Critical Reflection on Leadership and Personal Development Plan

This report presents a critical reflection on leadership, exploring the evolving qualities of effective leaders in the contemporary world. It emphasizes the importance of ethical leadership, good communication, and the ability to inspire positive change. The author discusses the significance of transformational leadership, focusing on people-oriented approaches and the importance of continuous self-improvement through feedback and self-reflection. The report includes a personal development plan, identifying leadership weaknesses and outlining objectives, activities, and resources for improvement. The plan focuses on enhancing clarity, decision-making skills, and assertiveness, with specific target dates and resources for achieving these goals. The author references various academic sources to support their analysis and development plan, highlighting the importance of continuous professional and personal growth for leadership success.

DEVELOPING AS A MANAGER AND A LEADER
Critical reflection on leadership
In present day, a leader is not just considered as a person whose capabilities lay limited in
providing an inspiring and good speech. They represents a person possessing the qualities of
convincing others for undertaking a change that seems destructive and focus more on
people’s participation thereby becoming good communicators as well as motivators
(Schalock and Verdugo 2012). Compared to past, the present world puts forward more threat
and hence there is a need to focus on changing the habits. Present day leaders need to have
the required conviction and moral for not just convincing the people but also advocating a
positive change (Onorato 2013).
Therefore, convincing the people for undertaking a positive change like change of habits for
better sustenance is what I believe defines a leader in real sense. I also believe that
recognition of the leadership skills is vital, and the followers should elect or opt for those
leaders who puts across reflection of moral values (Ishak and Bakar 2012). They have mostly

been the ethical leaders who has been directed by the values and the ethical beliefs for the
right and the dignity of the others. It has thus been mostly related to concepts like honesty,
trust, charisma, consideration and fairness. I have witnessed leaders who not delivered
speeches but also incorporated promise made by materializing them into so called actions.
Hence people should opt for a leadership who is able to bring in positive changes.
The leaders of today must have the qualities of a good listener (Gaiter 2013) which implies
higher level of agreeableness. This has been one of the facets of transformational leadership.
This mostly represented a leadership style where a leader is found to work with a team by
identifying the needed change and creating vision for guiding the change by means of
inspiration. Hence, this leads to the creation of leadership effectiveness. Here, the focus also
lies on people oriented leaders who lead to the creation of overall success through building of
lasting relationships with the employees. These leaders have mostly focused on the work
culture instead of schedules and task. This, I believe will enable him/her in understanding the
nitty-gritties of an issue or a problem. According to the professor of renowned university of
United States, leadership is a necessity in the upcoming decade (Anca 2014). Therefore, a
leader should try and derive wisdom through feedback, learn from failures and remain
persistent. They should also believe in the fact that nothing seems too bad in reality if they
are able to maintain a higher level of emotional maturity and mental attitude. Thus, it is to be
remembered that continuous development as leader do not simply happen. It is a result of
continuous professional and personal development, execution of the feedback and self-
reflection. Hence, deriving leadership success is a matter of conscious decision. I believe it is
the job of the leaders to earn the role with each single day.
Personal Development Plan
A leader requires support in an uncontrolled manner that aids empowerment of the self-
development thereby providing an aid to behavioural learning choices (Farrukh and Waheed

2015). This resulted in the enhancement of employee experiences and motivation along with
the sense of the self-competence thus resulting in the control of the leadership behaviour.
However, before the development of the personal development plan, I tried to identify certain
leadership weakness of my own that required development for prompting motivation as well
as employability within workplace and wider society. Some of my characteristics that I need
to work upon as a leader:
 Work on the bringing on more clarity: This is necessary as it is considered an
important characteristic of effective leadership since it help in empowering and
inspiring people in realizing their potential and thereby work towards achieving
common goals.
 Work on being more decisive: This is important as a leader as this empowers them
with the power of undertaking vital decisions effectively.
 Work on being more assertive: This is a vital criteria for effective leadership.
Assertiveness allows a leader to express their view point effectively and stand for it
while respecting the beliefs and the rights of the others. It also helps in boosting the
self-esteem and in earning respect from the others
Development
Objectives
Activities to
Follow
Resources
/Sources
required
Target Date
for
Achievement
Actual Date for
Achievement of
Objectives
1. Gaining significant
improvement on the
aspect of clarity
Undertaking proper
skill training
program based on
leadership
Access to
sources for
relevant
information
and
compliance to
the training
program
January to
April, 2020
By April 2020
2. Managing a
challenging project and
learn the art of decision
1. Proper planning
and gaining
experience in
Access to
feedback
shareholders
May to August,
2020
By August 2020

making and delivering
it according to schedule
while maintaining work
life balance.
decision making,
time management
and delegation.
2. Planning and
gaining substantial
experience in the
project
management
and the
schedule
variance
3.Improving skills of
effective leadership
through multitasking
and meeting deadlines
1. Avoiding
distractions and
keeping calm
2. Learn to work as
per priorities
3. By maintaining
good relationship
Gaining
sufficient
support
through
training
August to
September,
2020
By September, 2020

References
Anca, V.A.C.A.R., 2014. Leadership–a necessity in projects. Studies in Business &
Economics, 9(2), pp.128-134.
Farrukh, M. and Waheed, A., 2015. Learning organization and competitive advantage-An
integrated approach. Journal of Asian Business Strategy, 5(4), p.73.
Gaiter, D.J., 2013. Facets of leadership. The neurodiagnostic journal, 53(4), pp.323-327.
Ishak, N. and Bakar, A., 2012. Qualitative data management and analysis using NVivo: an
approach used to examine leadership qualities among student leaders. Education Research
Journal, 2(3), pp.94-103.
Onorato, M., 2013. Transformational leadership style in the educational sector: An empirical
study of corporate managers and educational leaders. Academy of Educational Leadership
Journal, 17(1), p.33.
Schalock, R.L. and Verdugo, M.A., 2012. A Leadership Guide for Today's Disabilities
Organizations: Overcoming Challenges and Making Change Happen. Brookes Publishing
Company. PO Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285.