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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.

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 setting SMART goals for future improvement, gathering some additional information from those who know you best.

Your role is to prepare a report in which you review and reflect on your strengths. To do this, collect information from the various assessments in class or from colleagues, friends, or others who know you well, and create a portrait of yourself as a leader. Then, reflect on how this information fits with your own view of yourself and your behavior on the job or in life by creating a personal SWOT and some SMART goals.

For this paper:

• Discuss the strengths, skills, and other positives that were revealed in the 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.
• If you choose to, discuss your strengths further by summarizing what the people that you asked about you responded, 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 personal SWOT.
• Describe one or two areas that you learned are growth opportunities (where you did not perform so strongly). How did you feel about this? What specific and actionable steps might you take to strengthen these areas? List at least one SMART goal that you can set for yourself.
• 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.

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 MBA Program Resources. 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.

Collecting Feedback From People:

If you choose, you can collect valuable feedback about your strengths through others. 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?

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 assessment is).
• My Strengths (Detail which assessments you took, what strengths and values were revealed, and comments you received, if applicable).
• Personal SWOT Leadership Statement (Provide a brief personal SWOT in bullet form or a four-square graphic. Create a statement of who you want to be as a leader—make it aspiring, like an affirmation).
• Growth Opportunities (Briefly overview the importance of growing and setting goals. Then, develop at least two SMART goals based on your analysis. 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).

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 SWOT 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 by setting SMART goals.
• 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.