their leader. We have talked about various leadership approaches this semester and each approach besides the first 3: Trait, Skills and Style, mention the follower. I always say you are only as strong as your weakest link. Therefore you must know how you relate to others and what things they need in order to succeed. In my book I had to read for class one of the take aways was listening. Im sure you have heard of the 80/20 rule. This refers to the idea that a good leader should listen 80 percent of the time and talk 20 percent of the time. A good leader listens to not just the words that are expressed by their followers but also the non-verbals. What leadership approaches work for me: After reviewing my traits and skills, then looking at how I relate to others I think that two of the approaches that would work best for me are: Leader-Member Exchange and Contingency. Leader Member Exchange or LMX is the idea that a leader should develop highquality exchanges with all of her subordinates. I am a very inclusive person. I hate when people eat by themselves or when a person does not know something others are talking about. Just the other day I was sitting in a meeting and a story was mentioned that involved a small portion of the room, including me. I decided to take it upon myself to brief the others in the meeting on these stories and events. This theory speaks on in-group and out-groups and the fact that those who feel as though they are part of the in-group develop and work best while those in the outgroup do what is necessary to get the job completed (more task oriented individuals). I believe this idea and that you can only include those you feel

Action Plan |5 comfortable around. Part of being comfortable is getting to know others and the best way to get to know another individual is by listening. While LMX is a great theory I do believe that it has faults. It is almost impossible to include everyone in every detail (you would not be able to do your job) so there is always going to be an out-group. This theory states that a good leader relates to all individuals, and while this is a reach goal we know that some people will never get along. They may be able to work together, but they will never choose to work together. The next theory I think I can develop is the contingency theory. This is the idea that the leader is matched to certain situations. I was just recently named leader of the ambassador program. This is an organization that reaches out to incoming freshmen during major events here on campus. These students need to be energetic, positive and role-models. Im not surprised I as given this responsibility since I am considered the cheerleader in the office. I have the characteristics that need to be displayed; therefore I am able to relate to some of the hesitations and concerns, as well as the excitement and joys with this position. While this is a position I feel that I will excel in, I do believe there are many leadership positions where I would struggle. If I was placed in a leadership position that dealt with technology or data, then I would have a hard time relating to the subject matter as well as the people. I enjoy socializing while I work, and many times this is not acceptable or not realistic in a data/technology position. While I feel this is a theory I could improve upon I do see issues with this theory, because a good leader will find a way to relate with almost any type of person or task. They see bigger picture and should not be bogged down with the small issues

Action Plan |6 such as tasks. However I do like the fact that they take into account that people are different and have different skill sets. How do assess my progress and growth: The next step I need to take is assessing my progress and growth. It is important to reward yourself with check points and levels of success. While I believe I do have the qualities of a leader, I think I have a lot to improve upon. One of those things is gathering knowledge of specific fields. One of the traits of a leader is intelligence. Intelligence comes from knowledge and knowledge of a subject gives you expert power. Therefore I need to remember to set aside time to learn things in my field, especially the things I know I struggle with, such as data and technology. One way to assess your growth is by taking in others opinions and remarks. Not just those of your followers, but also your peers and leaders. One of the first steps I said I need to take is listening to others and their opinions. This is also one of the last steps (this should actually be completed at all times). By listening to others you can see how you have changed and how you are perceived, from the time you started until now. I also think it is important for you to take notes and visualize your successes and failures. One of the best ways to learn is by failing. So it is extremely important for us to see where we struggled and how we picked up those pieces. While you may believe that you will remember the details, more than likely you wont. So keep a journal of your steps and the outcomes. Then reward yourself when you reach those benchmarks. If you can include others in this process then the reward is even more enjoyable!

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These steps are ones that I am going to try and take over the next few months to see if I am becoming more of a leader in my office. I am also going to use these steps to asses my current leaders. I believe that having a mentor/role model is a great thing. It is someone you can look up to for advice and see the mistakes they have made, so you do not fall in those same traps. While every individual has the opportunity to become a leader based on the followers I dont think every individual will. It does take a special person to be willing to take the fall if things should go wrong, to be able to make the hard decisions, and be willing to include those you do not like.