Identify the leadership competencies and behaviors of successful leaders.

Effective Leadership Behaviors and Competencies: Leaders who are successful have a range of behaviors and competencies that allow them to be effective. According to the Leadership Challenge model developed by James Kouzes and Barry Posner, the five competencies of successful leaders are model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, and encourage the heart (Kouzes & Posner, 2007). In addition to these competencies, successful leaders also possess certain behaviors, such as being honest, forward-thinking, and results-driven (Kouzes & Posner, 2007).

Evaluation of Leadership Competencies: To evaluate my current leadership capabilities, I did a self-assessment using a Leadership Practices Inventory developed by Kouzes (2007; Posner 2007). My results indicated that my strongest competency is “inspiring a shared vision”, with a score of 4.5 out of 5. My weakest competency is “enabling others to act”, with a score of 3.5 out of 5.

SWOT Analysis

• Your strengths include the ability to instill and motivate others toward a shared vision and to be creative and to identify new opportunities.
• Weaknesses : Insufficient experience with empowering or developing others; tendency to micromanage.
• Potential: Continued development in areas such as empowering others and developing them, as well improving delegating skills.
• The threat: There are limited resources available and no support to develop and train leaders.

Vision Statement: As a leader, my vision is to be a respected and highly effective leader known for developing and empowering others and achieving organizational goals.

Goals:

1. Participate in at least 1 leadership development program or training course within the next 6 month.
2. In the coming year, increase delegation of tasks to members by 25%
3. Receive feedback on my leadership abilities from colleagues and implement any improvements.
4. Increase team members’ sense of ownership and engagement in their work by 10% within the next year.
5. For additional support and guidance in developing my leadership abilities, I will establish a mentorship relationship to a more senior leader.

References: Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2007). Fourth edition. The leadership challenge. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.