This section has 10 Personal Strategic Development Assessments framing the experiences of business leader’s looking to understand their strategic leadership journey. The journey outlined moves through personal uncertainty to professional proficiency and vision regarding the apprehensions they have and the discovery of their strategic leadership skills during their process of assessment. This assessment outlines more than failed attempts at strategic development business people experience on a daily basis. This assessment is not an hour-long online seminar or an hour long meet with managers and employees at annual reviews. These leaders conducted their personal assessment of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats experienced through their personal and professional experience. (Forbes, 2016)
Each leader assesses their life experiences (personal and professional) and individual strengths to further their personal strategic development and move forward their personal and career strategic leadership capabilities and influence to change and strengthen responses to the circumstances and stressors they face is a first step for providing a firm foundation to the entire process. (JOCP, p. 140) Identifying personal and professional strengths and weaknesses, while identifying areas needing attention to strengthen strategic leadership practice is an important part of the process. By pursuing personal and professional development they communicate trust to colleagues and relieve pressure on leaders struggling with knowing exactly where they are in the process of developing leadership skills and organizational influence. (Forbes)
Each assessment explores the personal mission, vision and values for individual strategic leadership practice and looks at key strategic drivers for fulfilling their personal mission, vision and values to create significant impact for achieving their fullest leadership potential. Identifying areas they need to abandon and areas they need to excel, provides a firm foundation for refocusing their present experience and move them toward more effective strategic leadership practice. Leaders who know the culture they want to develop and the drivers they envision, replaces uncertainty with confident practice and positive strategy.
Often this requires challenging methods of the past (Hill and Moore, p. 2) by identifying ‘old economy’ thinking and practices and changing those habits to ‘new economy’ thinking to create an effective personal/professional strategy focusing on outcome(s) central to their newly discovered practices and skills in leadership practice. (Ungerer, Ungerer & Herholdt, pp. xiii-105) The goal is improving the ability to work productively, with a fresh view toward personal and professional strategic engagement (Day and Harrison 2011).
There is no one size fits all in leadership development strategy. (Forbes) Taking time for personal assessment allows each person to determine where they are presently and what it takes to chart their strategic future. Outlining present strategic strengths helps each leader discover how to align strategic influences to personal responses and assist them with becoming better strategic leaders overall. Every leader needs to take time developing strategic leadership abilities and hone future practice.
Effective leaders are the “difference that makes a difference” for organizations. The quality of leadership is one of the most important predictors of an organization’s future success
(Peterson, Walumbwa, Byron and Myrowitz 2009)
The initial results of this assessment provided value for each leader. They recorded the following positive responses regarding their personal strategic development assessment experience:
Emotional Intelligence
Some of my strategic strengths for becoming a better strategic leader fall under the banner of emotional intelligence and include; self-awareness, self-confidence, self-management – self-control, initiative, and optimism. – Shonhiwa
The first step in changing my habit of controlling into a more productive habit of guiding and unleashing energy, is being aware of my triggers. – SJasmins
Integrity
As a leader, it is incumbent on me to ensure there is integrity in my actions and alignment of what I say and do. – Bradley
My core values in life and career consist of integrity, hardworking, problem solving and honesty. – Mohsen
Long term thinking
A strategic leader thinks for the long-term impact and looks for needed changes.- Kaur
The ability to know the result much in advance and having everything planned makes a better strategic leader. – Singla
Service
The culture I continuously aspire to develop both at a personal level and professional level are first, adding joy and service. – Ibomor
Transformative
I am convinced as I reflect on my future development, the journey of learning must be transformative. – Boyder
As a transformational leader, I learned we can choose to evaluate circumstances as opportunities or failures. – Mann
Conclusion
These observations and the personal insights focused this group of business professionals toward making a positive and progressive difference in their life and business experience and assists in transforming their organizations from wherever they lead.
Reference
Day, D. and Harrison, M. (2006). Leadership development. The Encyclopedia of Career Development. New York: Sage Publications.
Forbes Coaches Council. (2016). What makes a leadership development strategy successful? Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2016/10/28/what-makes-a-leadership-development-strategy-successful/#5c1a08e648f3
Hill, C. and Moore, A. (2015) Strategy activation: Planning a leadership development journey. Korn Ferry Institute. Retrieved from https://www.kornferry.com/institute/download/view/id/5103/aid/935
Journal of Oncology Practice. (2009). Strategic planning: Why it makes a difference, and how to do it. American Society of Clinical Oncology. Alexandria VA. Retrieved from http://ascopubs.org/doi/full/10.1200/JOP.0936501.
Peterson, S., Walumbwa, F., Byron, K. and Myrowitz, J. (2009). CEO positive psychological traits, transformational leadership, and firm performance in high-technology start-up and established firms. Journal of Management. 35 (2): 348-368.
Ungerer, M., Ungerer, G., & Herholdt, J. (2016). Navigating strategic possibilities: Strategy formulation and execution practices to flourish.
