Nick Duff MNGT 677 Development Plan

Personal Leader Development Plan
MNGT 677: Leadership and Ethics
Nicholas Duff
Due: 03/30/2015

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Section 1: Core Values
In thissectionyouwill briefly(butexplicitly) describe andsummarizethe three tofourcore
valuesthatyoubelieve guide youractions.Whatare the three to fourmost importantvalues
that guide yourlife?
For eachvalue,explicitlyname ANDdefine the value (e.g.,family,hardwork,honesty,empathy,
fairness,justice,loyalty,etc.).Inadditiontothisyoushouldthen presentevidence (i.e.,
examples)thatthe value guidesyourdecisionmakingandbehavior.*Course readingsare NOT
requiredtosupportyourresponsesforthissection.
Value 1
Name ANDdefine the value:
Determination/Persistence:Idefine determinationasa mindsetof nevergiving up and of
always acting with a clear purpose of achievingmy goals despite any obstaclesthat may
presentthemselvesalongthe way.
Presentevidence thatthisvalue guidesyourdecision-makingandbehavior.
My biggestpassion inlife has always beenathletics,most specificallybaseball.Iwas fortunate
enoughto be able to play baseball all the way through college,andtherefore competitiveness
and personal drive are qualitiesthat have become ingrainedin who I am. I was not offereda
scholarshipto play baseball incollege,and so I had to attend try-outsover a month-longspan
to earn a spot on the team. Aftermaking the team,I wasn’t satisfied;I wantedto earn a
starting position.So I workedas hard as I couldin our practices,in weighttraining, and in
conditioningto prove that I deservedto be an every-dayplayer.Luckily, not onlydid I become
a starter as a sophomore,but I earned all-conference honorsmyjuniorseason.
Determinationalso most certainlycomes intoplay from an academic sense for me.As I
mentioned,Iwas a student-athlete duringundergrad,so I was taskedwith balancing a full-
time student course load with the rigors of beinga full-time baseball playeras well.Beinga
student-athlete meansmissinga numberof classesthroughout the course ofthe semester,
doing a lot of traveling,and gettingin very late inthe evenings;itcan be utterlyexhaustingat
times.But I was on a full academic scholarshipand my educationwas and still remainsa
priority in my life.SoI had to have the self-motivationanddrive to excel both inthe
classroom and on the field,whichI was able to do; I was giventhe student-athlete male
scholar of the year award my senioryear and graduated with a 3.874 cumulative GPA.

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Value 2
Family:In thisinstance,I’m referringmainly to my immediate family.My immediate family
includesmy father and mother,my two olderbrothers, and my two younger sisters.
Presentevidence thatthisvalue guidesyour decision-makingandbehavior.
I was born into a very large and a very close-knitfamily,a bond that has only strengthenedas
we’ve gottenolder and become more independent.Anytime inmypast when I have had a
major decisionto make, such as where I was going to go to college,whetheror not to take a
summer jobin NewYork, or the number of timesI have changed my mindabout potential
career paths (whichI’m still doing),my parentsand siblingsare always the first people I seek
out. I trust and value their input so verymuch and I know that theywill tell me what I needto
hear, so what they have to say carries a lot of weightwith me.
Furthermore,my parents always emphasizedspendingtime togetherand making sure that we
took advantage of any spare time we had to be around one another. Whetherit was going to
Cincinnati Reds baseball games,spendinga weekat the beach inthe summers, or taking a
fishingtrip to the lake,my family occupiedmost of my childhoodmemories.AndI wouldn’t
have it any other way. If and when I start my own familydown the road, I hope to be able to
instill thissame sort of closenessinmy own home.
Value 3
Honesty: I tendto define honestyasone of the major componentsof the moral code that I use
to drive my decision-making.Itmeansbeingtruthful and direct about what and how I feel and
the correspondingdecisions that I make, evenwhenthat’s not always the easiestor most
pleasurable thingto do.
Presentevidence thatthisvalue guidesyour decision-makingandbehavior.
Tellingthe truth certainlyhas its moments whenit can make you feel awfullycrummyor
make you stress about how someone isgoing to react to it, but I have always believedthat

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people will ultimatelyrespectyoufor it. I wouldlike to think that honesty driveseverysingle
decisionthat I have made and will make in my life,but I’m human, so that certainly isn’tthe
case. However,I do believe thathonesty isa cornerstone of the type of personI want to be in
my life.Examplesinclude inpreviousjob interviewswhenspeakingwith employersabout
myself,ingroup project settingswhenvoicing my opinionof the directionthat I think would
work best for us, and in my personal relationshipsand anytime someone comesto me for
advice or for my perspective.I don’t want people toever feel like theyhave to questionmy
intentionsor the validityof what I say; part of beingthe personthat I want to be isbeing
someone on whom people canrely. And in most cases, people relyon the people that they
can trust.

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Section 2: Career Goals/Vision
In thissectionyouwill briefly(butexplicitly) provide anoverview of yourcurrentcareervision.
To helpmake thistaskmore manageable,youwill consider twoanchorpoints(5and 10 years
fromnow).If you have uncertaintyaboutyourcareergoalsat thistime,identifyingthese career
goalswill be animportantstepto complete thissection.
For eachanchor point(5 and 10 yearsfrom now),describe whatyourideal position,leadership
roles,worksetting,andlifestyle wouldbe.If youplantoremaininthe same positionforthese
anchor points,youshouldindicate how youwouldlike thatrole togrow,whatchangesinthe
waythe positionisstructure youwouldlike tosee,and/orhow youwouldhope toimprove the
wayyou do yourwork inthat position. Youshouldalsoindicatehow the core valuesyou
describedinsection1have influencedthesecareergoals.
*Course readingsare NOT requiredtosupportyourresponsesforthissection.
Five-year Goals
Please describeyourcareergoalsat thispointinyourcareer and how yourcore valueshave
influencedthesegoals.
At this point inmy life,Iam 24 years old and finishingupmy last semesterof the MBA
program here at Morehead State. As I mentionedinSection1, sports and athleticshave been
a passionof mine since day one and comprisedthe majority of my childhoodand early adult
years. Though my original ‘dream’ was to play professional baseball,once mycollege career
endedtwo years ago, I made the decisionthat I wanted to work on the businessside of the
professional baseball industry.As such, five years from now I hope to be working in a full-time
positionfor a major league baseball organization,preferablyin a baseball operations,
community relations,or marketing role.In such a work setting,I hope to constantly be on the
go and in consistentinteraction withthe front office professionalsofthe organization. I would
expectto assist, ifnot lead,in planningand promoting fundraisingeventsfor local charities, in
promoting the baseball team and itsplayers and coaches in the variousfan eventsinwhich
they take part each year, and inlearningthe administrative and financial responsibilitiesthat
go into running a professional baseball franchise.
By this stage in my career, I also hope to be married and preparing to start a family in the
semi-nearfuture (ifI haven’t already).As expressedinSection1, family is such a priority to my
life,soI wouldwant to be in a positionwhere I was not onlyfinanciallystable,but also not so
consumedwith my work to a point where I wouldn’t be able to spendthe time with my wife
and childrenthat is so much more important to me. Withregard to my other core valuesof
determinationand honesty,I reallybelieve thatthose will work in tandem in gettingme to
the type of positionthat I want to be in with a baseball franchise. Full time jobs in
professional baseball don’tcome by everyday, and especiallynotinsmall, easternKentucky
towns. So in order to get to where I want to be, I am going to have to relocate and maybe
eventake some positionsthat aren’t exactlymy ideal role in order to gain the experience and
the contacts necessary to realisticallybe in consideration for employmentinmajor league
baseball.In doing this, determinationisgoing to be vital.And as I make connectionsand
interact with more and more professionalsalongthe way, I thinkmy emphasison honestyand
trustworthinessare what will establishmy credibilityandhopefullysetme apart from others
whenI am applyingfor positions.

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Ten-fifteen Year Goals
Please describeyourcareergoalsat thispointinyourcareer and how yourcore valueshave
influencedthesegoals.
Ten to fifteenyearsdown the road, I still hope to be working for a major league baseball
franchise,but I also hope that I have moved up the ranks and hold more of a leadership/upper
managementtype of position.Ideally,thiswould meanheadingthe community relationsor
marketing divisionofthe organization,and beingthe one leadingpromotional/fundraising
eventsand working with local youth organizations.In order to get to this point, again, it is
going to require establishingmyselfwithinthe organizationas a go-getterand as someone
who is reliable andconsistent;I needto establishstrong relationshipswithmy superiorsand
set a standard for highquality work and effective results.Inorderto betterfulfill mytasks, I
reallybelieve thatmy interpersonal skillsare going to be crucial. In a community relationsor
marketing type of role,everythingthat I do and how well I do it centers around how well I am
able to establishrelationshipsandtruly connect with others.Knowing this,it is imperative
that I am always working to improve both my verbal and writtencommunication capabilities.
The betterI become at this, the more others will trust that I have the competence and drive to
leadthe tasks and responsibilitiesplacedinfront ofme.
I also hope that by this point inmy career,I making evenmore of a concertedeffortto be with
my family as oftenas possible.Bythis stage, my childrenwill likelybe preparingto begin
school and participating insports/other extra-curricular activities,so I want to make sure I am
presentfor as much ofthat as possible.To take it a stepfurther, not only do I want to be able
to spendsignificanttime withmy own family,but I also want to be close enoughto my
parents and siblingsthat I can spendtime withthem as well.This might be a little more
difficultsince there isn’ta professional baseball teamin Morehead,Kentucky,but evenso, I
want them to always be a part of my life and therefore I will make sure I am in a position
professionallythatI can take a weekendhere and there to go for a visit.

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Section 3: Diagnosis of Strengths and Weaknesses
For thissection,you will reflectonyourcapacityfor leadership andbrieflysummarizeyour
strengthsandweaknesses asa leader.
You should listatleast4 strengthsand4 weaknesses(andnomore than6 strengthsand 6
weaknesses).Foreachstrengthandweakness,youshould:
 Explicitlyname,define,anddescribe the strengthorweakness(2-3sentencesis
sufficient). Youshouldinsertaname afterthe followingheadings(e.g.,Strength1:
AttentiontoDetail).
 Provide evidence / justificationof whyyouconsiderthisa personal strengthor
weakness. Provide evidence tosupportyourconclusions(i.e., specificexamples). For
example,provide abrief concrete exampleof yourbehaviorthatexhibitsthis
strength/weakness.Youshouldnotsimplystate thatyouhave a hardtime speakingin
publicor are easilyable torelate toothers,butshouldprovide specificexamplesor
otherevidence (e.g.,self-assessments,feedbackreceivedfromothers) supportingyour
argument.
 Describe the relationshipofthe strengthor weaknessto effective leadershipandyour
career goals describedinSection2. Why doyou believethesestrengthswill facilitate
your leadershipcapacityandcareergoals?Whydo you believe theseweaknesseswill
limityourleadershipcapacityandinhibityourreachingyourcareergoals? Youshould
provide strong support for each of your arguments, includingcitingcourse and/or
other relevantreadingsas support (3-5 sentencesissufficientforeach
strength/weakness).
Strength 1: Time-Management
 Time-management skills demonstrate an ability to effectively prioritize and
accomplish the tasks required of me in a specified period of time. It requires
being well-organized and self-driven so as to ensure that all deadlines are
met with high-quality results.
 Perhaps the best example that I can provide to demonstrate why I consider
my time-management abilities to be a personal strength would have to be my
senior year of undergraduate studies. During this school year, I completed 15
semester hours of course work in the fall and 16 hours in the spring; I was a
full-time member of Morehead State University baseball team, which
required daily commitments to conditioning practice, team practice,
individual work-outs, and nightly weightlifting sessions; and I completed two
300-hour internships, respectively. In order to be successful in the
classroom, on the field, and in my internship environments, I had to become
very disciplined and proactive when it came to planning out my week ahead
of time and sticking to my schedule.
 Effective time-management skills are crucial for virtually any position that I
could hope to take in the professional baseball industry; in fact, valuing and
making the most of our limited time is vital to any leadership position. The
best leaders are those who are seen as consistently engaged and thereby able
to use their intuition to appropriately gauge the timing and course of their
actions (Goffee & Jones, 2000). In other words, because they are organized

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and prioritize their time effectively, they are able to interpret the soft data
which enables them to make better, more informed decisions. And when
leaders make informed decisions, their followers grow to associate
competence and respect with their reputations.
Strength 2: Empathy/Relatability to Others
 Empathy is the ability to truly put oneself in another’s shoes and, as a result,
better connect and develop meaningful relationships with others. It
represents a genuine concern for the well-being of those around you, which
can lead to feelings of comfortableness and trust.
 In one of my previous work experiences, I had a co-worker who was having
some issues with his supervisor and it was really starting to have an effect on
his job performance and, quite frankly, his happiness. Though we weren’t the
closest of friends, I hated seeing him struggling so much and I could tell it
was weighing on him, so I asked him if he wanted to grab a bite to eat for
lunch one day. He agreed and I was able to talk with him about the job and
how things were going for him, and he was actually very willing to talk about
his concerns. I didn’t press him to reveal anything, but as a personal
introvert, I know how exhausting it can be keeping frustrations bottled up all
the time. As it turned out, just being able to get his feelings out in the open to
someone who would listen made him feel quite a bit better, and I think it also
strengthened our work relationship. Not to mention, in sharing some of my
own stories of work-related obstacles in my past, I like to think it helped him
see that he wasn’t alone and that things could and would improve. He could
see that I genuinely wanted to help, and when someone makes you feel that
way, you almost can’t help but develop respect and appreciation for that
individual.
 In my career setting, whether I am in a management-type position where I
delegate to subordinates or whether I am a subordinate myself, I can’t
overstate how important genuineness is to developing meaningful
relationships. As a leader, I have to understand that with all of the
interdependencies that exist within a workplace, the key to getting people to
buy into my vision is to gain their respect and trust. In other words, my
words have to have credibility behind them, and the only way to establish
this credibility is to develop a proven track record of caring for those around
me by being consistent in following what I say by what I do (Kotter, 1990).
To gain trust, my fellow co-workers, superiors, and subordinates alike have
to see from my actions that my intentions are always selfless and that my
hope is always to see those around me be successful.
Strength 3: Positive Attitude/Outlook
 Having a positive outlook means being someone who is always looking for
the good in the bad, and perhaps more importantly, someone who
encourages others to find the positives in every situation. It can mean

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something as simple as congratulating others on a job well done, or even
having a sense of humor when situations don’t go as we want.
 I always try to maintain a positive attitude in everything that I do. I think this
trait was ingrained in me from a young age in all of the sportsmanship-type
principles that my parents and coaches would emphasize to us. Regardless of
how a situation turned out, it was important to handle it with grace and class,
and I’ve tried to always live by that. An example that immediately comes to
mind took place when I worked as a substitute teacher last school year. On
this particular day, I was subbing for a kindergarten class and we were
working on a math worksheet. Towards the end of the activity period, one of
the children came up to me and she was visibly upset because she didn’t
know how to do one of the problems. I felt that it was really important for me
to, first and foremost, point out to her how well she had done on the other
problems and get her to see how much I appreciated her hard work. It’s
amazing how big of a boost in morale this gave her, and I was able to help her
through the remaining problem with spirits high.
 It is so important to have a positive attitude in my professional setting,
especially because I am expecting and hoping to land in a position that
requires a lot of interaction with co-workers as well as the public. The
attitude that you bring to a conversation with someone absolutely dictates
the way that person is going to initially perceive you. I want everyone that
comes into contact with me to walk away thinking that I am someone they’d
like to come across again in the future. As someone in a leadership position, I
want people to want to work with me, and people naturally tend towards
easily observable characteristics (like attitude) in determining if someone is
worthy of leading the group (Galinsky & Kilduff, 2013). Social hierarchies
develop quickly and are generally stable, so those who are able to achieve
high status and respect early often will keep it. Knowing this, it is imperative
that my attitude reflect the type of mindset I want those working for/with
me to have.
Strength 4: Accountability
 Accountability refers to a willingness/personal obligation to take
responsibility for one’s actions and choices. Whether ramifications are good
or bad, an accountable person is someone who owns up to his or her
mistakes and puts the good of those with whom he or she works above his or
her own.
 It is inevitable that leaders are going to make mistakes, but I believe that the
true measure of someone’s integrity and merits is how that person handles
him or herself when negative outcomes occur; for me, personally, I believe
respect and trust is earned when a leader proves to his or her subordinates
that he or she will take the hit and the blame when a plan doesn’t work out as
hoped. During my junior year of undergrad, we had a group paper that
served as our final exam for the class. When discussing the topic and
corresponding format for our paper, I came up with a specific outline as far

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as how I thought we should approach putting the paper together. As it turned
out, my approach ended up costing our group some points because it didn’t
follow the instructor-preferred format as it should have. Though the grade
we received was, still, overall quite good, I made it a point to apologize to
each person in my group for my error. I can’t say for certain how or if me
doing this affected how my group members thought of me, but I am hopeful
that at the very least they appreciated my accountability and willingness to
admit my mistake.
 Accountability is one of those character traits that I believe every leader
should want to have, and it is a standard to which I hold myself in everything
that I do. Employees are so much more likely to follow in somebody’s vision
when they know that their efforts are truly appreciated and that their
superior is backing them regardless of the outcome. For me, accountability
represents a critical character strength, and people with good character are
highly engaged in what they do and find significance beyond themselves in
their activities and initiatives. Furthermore, leaders who demonstrate good
character are not only satisfied with their own lives, but they make those
around them happier, healthier, more resilient, and more productive
individuals (Peterson & Park, 2006).
Weakness 1: Self-Confidence
 Self-confidence refers to one’s belief in one’s own abilities and competence. It
is a character trait often associated with those in power and in those who
exert influence over others.
 I would definitely have to classify my own self-confidence as a weakness of
mine, as I have found that it often keeps me from taking the initiative and
making proactive decisions regarding opportunities that have come my way.
I wouldn’t say that it’s because I doubt my knowledge or skill levels, but I
think my quiet, timid nature combined with being personally hard on myself
when I make mistakes make it easy for me to put myself down. An example of
this in my life would be when I received my supervisor’s evaluation from one
of the internships I completed for my undergraduate degree. As part of the
evaluation process, my supervisor had to identify areas in which I could
improve, and the one quality she brought up to me was self-confidence. She
told me I was a great worker and people really enjoyed having me around,
but she just wished I had broken out of my shell and been a little more
personable.
 It is so important for leaders to carry themselves with confidence and
conviction. For myself, in order to get to the position I want to be in and to
move my way up, I am going to have to prove to my superiors that I have the
personal belief and confidence needed to lead others. The quickest way to
lose followers is to carry yourself with a sense of doubt, because this
uncertainty almost always exudes itself in body language and in verbal
communication. I want to be able to influence people and initiate change

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when necessary, and the best way I can improve organizational performance
is by inspiring and motivating others through interpersonal influence
(Kaiser, McGinnis, & Overfield, 2012); and the only way I can hope to
establish interpersonal influence is by trusting and believing in my own
capabilities.
Weakness 2: Uncomfortableness with Delegation
 This concept essentially can be described as having a tendency to trust
yourself more than your group members/co-workers. It often means that
you don’t want to run the risk of somebody else not coming through, so you
do the work yourself so that you ensure it gets done and done in the way you
want it done.
 This is most certainly another weakness of mine, especially when it comes to
school projects and presentations. I know that it stems from the
perfectionist-type nature that I have, and I have really worked on it over the
years, but I still have a tendency to want to do the majority of the work on
almost any group assignment. A specific example would be a group project
that I helped complete for a strength and conditioning course that I took in
undergrad. For this project, my group and I had to design a two-month
exercise regimen for an MSU faculty member. The night before the project
was due, I took it upon myself to do all of the revising and editing and I also
ended up adding sections that I thought would make our project better stand
out. The work that my group members did was very, very good, but I still
couldn’t help but put my own stamp on the final product.
 As a leader in the professional baseball industry, I will, without question,
have to delegate responsibilities to those who are a part of my team and be
able to trust their work without feeling the need to take over. If I’m unable to
do that, then those around me will grow to feel that I am always undermining
their work, which establishes an environment where I wouldn’t be
empowering anybody. The best managers and leaders are able to create a
culture wherein individuals around them are able to thrive, discover their
talents, and get the opportunity to use their best selves every day in
completing tasks (Buckingham, 2011). This is the type of culture that I hope
to establish as a future leader, and it will only happen if I have trust and faith
in the competencies of those around me.
Weakness 3: Perfectionism
 Perfectionism can be described as a feeling of having to complete everything
in an immaculate way, or without flaws or errors. It’s having an idea of how
you want things to look or be done in your head and accepting nothing short
of that.
 I have to admit that I have always had a perfectionist-like nature and,
therefore, tend to feel a need to do things on my own and to place more faith
in relying on myself rather than allowing others to play bigger roles. This

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weakness and my second weakness of being uncomfortable with delegation
sort of go hand-in-hand, but my perfectionism has to be considered a
weakness because I know, without question, that it has made me a much
more stressed person than I probably need to be. Even when I’m completing
housework or yardwork (mowing the grass, painting the fence, etc.), I am
rarely one to ask for help and usually prefer to complete the jobs on my own.
 Though I think a degree of perfectionism can be an asset in a leadership role,
it far more often can rub co-workers the wrong way and discourage others
from offering suggestions and ideas openly. Because of this very fact, I want
to mitigate the perfectionist in me as much as possible as I work towards my
professional future. Perfectionism can easily manifest itself to others as
someone trying to emphasize their strength and credentials, which runs the
risk of hurting cognitive potential, creativity, and problem solving, which
leads to disengagement in the workplace (Cuddy, Kohut, & Neffinger, 2013).
The key to leading is to communicate warmth; this openness and attention to
others helps leaders to better connect, which instills feelings of trust and
mutual understanding.
Weakness 4: Public Speaking
 Public speaking is fairly self-explanatory, as it describes the act of
presenting/vocally sharing presentations, speeches, etc. to an audience of
unknown peers. Typically, it also requires standing at the front of a room,
stage, or auditorium of some sort.
 Though I have given a number of speeches and presentations throughout my
undergraduate years especially, public speaking is still something that I
know I can and need to improve upon. In particular, I have a bad tendency to
‘talk with my hands’ the more nervous that I am, so I need to get to a point
where my nerves are under control and my confidence is high before
beginning any sort of presentation, especially in a professional setting. The
first example that comes to mind is a speech that I gave for a nutrition class
during my second semester of college. At that point, I was much less
experienced in speaking in front of an audience, and I can remember how
much my hands were shaking and how frequently my voice was trembling
throughout the whole ordeal. Needless to say, it wasn’t one of my stronger
performances, and improving my presenting skills very much became a
primary focus of mine from that point forward. I like to think that I’ve made a
lot of progress since that time, but I have infrequently performed any public
speaking over the past couple of years, so I know it is a skill I need to really
target as I prepare to enter the working world.
 Feeling comfortable speaking in front of others is just an extension of
exuding self-confidence. In wanting to be a leader, I have to be able to clearly
communicate a vision for what I want to accomplish and I have to be able to
do it persuasively. It is ultimately about being able to engage the people
around me, appeal to their interests, and push them to be the absolute best
versions of themselves that they can be; and a great way to connect with

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people is to be a good communicator on multiple levels. Especially initially, I
have to be able to set a standard for effective working relationships. This
means investing significant time in getting to know my co-workers and also
sharing with them the principles I hold dear (Manzoni & Barsoux, 2009). By
doing so, I will better understand what’s important to those around me so
that I can more confidently present ideas to them and more effectively appeal
to their values.
Section 4: Development Goals and Strategies
You have nowidentifiedmajorcareergoals (andvaluesthathave influencedthesegoals),
strengthsthatyou can continue tobuildupon,and weaknessesthatyouneedtoaddressin
orderto be a more effectiveleaderandachieve the careergoalsthatyouhave identified.
In thissection,youwill prioritizeyourdevelopmentneedsandidentifyspecificactionsthatyou
can take to addressthese needs.Manyskills andotherdevelopmentneeds are bestlearned
throughexperience.
For thissectionyouwill identify fourgoals(nomore,no less) tohelpyoufurthergrow as a
leaderANDaccomplishthe careergoalsthatyou have identified. Eachofthe actions that you
identifyinthis sectionmust explicitlyaddressone or more of the career goals AND strengths
or weaknessesthat you have identified thatyou needto address inorder to furtherdevelop
as a leader.Thus,thissectionshouldintegrate material frommultiple sectionsof this
assignment.Iencourage youtolookforopportunitiestoaddressnotonlyyourweaknesses,but
to identifyatleastone wayof furthergrowing/leveragingastrengthaswell.
Complete the followingtable todescribethese goals.Youshouldbe veryspecific!Iwill not
accept simplygeneralities.
 DevelopmentGoals: Whatare your fourgoals?For eachgoal youshouldinclude the
following:
o Name and describe the goal.
o Clearlyidentifythe strength(s)and/orweakness(es) yourgoal addresses,AND
the career goal(s) addressedbythisgoal.Explicitlystate whyyoubelieve this
goal will addressthese goalsandstrengths/weaknesses andhelpyoutogrow as
a leader.Cite and thoroughlydiscuss appropriate readings to support your
conclusions.
o Clearlydescribe why achievingthis goal will helpyou be a more effective
leader.Cite and discuss course readings to support your answer.
 Actions:Describe the specificactivities/actionsthatyouwill complete toachieve your
goals
o Be specific;whatexactactionswill youtake (orwhatthingsdoyouplanto stop
doing)?
o Many goalswill likelyrequire more thanone actiontoachieve;youshould
include atleasttwoactionstepsfor eachgoal.You shouldinclude asmany

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actionstepsas necessarythough!Iwouldrathersee a numberof shortaction
steps,thantwo large actionstepsthatare lessconcrete.Note,youshould
indicate anyresourcesthatthese actionswill require orbarriersthatyou
anticipate (andhowyouplanto overcome these barriers).
o Note:To the degree possible,Ihighlyencourage youtoidentifyactionsthatyou
can complete onthe joband as part of yourwork.These actionsshouldbe
significantchallengesforyou.If youcan alreadyeasilyperformthe actionsthat
youdescribe,theyare notreallygoingtopushyou and thushelpyoudevelopas
a leader.
 Time Line
o Whenwill youcomplete eachof youractionsteps? Whatare your due datesfor
each actionstep?What are your majormilestones?
 CriteriaforSuccess: Assessment
o How will youknowyouhave successfullycompletedeachaction?Provide
objective criteria. Simplystatingsomethinglike,Iwill be amore effectiveleader
and will be more respectedbyotherswillnotbe consideredanappropriate
response.Provideobjectivecriteriaforeachgoal andactionstepidentifiedas
part of that goal.What exactlydoessuccesslooklike?Are there specific
behaviorsthatyoucan measure and/orreceive feedbackon?How mightyou
obtainthisdata? How will yougetfeedbackonyourperformance? How will you
measure achievementtowardsyourgoal? Be specificandobjective!

15
DevelopmentGoal 1:
Goal:Initiate more frequentconversations withmy fourco-workers:
I workas a Graduate Assistantandthere are four othergraduate studentswhoworkwithinmy
same department;Because we performsimilarworkandare workingtowardssimilardegrees,I
thinkitcouldbe verybeneficial bothpersonallyandprofessionallyto establishacloser
connectionwiththese fourindividuals.
How is this goal relatedto your capacity as a leader?What strengths/weaknessesANDcareer
goals doesthis goal address?Explicitlyreferback to Section3.
Thisgoal ismostcertainlyapplicable tomyendeavorsof beingasuccessful leader.A personina
positionof powergetstothat positionandisable toremaininthat positionbecause he orshe
knowshisor herworkersand because the workerstrustinthe intentionsof theirsuperior. Trust
can onlybe establishedbybeingpersonable andtakingthe initiative togettoknow those
aroundyou; if nothingelse,interactingwithothersestablishesbetterconnections,whichis
alwaysa positive.
Thisgoal isgoingto addressmycareer goal of workingina management-typepositionfora
majorleague baseball organizationandalsofocusuponimprovingmyweaknessof alackof self-
confidence.The truthis,the more we practice doingsomething,the betterandmore
comfortable we come tofeel towardsit.If I hope toadvance in majorleague baseball,Ihave to
become more outgoing,andimprovingmyself-confidence isacrucial factor inmakingthat a
reality.Byactivelyseekingoutmyco-workersinthe lounge orbyaskingthemif they’dlike to
joinme for lunch,itgivesme an opportunitytoworkonmy interpersonalskillseverysingle day.
Andthese interpersonal skillsare goingtoplaya majorrole indetermininghow seriouslyI’m
consideredbyemployerswithinthe baseball industryforpositions.AsCialdini (2013) explains,
effectiveleadersgetinthe habitof not justgettingtoknow others,buthelpingothersout.And
by doingso,perhapsmyco-workerswill feel more inclinedtoreturnthe favor,which
significantlyelevatesmyprobabilityof successinthe tasksIwant to accomplish.
How will accomplishingthis goal helpyou to be a more effective leader?
By startingnowat placingan emphasisupondevelopingrelationshipswithmyco-workers,it’s
goingto force me to break outof myshell andallow me to create a name for myself.Iwant
people whoworkwithandaroundme to enjoy(orat leastnot dislike) mycompanyandtofeel
that theycan come to me forassistance or advice.Andasthese relationshipsdevelopovertime
and become stronger,hopefullyitwillbettersituateme to effectivelybe able tomotivate
others.Motivationandinspirationenergize peoplebysatisfyingbasichumanneedsfor
achievement,asense of belonging,recognition,andself-esteem(Kotter,1990).These are the
typesof qualitiesthatIwantto instill inthe people inmyworkenvironment,soitall startswith
takingthe time to fosterrelationships.

16
To achieve this goal I will engage inthe followingactions(be specific!):
Actions (Who, what, when, how, barriers, etc.) Timeline/Due Dates
 I will walkintothe lounge around9:00 AMwhere andwhenmy co-
workersoften workonhomework.
 I will sitdownata table withthemandinitiate adialogue.
 I will be sure toask individualizedquestionstoeachof them(or to
whoeverispresentonthatparticularday).
 I will make apointto ask if there isanythingIcan doto helpthem
withtheirworkfor the day.
 Potential barrier:If none of myco-workershappentobe inthe
lounge at9:00 AM on a particularday, I will trytocatch them
immediatelyafterlunchinouroffice.
 Each day
beginning
4/1/15 for
twoweeks
 Each day
beginning
4/1/15 for
twoweeks
 Each day
beginning
4/1/15 for
twoweeks
 Everyother
day beginning
4/1/15 for
twoweeks
Criteriafor Success - I know that I will have reachedthis goal when:
A veryhelpful factorhere isthatI have a veryclose friendwhoworksinmybuildingandwho
oftenhaslunchwithmy graduate assistantco-workers.Afteracouple of weeks,Iwill plantosit
downwithherand ask if any of my co-workershave mentionedanythingaboutme making
more of an effortto interactwiththem.Certainly,thisisn’tthe mostconcrete measure and
there isno guarantee thattheywill mentionanythingtoher.However,Iamhopeful thatin
spendingmore time aroundthem,Iwill be able tonotice agreatercomforton bothmy endand
on theirendintermsof the flowof conversationandhow easilywe’re able totransitionfrom
one topicto the next.Evenmore so,if theybegintoask me to jointhemforlunchor if they
seemgenuinelyinterestedinhearingaboutmylife,Icanalsotake thatas feedbackthata
relationshipisdeveloping.Since thisgoal centersaroundhelpingme withmyself-confidence,I
thinkthat ultimatelyIwill have tobe the one to judge how successful orunsuccessful Iam.Even

17
if friendshipsdon’tdevelopfromit,if Ifeel more confidentandcomfortableaboutinteracting
withthem,thenIfeel confidentthatI wouldultimatelydeemthe goal assuccessfullyachieved.
I will complete this goal (includingall associatedactions) by (date):
April 15, 2015
DevelopmentGoal 2:
Goal:Become a more active memberinmytwoclubaffiliations:
In additiontobeingastudentandworkingforthe university,Iamalsoa memberof RhoEpsilon
(a studentreal estate organization) andPRSSA (astudentpublicrelationsorganization).Though
I have paidthe membershipfeesand,therefore,amanofficial memberof these clubs,Ihave
not beenattendingthe meetingsforeitherwithregularitythissemester.Iwouldliketochange
that and become amore frequentandactive participantinthese organizations.
goals doesthis goal address? Explicitlyreferback to Section3.
One of the mostcommonpiecesof advice thatI hear isthat you can neverhave toomany
contacts,so take advantage of everyopportunitytomeetandinteractwithpeople youdon’t
know.Especiallywithregardtogrowingmycapacityas a leader,Ibelieveitisvital thatI take
advantage of opportunitiestoenhance mynetworkandto,again,workon face-to-face
communicationskills.Byregularlyattendingmeetingsandconferenceswiththese groups,itwill
allowme opportunitiestodojustthat and to receive careeradvice fromprofessional speakers.
Thisgoal addressesmycareergoal of workingwithinthe professional baseball industry,
specificallyinacommunityrelationsormarketingrole thatwouldrequire consistent
interpersonalinvolvement.Italso focusesonbuildinguponmystrengthof time-management
skills.Insucha narrow industryasprofessional baseball,Ihave totake full advantage of any
chancesthat I get to growmy networkandto improve mycommunicationskills. Justas
importantly,by becomingamore active participantinthese organizations,mytime-
managementskillsare goingtoneedtocontinue toimprove.Balancingschool,work,andnow
clubobligationswill force me toplanoutand follow astricterschedule than I’musedto,butthe
benefitsof beinginvolvedinthe clubswill make itworthit.Byattendingmeetingsregularlyand
makingtripsto professional conferences,itwillgive me agreatopportunitytonetwork.And
froma potential leadershipperspective,networkingbecomes evenmore important.It’sadvised
to start forgingdeliberate connectionswithinthe first30 to 60 daysafter a promotion,asthisis
the periodwhenpeopleare makinguptheirmindsaboutyourlegitimacyanddependency
(Byham,2009). So if I wantto best positionmyself forconsiderationforadvancementinthe
baseball industry,Ineedtomake networkingapriorityrightnow.
By becomingamore regularparticipantinclubmeetingsandanyclub-relatedevents,it’sgoing
to naturallyallowme todevelopinteractionswithstrangersand/oracquaintances,thusgiving
me more opportunitytoforge relationshipsandconnections.Andbyestablishingthese
relationships,itcouldpotentiallyleadtobeingelectedtoa positionwithintheseclubs(which
looksgreaton a resume,amongotherthings) anditexpandsmycontact list,whichcould

18
ultimatelyleadtoa connectiondownthe road.Also,byworkingonmyinterpersonal skills
throughmy involvementwiththese clubs,itgivesme anabundance of chancesto workon
speakingup,takingthe initiative,andexpressingconfidence,all qualitiesthatsuggestleadership
potential (Galinsky&Kilduff,2013).
 I will attend RhoEpsilonmeetings(whichtake place at3:00 PM
everyTuesday).
 I will attendPRSSA meetings(whichtake place at5:00 PM ever
Tuesday).
 I will take notesof majorpointsat eachmeetingforbothclubs.
 I will sitbyand introduce myselftoat leastone otherpersonIdo not
knoweachweek.
 I will runforthe positionof Fundraising ChairforPRSSA.
 Potential barrier:Because meetingsforbothclubstake place on
Tuesdayafternoons/evenings,there isthe possibilitythatRho
EpsilonmeetingscouldoverlapPRSSAmeetings.However,since Iam
planningonrunningfora positioninPRSSA, Iwill leaveRhoEpsilon
earlyon Tuesdayswhenthisisanissue.
 Every
Tuesdayfor
one month
(starting
3/31/15)
 Every
Tuesdayfor
one month
(starting
3/31/15)
 Every
Tuesdayfor
twoweeks
(starting
3/31/15)
 Every
Tuesdayfor
one month
(starting
3/31/15)
 On Tuesday,
4/14/15
Assessingmysuccessinachievingthisgoal isgoingtobe largely baseduponmyownjudgment.
Because I am planningtokeepnotesof eachmeeting,Icanuse these notesasa logof my

19
attendance,therefore allowingme tokeepmyself accountable forbeingtherethroughoutthe
durationof thisgoal period(one month).BecauseI’malsowantingtomake a pointtointroduce
myself toothers,Ican also logany new acquaintancesthatImake at eachmeeting,again
allowingme tosee howsuccessful Iamwithmy goal.I will be able toconcretelyassessmy
actionstepof runningforan officerpositionwithPRSSA bybeingpresentonthe dayof the
electionsandputtingmyname onthe ballot.
April 28, 2015
DevelopmentGoal 3:
Goal:Practice and improve uponmyinterview skills:
In finishingupmydegree thissemester,Iamsoonto be enteringthe workingworldand,
therefore,needtobe preparedforthe interview processasitapproaches.Ineedtomake a
conscientiousefforttoknowandunderstandwhat toexpectinan interview,how tobest
presentmyself,andhave confidence inwhatIam bringingtothe table.
In orderto do well inaninterview orinterview-typesetting,Ibelievethatthe firststepisto be
prepared.Andbeingpreparedmeansputtinginthe effortandtime tolearnaboutthe company,
the position,whatit’sgoingtotake to be successful inthe position,andhow Ican bestpresent
myself asan ideal candidate forthe job.Thispreparatoryworkisalsocrucial for any leader.
Before anymanageror seniorofficial canhope toinstill avisionorenactchange,he or she has
to be willingtoputinthe time to trulyunderstandthe taskinfront of himor her and how best
to approach it.
Thisgoal will focusuponmycareergoal of beinghiredintoapositionwithamajorleague
baseball organizationaswell asimprovinguponmyweaknessinpublicspeaking.Thoughbeing
inan interviewisnotexactlythe same type of atmosphere asdeliveringaspeechonstage,the
principlesthatittakestoeffectivelyandconvincinglyexpressyourself inbothsettingsare very
much the same.Bothrequire clearorganization,consistenteye contact,strongpoints,and
confidence.Successfullydoingsobuildscredibilityand,withit,influence.Asaleader,the ability
to influencecannotbe overstated;once aleaderestablishesthisinfluence,itbecomessomuch
easiertogaincooperationandcommitmentbecause people grow togenuinelytrustandrespect
your intentions(Yukl,2007).
By improvingmyinterview/publicspeakingcapabilities,it’sgoingtobetterequipme tospeak
withconvictionandinstill influence onthose aroundme. Effective leadersare able toalignthe
people withwhomtheyworkaroundone commongoal,andthisonlyhappensif employees
trust the capabilitiesof those inpower.Bybeingabetterspeaker/communicator,itallowsme
to betterachieve asocial influence byusinginterpersonal behaviorsthatwill motivatefollowers
to commitand give theirbestefforttocontribute tothe goodof the group(Kaiser,McGinnis,&
Overfield,2012).

20
 I will visitMoreheadState University’sCareerCenter.
 I will meetwithacareercenteradvisorandset upa practice
interview.
 I will askquestionsandtake notesregardinggoodinterview
etiquette.
 I will attendthe practice interview.
 I will follow-upafterwardstogoovercritiquesandsuggestionsfor
improvement.
 Potential barrier:If the careercenterisnolongerconductingpractice
interviewsthissemester,Iwill contactsome local professional
contacts of mine andask themif theywouldbe willingtoconducta
practice-type interview withme andgive me feedbackafterwards.
 Monday,
4/6/15
 Monday,
4/6/15
 Monday,
4/6/15
 To be
determined
by career
centerstaff
 The day of
the practice
interview
Evaluatingmysuccesswiththisgoal will be primarilybaseduponthe verbal aswell aswritten
feedbackthatI receive fromthe careercenterstaff whoconductsmypractice interview.Iwill
be able to furthergauge my improvementsbyschedulingadditional practice interviewswith
differentstaff membersandcomparingtheirsuggestionswiththoseIinitiallyreceive.Ialso
thinkthat myoverall comfortablenessandconfidence withthe whole processwill provide a
more informal measure tomyself of whether ornotI am makingpositive strides.

21
May 1, 2015
DevelopmentGoal 4:
Goal:Be more trustinginmy group members:
As I have alreadyexplainedinprevioussections,Ihave alittle bitof a perfectionistnature about
myself,whichmakesitdifficultattimesforme not to assume aleadershiprole ingroupsettings.
More so,though,it alsocausesme to have a tendency towantto oversee all of the workandto
adjustcomponentsthatdon’tjive withwhatIhave inmy mind.I don’twantto undermine or
rub my groupmembersthe wrongway,sothisis somethinguponwhichI’dreallylike to
improve.
Good leadershave the abilitytoempowerthose aroundthemandtotrulymake othersfeel that
theirinputandtheirskillsare valued.Fromaleadershipperspective,Iknow Iwill notbe working
inan industrywhere Iam able to complete everythingall onmyown;and I wouldn’twantitto
be that way.Really,formostpositions,itrequiresadegree of trustand cooperation withothers
inorder to getthe job done,soI wantto be the kindof leaderwhoexudesthatconfidence inhis
teammembers.
Thisgoal addressesmycareergoal of workingfora majorleague baseball organizationinanyof
the three departmentareasthatI mentioned(baseball operations,communityrelations,
marketing).Italsowill helpme toimprove uponmyweaknessof beingcomfortablewith
delegation.Asaleader,Iknowthat I won’tnecessarilybe 100% satisfiedwitheverypiece of
workthat a co-workerdoes;andthatis alright,butI wantto be able to communicate itinthe
rightway and,if changesneedto be made,make themtogether.Employeestendtobe more
willingtoacceptcritiqueswhentheyfeelthatthe persongivingthe feedbackcollectsall
relevantinformation,allowsthe subordinatetoclarifyandexplain,considersthe subordinate’s
opinions,andultimatelysupportsthe subordinate andworkswithhimorher to make
improvements(Manzoni, 2002).Knowingthis,Iwantto become aleaderwho embodiesopen-
mindednessandtrustinhisteam.
By takingstepsto letgo,so to speak,andto place greatertrust andconfidence ingroup
members,itwill notonlybettermyrelationswithmyteam, butalsolessenthe burdenthatI
feel Ihave to place uponmyself. Inamanagementsetting,trustincreasesinformationsharing,
openness,fluidity,andcooperation.If co-workersfeel thattheyare trustedtolive uptheir
commitmentsandduties,thenplanning,coordination,andexecutionbecome significantly
easier(Cuddy,Kohut,&Neffinger,2013). Inotherwords,the more I instill trustinmyteam
members,the more comfortable theywillbecome inworkingwithme andthe more confidently
theywill generate ideasandaccomplishtheirwork.

22
 I will contactmy groupmembersviae-mail regardingprogresswe
have made on a semesterprojectforanothercourse.
 I will be sure tocomplimentthemonall workthat theyhave posted
to the group file exchange.
 In reviewingourwork,Iwill contactgroup membersindividuallyif
there isanythingthatI’d like toalterandget theirinput.
 I will alsoencourage myteammemberstocritique myworkand
offersuggestionsforimprovements.
 I will thankthemfortheirhardwork and askthemto review the final
productbefore Isubmit it.
 Potential barrier:Inasituationwhere Iamunable to getincontact
witha group memberregardingpotential changestohisorherwork,
I will conferwithmyothergroupmembersbefore makingany
adjustments.
 Monday,
3/23/15
 From 3/23/15
until 4/20/15
 From 3/23/15
until 4/20/15
 From 3/23/15
until 4/20/15
 By 4/20/15
As part of thisproject,we are requiredtofill outapeerevaluationformonwhichaportionof
our grade is based.Iwill be able tolookat the feedbackourinstructorprovidesforthis
particulargrade to see howhighlymygroupmembersratedmyteamworkskills.Ishouldalsobe
able to getan ideaof how well Iam doingwithmygoal from the nature of the responsesIget
frommy group membersthroughoutthe course of puttingthisprojecttogether.Myhope isthat
our correspondencesare frequentandpositive,whichshouldultimatelyresultinacomplete
and well-structuredproject.

23
April 20, 2015

References
Insert all references used for Sections 1-4 here. In-text citations are required only
for Sections 3-4. All references should be in APA Style (6th Edition).
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Byham, W. (January 2009). Start Networking Right Away (Even If You Hate It).
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Cialdini, R. (July-August 2013). The Uses (and Abuses) of Influence. Harvard
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Cuddy, A., Kohut, M., & Neffinger, J. (July-August 2013). Connect, Then Lead. Harvard
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25
Goffee, R., & Jones, G. (September-October 2000). Why Should Anyone Be Led by
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Consulting Psychology Journal, Vol. 64, No. 2, pp. 119-135. Retrieved from
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26
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