Leadership Plan
Linking leadership practice to leadership theory
Builds on the first assessment and is aimed to link your conclusions about your own leadership style back to the theory on leadership you have studied in the unit and to provide you with a way to further enhance and develop your leadership capacity.

A 2–3 year leadership development plan

What is provided here is the outline for a leadership development plan. It provides a framework for a development plan that will help you develop your own leadership skills and style. It is for you to choose the appropriate style of leadership that you feel suits you and your particular employment and cultural context.
The format for the plan is straightforward. Under each heading there is a brief explanation of what is required and then it is up to you to fill in the details – about the leader you know best – yourself. This can be an ongoing developmental and continuous learning process. You will find that the detail will change over time; but the format allows you to add and take away content whenever it is appropriate to do so and to continue to refine your own leadership.
Before you commence, keep these issues in mind:
• Plan only 2–3 years ahead. The plan is a work in progress and will change as your career, skills base and circumstances change.
• Keep your goals modest. Do not try to improve in more than two or three areas at any one time.
• Be specific and not general in your statements and about your goals. Set time lines for yourself.
• Use your findings from the first assessment task to assist you.
Now work through the steps below responding to each of the questions as you work your way through.

1. Executive Summary
This is a summary of the contents of the report. It should briefly document the purpose of the report and summarise the contents.

2. Table of Contents
The table of contents lists each of the sections in your report, bibliography, appendices and page numbers. Each section in the report should be numbered (unlike an essay).

3. Introduction.
This section should both introduce the rest of the report and put it in context. In terms of introducing the report it should clearly outline what the purpose of the report is. In terms of putting it in context it should: (a) relate to your own context – work, leadership role, organisation experience etc. (b) relate to the study of leadership and notions of leadership development, and (c) relate to relevant aspects of self-awareness derived from assignment

4. Development Plan
In this section you should address the outcomes of the steps you were directed to pursue in the assignment details above.
4A Development Plan – Analysis
In this sub-section you should address the outcomes of the first four steps you were directed to pursue in the assignment details above.
1. How do you wish to be remembered as a leader?
2. What leadership style do you aspire to?
3. Analysis of strengths and weaknesses
4. Compare current attributes with those desired in the future
5. Identify the two or three areas you believe you need to work on.

4B Development Plan – Develop Capacity
In this sub-section you set out your response to step five in the assignment details. It should detail specific actions that you would take to develop your leadership style. This is a key part of the assignment and you need to be specific and detailed in what you propose.

4C Development Plan – Assessment of Success
In this sub-section you set out your response to step six in the assignment details. It should specify how you would go about determining the success of your capacity building in relation to your leadership style.

5. Conclusions
This section should summarise the report and particularly the development plan. It should link back to the introduction and relate back to both the theory and research context and your personal context.

6. References

7. Appendices