Leadership in Action: Reflective Statement and Personal Growth Plan

This essay presents a reflective statement and personal development plan focused on leadership in action. It details the author's experience during a workload situation, emphasizing the importance of training and development in managing employee performance and motivation. The reflection incorporates mental models like the circle of competence and management theories such as contingency management and human relations to understand employee needs and improve leadership skills. The author identifies strengths and weaknesses, utilizing Kolb's learning cycle to enhance decision-making, critical thinking, and employee needs assessment. The essay culminates in a personal learning plan designed to address identified gaps and foster continuous professional growth, with the aim of becoming a more effective and adaptable leader.

LEADERSHIP IN ACTION

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK...............................................................................................................................................3
Reflective statement.....................................................................................................................3
Personal development plan..........................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
Leadership is defined as capability of an individual, which made them able to lead a team
of skilled and knowledgable candidates. It helps to build effective and productive groups of
individuals at workplace, who attempt to achieve the aim and objectives of a company. By
transforming this capability into an action, leader obtain desire outcomes in effective manner.
The current study will explain reflective statement and theoretical information about a chosen
activity and that is training & development, which will be conducted before work-load.
Furthermore, it will define the personal learning that I had gained from selected activity and will
also justify personal learning plan that would further build on and develop personal development
determine from chosen learning incident in relation to development as a leader and the effective
management of others.
TASK
Reflective statement
The procedure of managing performance of others and motivating employees is quite
tough for a leader to accomplish as it require a lot of hard work and attempt, but still during this
process they had gained useful knowledge about varied things such as employees needs in the
context of competencies development (Al-bdareen, 2020). Management of others, motivation
and work design are one of those concepts that a leader take into their consideration and conduct
effective activities related to these.
As a leader I want to share my personal experience and knowledge that I had obtained
during workload situation, when I had work harder to effectively manage the productivity and
performance of candidates, whether they are new or existing. Work-load is one of those
situations, when an organization and management expect from employees, employer, leader and
manager to perform in productive and appropriate manner.
At this situation, management had felt too much work pressure, so we had taken decision
to build strong and productive teams of employees at workplace, which required to develop a
plan and conduct specific activity. I feel that it is important to prepare everyone about workload
situation, where they can contribute to accomplish each task on time, without making any major
mistake and do not allow others to do so. On the other hand, I also felt nervous because of not
having good understanding about how to manage the performance and motivate individuals
because of lacking varied skills like decision-making, etc. I think that training and development

is the best activity related to management of individuals performance, motivation and work
design. I assume to develop useful, beneficial and essential training & development plan that
help to enhance the level of candidates performance and boost their morals by developing skills
which they tend to develop from longer time. I also expect that existing and new employees
while taking part in above discussed activity, can obtain expected outcomes in term of skills
development. I think that they all make achievable commitment, which contribute in progress
and success of venture. In the business world, there are several forms of mental models available,
but among all of these, I prefer to utilize circle of competence concept (Understanding your
Circle of Competence, 2021). According to this model, I had evaluated current situation within
circle of my abilities, because the size of that circle is not significant, as it is important to
understand its boundaries (Johnson-Laird and et.al., 2020).
During workload situation I had developed learning about employees needs relating to
personal and professional growth. At the time of work-load, I had gained experience of
generating my learning about workers expectations in way of effective communication and
collaboration. With the help of these two activities, I had gained better understanding about what
individual candidate expect from management and organization, where they tend to perform in
productive manner and contribute to achieve strategic goals. Effective communication allow me
to obtain the experience of understanding employees needs, which is one of my lacking areas.
My leadership experience generate my learning in the context of managing workers performance
and motivating them to retain with company forever at the time and after work-load that came
once in a year. This situation had given a lot of chances to me and other as well to develop and
learn something new as well as useful in term of skills, knowledge and understanding about
varied concepts that will help in the future growth.
I want to say that further reflection has helped me, in varied ways to develop deeper and
better learning from experience that I had gained while taking part in intense work load condition
at workplace, where I had taken responsibility to manage the performance and efficiency of other
people and enhance their motivation as a leader. In the future I will develop better understanding
about training and development importance at work area, where many candidates perform in
effective manner, just to make assure that their firm will grow rapidly and competitively. In way
to develop specific skill such as effective decision-making, further reflection has helped me to
understand deeper learning from experience of employees skills improvement, management and

motivation. By reflecting my own learning, I had gained comprehending about lacking areas,
regarding these I will work harder and attempt to develop in appropriate ways. It contributed
because of improving my leadership efficiency and skills even better than last few months or
years.
During work-load situation, where I am accountable to manage others and motivate all
candidates, my co-workers also contribute to develop my understanding about identifying the
needs and expectations of employees related to skills development or improvement, problem
solving and approaches that I am currently utilizing to enhance the extent of staff members'
motivation that play significant role in their career progress whether it is related to personal or
professional life. In term of appropriate suggestions and directions my co-workers contributed to
develop excellent comprehending about all above areas. They suggest me to create a pleasant
and productive working environment as well as organizational culture as a leader, where people
prefer to stay happy and always effective. Along with that, they also guide me to how to develop
an effective group at workplace and enhance their learning during critical situation, when
company needs their effectiveness and hard work as well as achievable commitment.
I had made sense of my experience, learning and professional practice about managing
staffs performance and enhance their motivation extent, by considering the statements, which has
been covered under applicable management theories. For example, I had taken contingency
management concept into consideration and according to that I have focused on current
situation, which enable me to take action and develop deeper learning & conducting professional
practice in term of managing other working efficiency, work, and boosting their morale, which is
as important and performance management. Chosen concept stated that there is not such way to
deal with situation, as a person always attempt to identify reason behind issue occurrence and
then take decision to what action or practice will be conducted (Cosottile and DeFulio, 2020). By
knowledge related to Human relation as another management theory also helped me to make
sense of my experience related to employees performance and productivity management in term
of identifying their needs and requirement, which allow them to be productive and effective at
work load duration, when I need them as star performer. It develops my learning and drive the
attention towards professional practice, in way of providing suggestion to develop better
relationship with all the staff members, and making possible changes in regard to working
environment, culture and other things that help individuals to grow continually.

Human relation is one of those management theories about which I have gained
knowledge earlier during my academic career, because I know that understanding related to that
will help me in the future (7 Types of Workplace Management Theories, 2021). According to this
approach, individual perform who expect to gain desire result may take action to make chances
in current practices, as it give them power to retain and acquire skilled candidates. Knowledge
about above two management concepts helped me to make good sense of acquiring information
about how to manage others work and how to motivate them, which is quite important for me to
do so, as I am a leader and I have to build productive groups of candidates. I develop
understanding about myself in term of determining lacking areas as my weaknesses and strengths
that made me capable to overcome the key challenges that I had faced due to work load situation.
By being a leader I have to change the way I have leading an individual as I am unable to
determine their needs and take decision to identify so.
It is important and beneficial for me to develop better knowledge about employee
motivation, performance management and approaches as well as practices that will conduct to do
these. For all the above things, I prefer to utilize concrete experience, reflective observation and
abstract conceptualization as three different learning styles by referring to Kolb's learning cycle,
which covers four types of developing forms, through these a person may develop or improve
their skills by conducting varied activities and taking suitable one into their consideration.
According to concrete experience as learning style I prefer to gain knowledge and understanding
about managing others work in effective manner by conducting effective management practices
like planning, monitoring and controlling activities of all candidates via apply method of training
& development. I also tend to utilize other individuals analysis and prefer to take a practical
approach, which enable me to obtain expect outcomes on time without making any major
mistakes.
Along with this, reflective observation is my another preferred style of learning, which
made me capable to identify extent to what approach is beneficial and applicable for specific
situation. It also allows me to identify development areas, which help to enhance my
performance level as an effective leader. I had determined skills that I seek to develop and due to
not having these I faced challenges. I have gathered information above these by reflecting on
experience that I had obtained while taking responsibility to manage all employees work and
practices and motivate them to be active as well as productive during work load situation. I had

identified that I am not posing greater understanding about decision-making, critical thinking and
approaches that I would utilize to determine employees needs. Along with above two, I also like
to develop in the future understanding about above discussed concepts, throughout learning from
current and previous experience.
In term of in-depth analysis, I had identified my capabilities as key strengths that helped
me to make a good sense of managing workers performance and enhancing their motivational
extent. Along with this understanding, I had also determined skill which I want to improve or
develop even better than other people at workplace in order to become an effective leader who
can and will deal with any situation whether it is work load or organizational change, which
many employees are unable to accept and felt demotivated.
As important strength, I have good knowledge about management theories, different
learning styles and team developing skill. I also had certain employment skills like effective
communication, collaboration, coordinative and supportive. On the other hand, along with all
these abilities, I had some weaknesses that put direct impact on my performance and productivity
level as a leader. I am not posing good understanding about appropriate decision-making, critical
thinking and employees needs comprehending skills. I want to develop all these three
competencies and for that purpose I tend to utilize helpful approach such as personal learning
plan.
Personal development plan
Personal learning plan is considered as one of the most important document or approach
that clearly outlines the reasonable adjustments and support that individual may take into their
consideration for purpose of developing skills, knowledge and understanding about areas which
they tend to develop from long time (Lejeune, Beausaert and Raemdonck, 2021). In the world of
academic and professional development, there are varied methods and techniques are existed, but
still PLP is the best because it helps learner to achieve their short, medium and long term goals,
by using key resources and measuring their performance after skills development or
improvement in the future.
Unlike other people's or learners, I also prefer to use and design personal learning plan,
through which I will develop those skills that further provide me benefit of dealing with several
situations as a leader, by working in effective manner at workplace.
Learning Personal Consideration of Criteria for Time frame

objectives learning
preferences or
approaches
practical
resource and
constraints
success
Decision-making From above
situation, I had
identified that I
am not having
good
understanding
about taking right
decision at
individual level,
without taking
support of others.
I want to develop
my decision-
making skill,
which play vital
role in my
professional as
well as personal
growth. From
above reflective
analysis, I had
determined my
weaknesses that I
am extremely
tending to
overcome, via
current personal
learning plan. The
In order to learn
how to take
effective and
appropriate
decision, I prefer
to utilize suitable
key resource and
that is situational
analysis. It is one
of those important
and useful
approaches that
many people have
taken into their
consideration,
before taking
decision to
conduct specific
activity related to
particular topic.
Here, I tend to
use above assets
that enable me to
identify reason
behind managing
others
performance and
its importance to
By analysing the
outcomes of
decision which I
will take further
regarding any
specific condition
or circumstance, I
would determine
the extent to
which I had
developed
understanding
about how to take
judgement in the
context of varied
situations that
will put direct
impact on
organizational as
well as employees
performance,
whether this
impact is negative
or may positive. I
would analyse the
learning of
decision-making
competence by
3 months

main reason
behind
developing
learning of
current
employment area
is productiveness.
As I want to be
productive and
effective during
any condition.
all. I will also
utilize internet,
and make
discussion with
other stakeholders
who are
accountable to
achieve set aims
during work load
situation. The
biggest constraint
that I have
considered while
learning ability to
take appropriate
decision is lack of
employees
support.
determining
performance
extent to staff
members, who
will perform
appropriately,
after
implementation
of action that
further I would
take.
Critical thinking Along with
above, I also seek
to develop critical
thinking skill,
because it made
me capable to
handle any
condition at
workplace by
applying useful
and essential
approaches, just
like me and my
There are many
resources
available at
workplace or out
of the area, which
I would utilize to
obtain a lot of
benefits. For
example, I will
take help from
internet, in order
to find out the
best ways in the
I would
effectively
identify or
measure
development of
current skill by
taking informal
feedback from
managers and
other leaders who
are also working
with me at same
work area and
4 months

co-workers had
used in above
situational
context. The
learning of
critical thinking
competence will
make me capable
define as well as
analyse the issues
that employees
would face and
due to that they
are unable to
perform
successfully
which negatively
impact on their
effectiveness and
growth.
context of
developing this
skill even better
than other leaders
and managers at
workplace. I will
also use books via
online and
offline, to know
much better about
how varied
leaders has
developed their
critical thinking
skill, which is
important for
their growth as
well as company
in which they are
working.
organization
where I am
accountable to
manager staff
performance and
maximize extent
of their
motivation. With
the help of
feedbacks I would
gather
information about
how my decisions
are effective in
the context of
major or minor
issues that
employees in the
future are facing.
Other individuals
who work around
me are able to
also observe my
activities and give
useful comments.
Lack of
information
about employee
needs
With above two
learnings, I also
want to learn way
to get data about
what employees
expect while
In order to
develop the
ability of
comprehending
information
regarding what
KIP is the best
and most
common method
that I would use
in the future as
success criteria.
5 months

being an
employee in a
company. With
the help of this
understanding I
would take an
approach to
provide them
satisfactory
facilities at
workplace that
allow
management to
take pleasure of
having skilled and
productive teams.
Without
developing
understanding
about this
competence I
would never
obtain desire
results in term of
highly motivated
groups of people.
workers need to
be productive and
work with good
morale, I prefer to
use set of skills as
key resource like
team working,
collaboration and
group activities,
which will give
me an opportunity
to know
individual
candidate much
closer.
For example, I
would analyse the
performance level
and employees
contribution in
regard to gaining
competitive
advantages. With
the help of this
term I would get
information about
effectiveness of
my understanding
about individuals
needs.
CONCLUSION
On the basis of above discussion, it has been concluded that by providing and conducting
training & development activity at workplace, especially during workload situation that has
enabled leaders to builds skilled teams of players. While conducting this practice they had

developed better understanding about managing the performance of other individuals at work
area, who tend to enhance their professional skills and also seek to grow professionally. With the
help of personal learning plan individual had developed better understanding about varied needs
of employees related to skills development, which play vital role in their career growth and
success. Furthermore, from above analysis, it has been analysand that contingency management
theory, mental model and Kolb reflective learning styles has enabled leader to obtain desire
outcomes. As they had developed comprehending about managing staffs performance, by
developing their own skills such as effective decision-making, understanding employees needs
and problem solving.