Personal Leadership Development Plan I first stepped onto the campus of Purdue University, as a student, in the fall of 2001;

throughout high school I developed the foundations of strong leadership skills, as well as the fundamental tendencies, values, and drive which make a person an effective leader. It was only after that first semester, however, that I realized how important those skills truly are, and how many different ways there are to apply them to our lives every single day; specifically my experience in the Purdue All-American Marching Band. With a daily rehearsal schedule, rain or shine, as well as a weekly audition process to determine who would be in that week's show, it was important to demonstrate as many positive qualities as possible, including leadership amongst our peers. Over those four years, success was defined as being chosen to be part of the show that week, but also as working hard to get there, and enjoying the fruits of that labor of love on Saturday afternoon. This attitude will be carried with me for the rest of my life, and it is in no small part due to my ambition, ability, and attitude. I hope to bring these qualities with me to whatever occupation or career path I choose. Primarily, I am interested in having a career that is involved in either entertainment or the arts; specifically comic books, animation, cinema, web and/or graphic design, or in publishing. A degree in Organizational Leadership & Supervision, with a background in Computer Graphics Technology, should make me very employable. Within one year, I would hope to have secured employment at a company that deals in those mediums, most likely in an entry level position. For instance, I will be taking an internship at the Walt Disney World Resort in the spring of 2012; I will be in Housekeeping, but I will still be afforded many networking opportunities during my stay. As the years progress, I hope to advance my career, continuing to demonstrate leadership skills, as well as people skills, and work to make my company the best in its field. Skilled, driven, and personable management is required in any large company, and the larger it is, the more opportunities for managerial work should be available. A decade from now, I hope to look back to my entry-level position and smile at how far I've come. Hopefully I will be charged with leading teams in producing the highest quality products in our line of work, and I hope to be respected by my subordinates, for both my interpersonal skills as well as my drive for us to be successful as an organization. My monetary compensation is not of great concern, though I would like to be making a comfortable salary, with appropriate benefits to a high- or top-level manager.

Self-assessment 1: Measure of Self-Confidence Self-confidence is one of the most important intangible qualities which a leader must possess. The leader's role can not be fully realized if they are not supremely confident in themselves, but not to the point of detrimental narcissism. I scored a 6 on this self-assessment, of which I was not very surprised. Each of us has many reasons to be confident in the things we say and do, but it is important to remember that we do each have our short-comings. This is part of the equation that I feel is often lost, as realizing, confronting, and appreciating each other's faults can bring to light new ways to improve on both the leadership and the following. As stated in the text, the first step to increasing one's self-confidence is distancing one's self from controlling, judgmental, discounting, and demanding people. These individuals are less likely to provide us with the type of support, and pro-active corrective measures, which are necessary for a leader to be effective. The text also lists two points which I strongly believe in: Seek out mentors and role models, and seek out organizations that focus on the positive notions of hope, resiliency, optimism, and well being. These factors lead to a beneficial work environment for all concerned, and will lead to increased productivity, job satisfaction, and a sense of genuine involvement in the end product. Self-assessment 2: Initiating Structure and Consideration My Consideration score was higher than my Initiating Structure score on this assessment; 4.5 and 4, respectively. Again, I am not too surprised at these results, as I am generally a fairly people-oriented individual. It would appear that I have a belief that people generally have a drive to succeed, and to do well at the tasks which are presented to them on the job. However, I do not completely ignore the need for Structure in the process; I agree with the text in the importance of Structure in instances such as preparing questions for interviewing perspective employees, and that those new hires do need Structure by which to ensure they are fitting the position for which they have been hired. It is important to make clear the goals and aspirations of the organization, in order to make disciplinary action effective, when it is necessary. Over-supervising is one example of a pitfall which can be avoided by having a high Consideration for subordinates; routine tasks, or experienced employees, do not need to be watched-over during their entire shift, nor do they desire it. A sense of autonomy is a good thing, especially when it allows for creative problem solving, empowerment, and a genuine satisfaction with the job.

Self-assessment 3: Participative Leadership, Delegation, and Empowerment This assessment did surprise me, to a degree. My scores included a 4.5 for Person's Capacity, 5 for Participation, 4.5 for Control, but what surprised me was the 2.5 for Information Sharing. I think of myself as someone who shares as much information as is applicable to the situation, so long as I am at liberty to provide it, but this score demonstrates that this many not be the case. The text states that one way to combat these potentialities is to not make the employee guess what is expected of them; I should make an effort to clearly state my expectations, and then to follow up with inspections accordingly. This seems to be somewhat selfexplanatory, but I understand how the value of this process could be underestimated by individuals in a high stress environment. Self-assessment 5: Power and Influence While my results here, as with assessment 3, were generally positive, I find some of the scores a bit disturbing. 6.17 for Rational Persuasion, 5 for both Upward Appeal Coalition, 6 for both Integration and Inspirational Appeal, 7 for Consultation, but only a 4 in Exchange. This surprises me, as I generally feel I am willing to give of myself, and sacrifice some of my own goals, in order to help others reach theirs. The danger inherent to this, however, is clearly stated in the text, as leaders who have surrounded themselves with sycophants may be only abusing their power, not using it effectively. Perhaps subconsciously this is why I leaned towards answering the questions in the assessment the way in which I did; it comes back to the golden rule, I suppose: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This is supported by another point stated in the text, that it is important to behave in ways that I expect other successful individuals would behave if they were in the same position. It is important to have respect for my subordinates, and to treat them accordingly. Self-assessment 7: Emotional Intelligence This is a topic which has been discussed quite frequently, or at least it seems that way, since I have joined the Organizational Leadership & Supervision program here at Purdue. The scores represent a fairly accurate picture of my Emotional Intelligence; 3.8 for Expression, 3 for Thinking, 4.2 for Understanding, and 4.6 for Regulation, for cumulative score of 3.9 out of 5. The text reinforces the fact that emotions are strong feelings that demand attention, and are likely to affect cognitive processes and behavior. I am generally fairly self-aware of my moods and emotions, and how they develop and change across time; mastery of one's self is essential if

one is to be a leader of others. Understanding and controlling these feelings can help in problem solving, as well as in the daily face-toface interaction with superiors and subordinates. Self-regulation creates an outward feeling of stability, and reliability; one's subordinates will learn to trust that I, as a leader, am not given to wild emotional swings, or detrimental reactionary behavior. Empathy is also of the utmost importance, as it makes the leader more relatable to his or her employees; this is one of the more overlooked qualities of effective leadership, in my opinion, as it requires connecting with your employees on a level which many may not be ready to delve into in great detail. Self-assessment 9: Transformational Leadership Transformational leaders have been an influence in my life for many years, particularly being involved in the arts. My scores were as follows: 6.2 for Articulating Vision, 4.3 for Role Model, 6.6 for Fostering Goal Acceptance, 5.4 for Performance Expectations, 4 for Individual Support, 5.75 for Intellectual Stimulation, and a 5.4 for Transactional Leader Behavior. Generally, I am in agreement with these scores, as I have had many great examples of leadership throughout my young-adult life. The text illustrates phrases which a Transformational Leader would use; for instance, these individuals prefer to support employees with phrases such as I have always been able to count on you in these situations, rather than saying, I think you can do it. Their goal is to reinforce the fact that the subordinate is fully capable and knowledgeable regarding the task at hand, and that the leader has come to understand this; the Transformational Leader also sets challenging, yet reachable, goals by which they can further empower and encourage their employees. Of all of my leadership experience, the most powerful and memorable was being a student leader, namely the Drum Major, of my high school's marching band. Along with two friends, we were charged with preparing our organization for a long season ahead; starting in August, we were responsible for teaching the fundamental techniques of marching, as well as being the boots on the ground for the Director, who would generally be seated high above the field, in order to assess the formations, as well as the music which was to be performed. We had been prepared for this task by attending a week long Drum Major camp at the University of Illinois, where we learned many useful techniques for the instruction of marching style, as well as musicianship. Having a strong personality, I found it difficult sometimes to see eye-to-eye with our music director, figuratively speaking. One instance actually resulted in an emotionally heated conversation between myself and

said director, in full view of the band, and ultimately led to a shouting match, and me walking away in an angry huff. This course has illustrated how ineffective such behaviors are, and that I let my Emotional Intelligence get away from me; it was clear that our differences of opinion would not be solved by shouting at one another, especially not in front of the members of the band. In hindsight, I see there were most likely a multitude of ways by which I could have effectively handled the situation, with a much more positive outcome. A calm discussion in the privacy of her office would have been the mature, emotionally intelligent way to handle the matter, and OLS 284 has demonstrated that to me. Effective leaders must be willing to put their minor differences aside, particularly with their supervisors, for the good of the organization, and all those concerned. Aspiring to be a leader again in the future, I will take this lesson to heart, and promote this style of thinking and behaving to my future subordinates. If ever there is a disagreement in the workplace, I will ensure that the proper pro-active actions are taken, to ensure that it does not affect those around it unnecessarily, otherwise productivity is slowed, if not halted completely, and the general attitude takes a turn for the worse. I feel I have gleaned a great deal of insight from this class, and look forward to implementing what I have learned in the work world.

Personal Leadership Development Plan John Gorecki, OLS 284, 1:30 T/Th November 22, 2011

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