Assessment 2: Defining Yourself As a Leader

Prepare a 2-3-page business report (single spaced) in which you analyze your leadership strengths and develop a statement of who you are as a leader.

Introduction

This portfolio work project helps you define who you are as a leader. It is something that would be useful to you in annual performance reviews or to use as a reminder of your strengths and best qualities.

Scenario

Your leader is interested in your development as a leader in your organization. You have recently taken a variety of self-assessments designed to better understand your strengths, areas of improvement, communication ability, and values. Your leader would like you to spend some time reflecting on the results of your assessments and gathering some additional information from those who know you best.

Your Role

Your role is to prepare a report in which you review and reflect on your strengths; collect additional information from 3–5 colleagues, friends, or others who know you well; and create a portrait of yourself as a leader.

Preparation

This assessment requires you to collect feedback from 3–5 people who know you best and to complete at least three self-assessments.

Collecting Feedback From People:

Because not everyone is likely to respond, you should identify at least 6–10 people to ask. Choose a variety of people who have had extended contact with you, such as:

• Colleagues (former or current), such as vendors, customers, or board members.
• Friends (old or recent), neighbors, or fellow volunteers.
• Family members.
• Others who know you well. Be creative in your choices.

Try to give your respondents sufficient time to respond. You can create a feedback form or keep it simpler.

The questions you should ask are:

• Who am I when I am at my best?
• Can you provide a specific example of a time when I was at my best?

You can reach out by phone, e-mail, text, or in person. Analyze your leadership strengths.

Self-Assessments

Take at least three of the six self-assessments listed in the Assessment 2 Resources: Leadership Self-Assessments.

Requirements

For this paper:

• Discuss the strengths, skills, and other positives that were revealed in the three assessments that you took. Do these strengths surprise you or reinforce what you already thought? How do you use these strengths currently? Be sure to clearly explain which assessment gave you the information and cite the assessments in APA format.
• Discuss your strengths further by summarizing the responses you received and relating how what you learned from the people you talked to and the assessments fits in with what you already knew about yourself, and with the work you currently do or hope to do in the future.
• Bring together all data points—your own feelings about your skills, what the assessments revealed, what your contacts said about you—in a cohesive discussion of your strengths. 
• Develop a statement of who you are as a leader, based on your analysis. This statement should include your values, strengths, goals, and more. You should include in your statement who you want to be as a leader—what you aspire to become. This way, your statement becomes your own vision of who you want to be and an affirmation to help you grow.
• Describe some of the areas that you learned are growth opportunities (where you did not perform so strongly). How did you feel about this? What areas do you feel are most important to strengthen? What specific and actionable steps might you take to strengthen these areas?

Deliverable Format

Your deliverable is a 2–3-page business report (single spaced). Business reports are formatted differently from academic, APA formatting. For information about the differences, refer to the MBA Program Resources on the left side of the courseroom navigation panel. Once you click this tab, several options will appear in the middle of your screen. Click the Writing option. You will want to review the MBA Academic and Professional Document Guidelines. Note that this business report MUST be single-spaced, professionally formatted, and organized with ample headings. Because this is a personal reflection, you may write it in first person.

Related Company Standards

The Defining Yourself As a Leader business report is a professional document and should therefore follow the corresponding MBA Academic and Professional Document Guidelines, including single-spaced paragraphs. In addition to the report, include:

• Title page or a heading at the top of the first page with title, date, and your name.
• Introduction.
• Various sections (see recommended outline below).
• Conclusion.
• References page.
• APA-formatted references (if applicable).

You might consider using the following outline:

• Introduction (tell the reader what this paper is about. Do not assume that the reader knows what the assignment is).
• My Strengths (detail which assessments you took and what strengths and values were revealed).
• Leadership Statement (create a statement of who you want to be as a leader—make it aspiring, like an affirmation).
• Growth Opportunities (detail the areas where you have yet to grow and discuss some plans for achieving that growth).
• Conclusion (wrap up the paper effectively).
• References (in APA format. Be sure to cite the assessments that you took, and any readings that are applicable). 

Evaluation

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies through corresponding scoring guide criteria:

• Competency 1: Analyze the strengths and behaviors of successful leaders.
  • Analyze personal leadership strengths.
  • Develop a personal leadership statement that includes purpose and values as a leader.
• Competency 2: Apply leadership strengths and behaviors to workplace situations.
  • Describe how you use your strengths in the workplace or plan to in the future and how you will develop your weaknesses to become strengths. 
• Competency 4: Communicate effectively through academic and professional writing.
  • Develop text using organization, structure, and transitions that demonstrate understanding of the relationship between the main topic and subtopics.
  • Convey clear meaning in text through sound grammar, usage, word choice, and mechanics. 

Faculty will use the scoring guide to review your deliverable as if they were your boss. Review the scoring guide prior to developing and submitting your assessment.