Running Head: LEADERSHIP e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e 1
7-2 Milestone Two: Adaptive Leadership Toolkit
MBA 530
November 28,2021
SNHU
LEADERSHIP e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e 2
Business Problems
The issue that the organization is facing currently revolves around the leadership
approach. The year’s employee engagement survey has revealed that the employees of the
organization are not satisfied with some of the leadership practices. Researcher Simiyu (2015) has
identified in his research study that the leadership approach that is adopted is a critical component
that has the potential to influence the entire organization and the employees that function in it
(Simiyu, 2015). In the organization that is involved in making prosthetics, the leadership area is a
major source of concern as it has adversely affected the satisfaction level of the organizational
personnel. One of the major issues that exist in the organization relates to the limited focus on
recognition and praise. Similarly, another area that has led to dissatisfaction in the employees is
related to limited support by supervisors. Thus, the core issues that need to be addressed in the
entity revolve around the adoption of a better leadership approach so that the employee
satisfaction level can be improved.
Current Strengths
On the basis of the employee engagement survey, there are certain skills and behaviors
that can be considered as the current strength of leadership. A vital area of strength that has been
revealed is the commitment to help the employees to fulfill their family and other responsibilities.
It acts as a major factor that improves the professional relationship between the leaders and the
employees. It enables their employees to strike a balance between their personal and professional
life and increases their level of satisfaction in the work setting. Another important strength that
has been identified in the survey revolves around the high commitment of the employer to provide
value to the clients as well as the customers. The high level of commitment shows that there exists
a major link between the organizational goals and the individual objectives of the employees.
LEADERSHIP e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e 3
According to Dirani (2020), leadership competencies and skills play an integral role in the
prevailing organizational landscape. Some of the key leadership elements that the researcher has
identified include sharing a common vision, enabling others to act, and encouraging the heart
(Dirani et al., 2020). By focusing on these elements, it is possible for leaders to play a proactive
and influential role to help the employees and the employer work in a cohesive manner to reach
the business objectives.
Current areas of weaknesses
The results of the employee engagement survey have helped to identify a number of areas
of weaknesses for leadership. A key weakness is that there is limited focus on the training and
development needs of the employees. Based on the survey, many employees feel that their
supervisors do not engage with them and make an attempt to identify their training needs. It acts
as a key aspect that not only diminishes the level of engagement in the work setting but also
restricts the ability of the organizational personnel to grow and learn in the organizational context.
Another major weakness relating to leadership that has been identified in the organizational
setting is the limited focus on recognition and praise. The leaders do not go out of their way to
acknowledge and appreciate the employees for their efforts and hard work. This weakness has a
spilling effect as it negatively affects the morale of the employees and diminishes their level of
satisfaction. According to Jain (2019), leaders can play a key role in keeping the employees
motivated and satisfied in the organizational environment (Jain et al., 2019). However, in the
specific organizational context, it has been observed that the leaders lay little emphasis on
recognition, rewards, and praise. It negatively affects the motivation of the employees and
hampers their contribution and quality of performance in the business setting.
LEADERSHIP e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e 4
Importance of including a Personal Development Plan
While working on the adaptive leadership toolkit, it is necessary for a leader to integrate a
comprehensive Personal Development Plan (PDP). It can be defined as an action plan that
encompasses the individual goals that an individual intends to achieve in the future (Putter, 2021).
It plays an instrumental role for each and every individual to grow and learn in both his personal
and professional lives. While working on the leadership style, the existence of a Personal
Development Plan is considered to be highly valuable as it can help to work on various kinds of
skills by taking necessary steps and measures. According to Avadhani (2016), there is a vital
connection between leadership development and personal development (Avadhani, 2016). A
thoughtful and well-planned PDP could act as the pathway that would enable individuals to work
on the behavioral areas that need to be strengthened in the future. By adopting the SMART goal-
setting approach, it would be possible to remain focused on the exact goal that needs to be
accomplished and the exact steps that must be taken to accomplish the same. While improving
leadership skills and competencies, the adoption of the SMART goal-setting approach can be
highly beneficial as it can help to plan suitable actions and activities, measure the progress
towards achieving the goal, and determine whether the goal has been met or not (Chen & Decary,
2020).
Impact of Personal Development Plan and SMART goals on leadership styles
In the specific organizational context, the Personal Development Plan, as well as SMART
goals, could play an instrumental role in filling the existing leadership gap. The PDP plan would
serve as the catalyst and help to identify the area that needs to be improved in the future. For
example, one of the key aspects that could be identified for improving personal development
LEADERSHIP e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e 5
relates to communication and interpersonal skills. By focusing on this aspect, the supervisors in
the business setting would be able to play a proactive role to engage with the employees and
identify their exact training and development needs. By working on the area, they would be able
to strengthen professional bonds in the work setting (How to create a personal leadership
development plan. Bachelor's Degree Completion, 2021). The PDP would act as the main tool
that could be used in the organization to improve the leadership style by taking necessary steps
and actions. The designing of SMART goals would be of paramount importance to work towards
the intended target. By setting up specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound goals,
it would be possible for individuals to work on their leadership style in a methodical and strategic
manner. The creation of such detailed and narrow goals would ensure that the leaders can focus on
the exact skill or behavior that they need to work on to improve their leadership style. In the
particular organizational setting, both Personal Development Plan and SMART could be used to
address the leadership gaps and increase the level of satisfaction of employees.
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References
Avadhani, A. (2016). Leadership Development and Personal Development: Is there a
Connection?. SM Journal of Nursing. 2. 10.36876/smjn.1004.
Chen, M., & Decary, M. (2020, January). Artificial intelligence in healthcare: An essential guide
for health leaders. In Healthcare management forum (Vol. 33, No. 1, pp. 10-18). Sage CA:
Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications.
Dirani, K. M., Abadi, M., Alizadeh, A., Barhate, B., Garza, R. C., Gunasekara, N., ... & Majzun,
Z. (2020). Leadership competencies and the essential role of human resource development
in times of crisis: a response to Covid-19 pandemic. Human Resource Development
International, 23(4), 380-394.
How to create a personal leadership development plan. Bachelor's Degree Completion. (2021,
April 8). Retrieved November 24, 2021, from https://www.northeastern.edu/bachelors-
completion/news/personal-leadership-development-
plan/#:~:text=Benefits%20of%20a%20Personal%20Leadership,that%20you%20hope%20t
o%20complete.
Jain, A., Gupta, B., & Bindal, M. (2019). A study of employee motivation in organization.
International Journal of Engineering and Management Research (IJEMR), 9(6), 65-68.
Putter, M. (2021, October 5). What is a personal development plan? CPD Online College.
Retrieved November 24, 2021, from https://cpdonline.co.uk/knowledge-
base/business/what-are-personal-development-
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plans/#:~:text=A%20personal%20development%20plan%2C%20which,develop%20to%2
0meet%20your%20goals.
Simiyu, N. A. (2015). Role of leadership in organizational development. Journal of Management
Studies, 1-24.
