Personal Leadership Plan

Bachelor of Arts

Communication Arts

Student Name

University of Denver University College

March 15, 2020

Faculty: Eddie Perez

Director: Molly Smith, PhD

Dean: Michael McGuire, MLS

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“We fail the minute we let someone else define success for us” (Brown 2018, 271). Each

leadership journey is unique because there is no single way to lead, but we can all reach success

according to our own goals and strengths. The key is to accumulate knowledge from

experiences, examples, and resources, observe one’s own effectiveness and weaknesses, and

apply new techniques in order to improve. Throughout this project, I have reflected on my

leadership skills and assessed developmental areas. I now feel confident in merging multiple

styles of leadership and methods of communication as well as implementing new strategies to

improve specific areas of growth. In order to best evaluate my personal leadership journey, I

have established five separate components in which I highlight my strengths and weaknesses.

Following that evaluation, I focus on three distinct areas of growth and plans for improvement.

The impact of this assessment will benefit my leadership opportunities in the future and allow

me to stand out with newfound capabilities.

Inherently, I have an aptitude towards public speaking, energetic physicality, and

understanding others. When learning about Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences, my aptitudes fell

under the categories of bodily-kinesthetic and interpersonal intelligences. Gardner defines

bodily-kinesthetic intelligence as “the ability to use one’s body in a skilled way, for

self-expression, or toward a goal,” and interpersonal intelligence as “an ability to perceive and

understand other individuals--their moods, desires, and motivations” (Shriberg and Shriberg

2011, 88). Currently, I perform for a living and physically use my body to motivate, inspire, and

spark joy in others. Each week I am either dancing at Disneyland or singing and speaking across

the country with my husband. Even when I am not performing, my movements and speech are

animated, and I utilize this strength to reach others. However, through my interpersonal
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intelligence, I am able to decipher what level of energy is needed in order to connect with

individuals. Although I feel secure in these aptitudes, I am also aware of my weakness in time

management. I tend to succumb to distractions or procrastination, which leads to delayed

stress and anxiety. Because of my attention to detail, I take longer to accomplish tasks, which

then creates an overwhelming environment. “Leaders need to develop strategies to maximize

time in order to achieve personal and organizational goals” (Farrell 2017, 215). I understand the

importance of time management and have chosen it as one of my growth areas I will discuss in

the latter portion of this essay.

My attitude towards work and others is greatly defined through my competency in

emotional intelligence and priority in ethical leadership. Emotional intelligence is “the ability to

fully understand oneself and to relate well with others” (Shriberg and Shriberg 2011, 91). My

strongest ability under this type of intelligence is empathy. When listening to others, I attempt

to take on their perspective in order to comprehend their feelings and serve them better.

“Empathy is not connecting to an experience, it’s connecting to the emotions that underpin an

experience” (Brown 2018, 140). Many times after my husband and I give our distracted driving

presentations, we have flocks of students sharing their trials and hardships with us. Conscious

in those moments that we are mentors to them, I strive to empathize. It is essential to be

nonjudgmental, understanding of their feelings, and to communicate my own comprehension

of their feelings (Brown 2018, 146). When I accomplish these empathetic capacities, a level of

trust is formed, and the opportunity to mentor is readily available.

In addition to empathy, I maintain a high level of ethical leadership by living with

integrity. Whether I am in public view or in solitude, I strive to do the right thing. When a
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leader’s actions are ethically driven, followers respect requests and adhere to a moral code

more effectively. In my leadership interview with [Company Name]’s CEO, John [last name], he

emphasized the importance of leading by example ([last name] 2020). Role-modeling is a way I

demonstrate integrity, even if that means reprimanding someone for an inappropriate action.

The relationship might be uncomfortable momentarily with that individual, but as a leader, I

aim to choose integrity over comfortability. However, this behavior can be linked to my

attitudinal weakness of perfectionism. This is a dangerous flaw I have attempted to dismantle

and am now able to acknowledge it when it presents itself. I have learned that “perfectionism is

not the key to success...the fear of failing, making mistakes, not meeting people’s expectations,

and being criticized keeps us outside the arena where healthy competition and striving unfolds”

(Brown 2018, 79). I am currently mastering the art of releasing perfectionism and allowing

healthy achievement to take its place.

My natural aptitudes and attitudes fuel the strengths I possess in social skills, which I

would describe as my overall greatest leadership asset. Social intelligence and servant

leadership play a huge role in this realm. Social intelligence is “the ability to get along well with

others and to get them to cooperate with you” (Shriberg and Shriberg 2011, 93). I utilize my

interpersonal skills to adapt to each individual I lead, in order to best understand and respect

one another. For example, I teach a class at Disneyland called Traditions, which every new

Disney cast member is required to take. Oftentimes, the majority of the class is older than me

and heading into fields of work not relating to entertainment. Before the class even begins,

there are obvious disadvantages against me, but I take the time to have one-on-one

conversations throughout the day to break the stereotypical barriers. Once I understand the
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participants more, I can then serve them better. One of John [last name]’s greatest strengths is

his servant-style leadership. He truly cares about his employees, builds trust, desires to hear

their ideas, and gives them opportunities to lead ([last name] 2020). I exercise these same skills

when I teach Traditions because I have a passion for the Walt Disney Company and yearn for

each cast member to find success in their endeavors. My favorite moments are when I run into

participants weeks after the class and see they are thriving in their work environment. It

comforts me to know that I served them well and helped jumpstart their Disney journey. For as

much as I love working with and leading people, my primary weakness in social skills is

managing conflict, which I will expand upon in the designated growth area of this essay.

Ironically, while social skills are my greatest strength, I would depict group skills as my

greatest weakness. It is difficult for me to delegate tasks because of the perfectionism flaw I

noted earlier. When I complete tasks myself, I have the confidence they were done correctly.

Interestingly enough, I am not a leader who needs recognition or power, I just thrive in integrity

and a job well done. The best example is when I am required to participate in group projects at

school. I often take charge and volunteer to take on the most work, but recently had the

opportunity in my latest group project to practice releasing tasks to others and trusting in their

abilities. When John [last name] learned how to clearly articulate his vision and communicate

the purpose behind it, he was able to confidently release tasks to his employees ([last name]

2020). Because of the trust he built up with his employees, the creative process was still

collaborative even if tasks were delegated. I believe collaboration is the biggest lesson to be

learned in my scenario. If I can release the perfectionist mindset and have openness in sharing

responsibility, I can still remain collaborative in the steps that follow. I find that when I
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successfully release tasks to others, I do have the strength of empowering and encouraging

them. Oftentimes, this frees me up to problem-solve elsewhere and use my skills in other

needed areas.

The fifth component of leadership I want to assess is communication. Communication

can be broken down into written, oral, and nonverbal messages, which each have their own

importance attached to them. When I receive emails, I retain more information when there is

less wordiness; thus, when I compose my own emails, I choose to be clear and concise.

Additionally, I always proofread my work for grammatical errors and will ask a colleague to

proofread if it is an extremely important message. As I stated before in the aptitude

assessment, I have a passion for public speaking. Performing for a living has bolstered my

courage to speak in front of people, whether I am voicing concerns in a meeting or speaking to

an entire high school student body. Moreover, I choose to listen attentively because it is just as

vital as clear communication. Effective listening involves patience, empathy, non-judgment,

genuine reactions, and positivity (Shriberg and Shriberg 2011, 124). When I am listening to

someone, I am mindful of what nonverbal messages I am displaying. I maintain appropriate eye

contact, uncross my arms, and nod in understanding. I feel comfortable with most methods of

communication, but would like to grow in giving direct feedback. It is hard to give constructive

criticism that will simultaneously encourage someone to alter their methods in order to

improve in a certain skill. I have learned that recognizing a person’s strengths will help address

the challenges, allowing space for both directness and positivity in a hard situation (Brown

2018, 200). I find that directness can simply be given through specific examples and solutions,

instead of general critiques.

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After evaluating five areas of leadership, I have ascertained three substantial areas of

growth: time management, conflict management, and task delegation. Progressing in time

management will not only lend to efficient productivity, but will also lend to a more balanced

lifestyle between work, school, and community. “While there are many ways to organize time,

the fundamental basis for any time management process is linked to the planning process”

(Farrell 2017, 216). The planning process involves prioritizing tasks, setting goals, and allotting

time slots for productivity. An important step for me to improve in this area is to set aside time

to reflect on how my time was honestly spent. Once I have a realistic view of how my time was

allocated, I can adjust and create a more effective plan (Farrell 2017, 217). Adhering to the

SMART goal format, I have created an attainable strategy in order to alter my current habits in

time management. By May 2020, I will utilize my Passion Planner to delegate distinct, daily time

slots to specific tasks in order to remain conscious of time and productivity. I will reflect at the

end of each week and notate what was successful or distracting. In addition to using my

planner, I will only allow myself to check social media after my school or professional work is

completed. When I succeed, I will have utilized extra hours in the day, felt more accomplished,

prevented stress, and spent more time with friends and family.

Managing conflict is also a high priority for me because there are many strong

personalities in the entertainment business and conflict is inevitable. Improvement in this area

would bring courage to my work life and confidence in situations of confrontation. John [last

name] advises listening to all sides in a conflict and “clarifying the cause of friction as

objectively as possible, removing the emotional level” ([last name] 2020). Stripping away the

emotions can distance oneself from the situation in order to see it more clearly. It becomes
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easier to find the obstacles that are stopping you from getting “here to there” ([last name]

2020). Oftentimes, I fall guilty of allowing my emotions to lead in confrontational conversations

and need to prepare my mind before stepping into those scenarios. I find it best to write down

clear anecdotes in order to stay on track. Ultimately, “clear is kind, unclear is unkind” (Brown

2018, 48). If I am wary of conflict and only share half-truths in order to make the other person

feel better, that will not help either of us in the future. If I am clear and successfully change

expectations, then it is a kindness to all parties involved. Throughout the next year, when

conflict arises, I will allow myself space and time to dismiss emotional attachment and write

down productive solutions. When I step into the confrontational conversation, I will listen to all

sides involved, discern the true root of the issue, and give clear and concise feedback. Practice

makes permanent with this type of learned skill, and success will come over time as I flex these

new conflict management muscles.

The final area of growth is task delegation, which if accomplished, would relieve me of

stress and unnecessary responsibilities. It would also allow others to grow and step into

leadership opportunities. Besides the downfall of striving to be perfect, I believe the other

fundamental issue is not wanting to ask for help. However, asking for help presents an

opportunity to learn new skills from someone else. Oftentimes at home, when I give in and ask

my husband for help, I actually learn more efficient ways of completing household chores.

Asking for help and delegating tasks creates an environment of trust. It is a power move and

“reflects a self-awareness that is an essential element in braving trust” (Brown 2018, 229).

Delegating tasks will also aid in successful time management. If I am overloaded with household

chores, homework, and professional work, it would be wise to delegate some of those chores
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to my husband so I can focus on higher priorities. My new goal in this area is to create a list of

household duties for the month of March and delegate them between myself and my husband,

who is always willing to help if I ask. By creating a list, I can release the pressure of knowing

everything that needs to be done and learn to trust that my husband can accomplish the chores

just as well as I can. At the end of the month, a new habit will be formed, and task delegation in

my household will be built on trust and imperfection.

This project has inspired me to continually reflect, strategize, and grow. It is helpful to

identify strengths as well as weaknesses in order to maintain good habits and improve on

weaker ones. All my life experiences up until this point have fostered an aptitude for public

speaking, an empathetic attitude, social intelligence, an encouraging spirit, and sound

communication skills. I believe these skills have built a foundation in my leadership journey. As I

continue to utilize these skills, I look forward to growing in areas I had not properly identified

before this project. Utilizing the SMART goal format, I have set attainable strategies to improve

my time management, conflict management, and task delegation. My leadership plan will never

be completed because I yearn to always be flexible and continually learn. Above all, I strive to

leave an impact on anyone I have the honor of leading.

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References

Brown, Brené. 2018. ​Dare to Lead. ​New York: Random House.

Farrell, Maggie. 2017. “Time Management.” ​Journal of Library Administration​ 57, no.2: 215-222.

https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2017.1281666​.

[last name], John. 2020. Interview by [student name]. Fullerton, California. January 17, 2020.

​ oboken, NJ: John Wiley &

Shriberg, David, and Arthur Shriberg. 2011. ​Practicing Leadership. H

Sons, Inc.