Grand Canyon University Professional Development Plan Paper

Professional Development PlanLeadership as a vocation requires a commitment to professional excellence and integrity, which
can be achieved through establishing habits of self-reflection, lifelong learning, and professional
development. The purpose of this assignment is for you to reflect on where you currently are in
your leadership capabilities; define where you want to go; and specify goals, plans, and a
timeframe for achieving your professional objectives. Your professional development plan will
be composed of three parts: Vision, Goals/Objectives, and Plans. You are required to support
each response with a minimum of one reference.
Vision:
The ability to create, communicate, and compel vision is critical to inspiring and effective
leadership. While ultimately many leaders are responsible for developing visions to guide
complex organizations, effective leadership begins on a much more personal level—a vision of
yourself as a leader. Who are you and who do you want to become in your field or sphere of
influence? Once you are clear about that, you can then confidently establish how you will help
others and your organization achieve their visions.
Your leadership vision is based on a number of factors, including your attitude, values, personal
beliefs, guiding principles, and how you behave. It may also be influenced by theoretical,
philosophical, or religious frameworks, as well as the leadership traits, values, and behaviors of
others. A leadership vision is also dynamic. No great leader ever “arrived.” Those who have
adopted leadership as their vocation can spend a lifetime in self-reflection in order to continue to
learn and more effectively motivate and inspire others.
Spend some time reflecting below on where you currently are in your leadership capabilities and
write a minimum of 250 words explaining what you have learned about leadership in the course
and how you want to develop and improve as you continue your leadership studies and move
forward in your field. Review the document “Essential Leadership Competencies” for an
overview of the scope of effective leadership capabilities.
Reflection:
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Vision:
In a minimum of 300 words, briefly articulate your vision for yourself as a leader 3-5 years from
now. Where do you want to be? What kind of leader do you want to become?
Goals/Objectives:
After you have stated your vision, create five to eight leadership goals/objectives you will strive
to meet in the next 3-5 years. Try to formulate at least one goal/objective related to each of the
four major leadership competencies included in “Essential Leadership Competencies”: selfleadership, leading others, leading an organization, and leadership as a vocation.
Utilize your topic resources to develop SMART goals. Include a brief justification for each
goal/objective to explain how it will help you achieve the qualities of professional excellence and
integrity required of excellent leaders. Be sure to connect your goals to the key concepts covered
in this topic related to civil discourse, listening for understanding, leading diverse work groups
(e.g., gender, age/generational cohorts, race), and inclusivity.
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Plan:
Specify activities you will engage in to achieve your goals/objectives. Consider the following
questions as you approach your planning to accomplish your goals:
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What can I start doing?
What can I stop doing?
What should I continue doing?
You may find it helpful to research professional development activities in your field or
organization to determine what resources are available to you. Be specific about projects you
will engage in either as student or as a professional and identify people in your life who can help
you achieve your goals. Be sure to include a timeline of events.
Finally, include a method for evaluating your professional development plan at regular intervals.
What milestones will you include in your plan to help ensure its success? How will you use
methods of self-reflection to assess your progress as you move towards your goals?
References
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