Building of My Personal Leadership Plan

A personal leadership plan is a useful tool to guide a person through their career on how to grow and how to deal with the challenging demands of being a leader. It is a process that is guided by principles such as purpose, vision, beliefs and knowing oneself. The process undertaken will highlight my strengths and weaknesses and identify areas of development that will be improved to ensure that ultimately I am an effective leader. The overall outcome will be a plan that I can apply to grow as a person in order to contribute positively to the organisation that I work for.

The results revealed that I am a strategic thinker, methodical in approaching tasks and very accurate. I rely heavily on facts and weighing all possible alternatives when making decisions, which at times may delay the process of implementation. I am also an introvert who prefers to maintain a position of low visibility in a group, sometimes forfeiting the opportunity of stating my point of view due to a fear of being perceived as ridiculous.

I believe that if I am to become a better human being and leader I need to be able to recognize my own strengths and weaknesses. I will be able to understand myself better and understand how I function. Strengths give you leverage and boost self-confidence and weaknesses, if not addressed, have the potential to hold you back from achieving great results. The assessments done have helped me to clearly identify my strengths and weaknesses which will be discussed in depth below.

Strengths

• I am strong on implementation, ensuring that things get done regardless of how much time this may require. I am able to turn ideas and plans into defined tasks with specific deadlines
• I have set high standards of performance in all areas of work and personal life. This is filtered through to my subordinates who constantly improve their performance to meet the standard set. As individuals and a collective we strive for excellence Situations which offer resistance do not deter me, they drive me to stretch myself and reach new limits and discover abilities which I did not think I possessed. This is linked to my core value of challenges· I am able to remain calm and focused even when under pressure, I have a good deal of self-control. This skill has helped me to think clearly amidst chaos around me and ensure that the team and I do not lose sight of the goal at hand.
• Honouring my commitments is a key factor as I understand that my action has an impact on someone else’s plans. I ensure that there is follow through on plans, goals and milestones that were agreed upon with stakeholders. I understand that my actions or lack thereof have consequences
• Being a highly independent person, I have the ability to work alone and do not depend on other people for support. I am able to assume responsibility for my decisions while considering those around me. The analysis on the Insight Discovery Colour Dynamics indicated that my personality leaned to the “Cool Blue”. This revelation has certain implication associated with my strengths; namely:
• I am a planner and organiser. It is easy for me to complete tasks when I have a structured to-do list that I follow.
• I am cautious and will not do anything carelessly without weighing all possible consequences.
• I seek harmony in groups of people and do not like offending others. I avoid situations with conflict. However on a bad day I can be indecisive, suspicious, cold and reserved. Even though my personality is a “Cool Blue”, the results also indicated that I access the “Red” personality easily. When a situation requires it, I am able to be determined, purposeful and strong-willed in the way I approach things.

Weaknesses

Being a good leader is also realising that I have certain shortcomings that need to be developed in order to make me perform better.

• My rigidity in approaching tasks tends to limit my ability to be flexible and spontaneous and be open to change. I find it challenging to think outside the rules that are set and therefore lack imagination or creativity
• I am a perfectionist and believe my way of doing things is the correct way. As a result of this, sharing responsibilities with subordinates is a challenge. In my present position as a production manager I am consumed daily with operational issues and miss the opportunity to progress to handling strategic matters
• Good communication skills are necessary to convey important information to my team, however this is an area of development for me as indicated in the Thornhill 360 questionnaire. I do not clearly define the way forward for the team, I tend to hold my cards to my chest
• Teamwork is challenging for me as I prefer to work alone and decipher problems my own way and at my own pace. I do not take well to being put under pressure to make a decision without investigating all possible solutions· I am perceived as unemotional, distant and uncaring towards others as I am an introvert. I am somewhat reserved and not open to form relationships easily unless I fully trust. This has made it difficult to build a strong team in the workplace
• Too self-critical and not being content with how I am doing things. It drives me to do better but I often miss the opportunity of being in the moment because I am frustrated with myself, I do not appreciate the progress that I have made. What do I want to accomplish in life. Success means many things to different people; to some it is the accumulation of wealth while to others it is making a difference in the world we live in. Achievement to me is knowing that my actions are making a difference for others, helping them develop their own potential and reach new heights. I do want to accumulate wealth, however it will make me happy to be able to contribute to worthy causes. I also want to be an understanding, compassionate and caring person who people can approach without any fear or hesitation.

My life should be a life of morals and integrity, I want to be a good example especially for my son. Society is full of role models that young children want to aspire to be like, however I would like my son to look towards me as a source of inspiration and guidance. I want to be an active parent in my son’s life, giving him a sense of belonging. The greatest reward for me is witnessing my son grow into a humble, driven and compassionate young man.

I want to be the best version of myself, understanding that the process of developing is a continuous one. I believe that one should keep on challenging themselves to be and do better in life because we all have the ability to be better. My personal core values Core values are the principles that guide our behaviour or decisions that we make, they determine who we are. I try to use my personal and leadership values daily as a guideline in everything that I do and say as they represent what I believe to be right, good or acceptable. My core personal values include the following:

• Respect – it is important to me to treat other people the same way I would like them to treat me regardless of their social standing, beliefs, education, etc. Everyone should be treated with respect because we are all equals. I also believe in acting in a respectful manner to all, even when their point of view differs from mine. Respect begins with self and includes the environment and people in authority
• Integrity – being honest and standing for what I believe in and living by my values. This is important to me because I want to always be honest, responsible, and transparent and hold myself accountable. I believe that people should always do what is right and for the right reasons
• Family – family gives a sense of belonging as they offer a safe and supportive base from which to explore the world and time spent with them is precious. My values and morals have been shaped by my family throughout the stages of my growing, my family is very special to me
• Humility – not thinking that I am superior to other people because of my education or status. I have learnt that in order to grow I need to be open to criticism from others and embrace it as an opportunity for continuous improvement
• Gratitude – frequently using the words “thank you” and “please” take little effort but those receiving those words appreciate them. I always try to express gratitude to those who help me, empower me and work under me and people in general. I have learnt that a reward does not always have to carry monetary value, a simple “thank you” goes a long way
• Challenges – always trying new and unfamiliar things to stretch myself. I believe this is how I grow my potential, increase my self-confidence and continue to build on the knowledge that I have
• Friendship – friends give one an opportunity to love and give of yourself unconditionally. The circle of friends I keep has offered me support and help during challenges times and have helped me develop the skill of sharing and caring
• Personal development – always on a journey to maximise my potential, I am constantly learning from my mistakes and successes
• Honesty – promotes authenticity and freedom and I strive to be truthful at all times. There is no gain in lying or withholding the truth from people as this will lead to relationships being broken down.

What do I want to be remembered for. The legacy that I want to leave behind is that of someone who lived their lives to the full, who was excited at the endless possibilities presented by life. I want to be remembered as someone who was kind and selfless towards others, someone who extended love. I have often been told that I am strong and resilient, so I would like to be the person who gives hope to those that are facing hard times in life.

When faced with challenges, I do my best not to crumble or succumb to the pressure. I hope that people will remember me as someone they could rely on, someone who was always willing to lend an ear and a helping hand. It is my desire to be remembered as a person who was honest and not pretending to be someone else. Being a goal-driven person, I would like to be remembered as a person who set goals and was determined to continue growing and learning through life’s experiences.

Where my family is concerned, I cherish every moment I spend with them now as time is irreplaceable. I strive to make myself accessible to them and always express my gratitude for all the sacrifices they have made for me. My hope is that they all know what a positive impact. When people think of me, they should smile and celebrate the greatness of life as it was lived by me.

Direction of the Organisation

SA Premix, which consists of 3 production plants producing animal feed additives in Burgersdorp, is a subsidiary of AECI. The organisation has experienced tremendous growth in the period that I have been employed and it has been a privilege to be involved in the process. The continuing growth of SA Premix will challenge me as a production manager to find ways of utilising our current assets more effectively. I must train myself to think outside the box and be creative as spending more money to build an additional plant is not a desirable option. The process of investigating better ways to utilise our equipment will be a team effort, so I must be able to work within a team and put my suggestions forward. Also, I am fairly new in the business so my priority is to better understand the business and to build strong and sustainable relationships with the customers.

Development Goals

As a leader I understand that I should be open to change and be willing to continuously grow as a leader and as an individual. The business world is changing and it is important that my goals are aligned to the goals of the organisation I work for, otherwise I will be ineffective as a leader.

Works Cited

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