March 2, 2015
Having a leadership development plan is essential to a successful personal and career life. Often work gets in the way of investing effort and time towards achieving this goal especially for those in management positions. Leadership development and regular career life should not be viewed as two separate entities. They should work in tandem to ensure that while you are working, you are attaining personal skill development. However, it is important to have clear guidelines that will provide you with an understanding of exactly what you want to accomplish. To attain progress, you must be deliberate in your pursuit for excellence.
Developing a Practical Plan
The initial stage of the plan always requires awareness of who you are with respect to the pertinent career and the long-term vision. It is a fairly hard task because in the current job market people are more focused on profit margins than significant contributions to the field. Identifying the issues motivates you within the chosen discipline is a good start. Consider the needs that are yet to be met and the skills that you possess to make a difference. Leadership development is about leaving a legacy and contributing towards making a positive difference in your line of work. The plan should also create a projection of what you want to accomplish within a set period of time. Identify the role that you want to be playing in your career life after that time has elapsed.
A good leadership development plan is set to help you accomplish specific goals. It should therefore address the necessary steps and measures that must be taken towards realization. The process of having a practical strategy is hard and will require some consultation with someone that is more accomplished. Those with the luxury of having an available and dedicated mentor can benefit tremendously. However, since this is rarely an option, there are life coaches that offer incredible support through this stage. You may not have the proper tools to assess the requirements properly and a professional will help you do a thorough analysis. Here’s an article from Forbes.com http://www.forbes.com/sites/jackzenger/2013/07/16/throw-your-old-plan-away-6-new-ways-to-build-leadership-development-into-your-job/
Life coaching within business forums and for individual career people is vital to success. While you may know the aspects requiring development, implementation is much harder. A professional will help you specify clear strategies that are aimed at advancing your skills and which will be in line with your projected career path. They will do this without invasion into the time required to fulfill preexisting obligations. The plan will also sketch out the need for additional training or further formal education where necessary. Finally, there will always be a timeline set in place to make certain that you have benefited as expected.
Reviewing Progress
Consistency and discipline is necessary for any plan to succeed. Ensure that you have a way to assess the progress that you have made on a periodic basis and formulate methods to make your strategy more efficient. A feedback mechanism can also be set in place through creating useful association with people who have experience or colleagues with similar aspirations. Such relationships can prove to be highly beneficial to your overall development. Consult with a qualified life coach for improved results.