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Learning Objectives:

· Assess your leadership style and strengths

· Develop an authentic and effective personal leadership style

Directions: This assignment has three parts:

Part I: Data gathering

Part II: Data analysis

Part III: Self-assessment and development plan.

Part I: Data Gathering (10 points)

Step 1: Complete the Leadership Styles Workbook (LSW) (purchased at the  Bookstore ) and  Emotional-Social Intelligence Self-Assessment  to identify areas of strength/development.

Step 2: Write Your Personal Narrative by considering these questions derived from Discovering Your Authentic Leadership and Managing Oneself:

· Which people and experiences in your life have had the greatest impact on you?

· What strategies/tools do you use to become self-aware? What is your authentic self? At what times do you think—this is the real me?

· What are your most deeply held values (see  values list ). Where did they come from? Have they changed over time? Do your values inform your actions?

· What are your strengths?

· In what ways do you work best?

· What motivates you extrinsically? What are your intrinsic motivations? Do you/how do you balance extrinsic and intrinsic motivations in your life?

· What kind of support team do you have? How might you diversify your team to broaden your perspective—make you a more authentic leader?

· Is your life integrated? Are you the same person in all aspects of your life? If not, why not?

· What does being authentic mean in your life? Have you ever paid a price for your authenticity? Was it worth it?

· What steps can you take today, tomorrow, and longer-term to develop your authentic leadership?

Step 3: Gather feedback using the Reflected Best Self (RBS) exercise from How to Play to Your Strengths.

1. Identify Respondents and ask for specific feedback. Select at least two family members, two friends, and three colleagues from current/previous employment.

2. Ask these individuals to provide information (in writing via e-mail) about your strengths, accompanied by specific examples of when you used these strengths in ways that were meaningful to them, their families, teams or organizations.

Part II: Data Analysis (10 points)

1. Review the leadership styles identified through the LSW and emotional intelligence strength areas from the EIS.

2. Review common themes and significant junctures in your personal narrative.

3. Identify common themes from the feedback received from your respondents (see page 5 of How to Play to Your Strengths for an example).

Part III: Leadership Self-Assessment and Development Plan (10 points)

In a four to six page paper (not including attachments) construct your leadership self-assessment and development plan based on the data you have gathered and analyzed and referencing class readings on leadership styles, Level 5 leadership, etc.

In your self-assessment discuss your current state as a leader:

· What has the data (self-reported and solicited) revealed about your leadership style and strengths?

· Were any of the findings surprising to you? Did the data sources corroborate or conflict in findings?

The second part of your paper contains your development plan based on what you uncovered and what kind of leader you hope to be:

· How will you get from your current to desired leadership state?

· What steps can you take today, next week, next month, next year to move forward in your development?

· How will you measure successful achievement?

Refer to your class readings for ideas, strategies and tools to help you accomplish your goals.

Attachments to your paper must include: your LSW and EIS results (may be photographed/scanned), personal narrative, and copies of all respondent e-mails (identify if they are a colleague, relative or friend).