Leadership Philosophy and Action Plan
Leadership Philosophy and Action Plan MGT 604
Knowing and refining your principles and your approach toward leading people is a lifelong
exercise toward being an effective leader. Using the principles of this class, you will outline your
leadership philosophy and an action plan for your own development in approximately 10 double-
spaced, typewritten pages. It is important to note that a major objective of this course is for
students to apply the course material to their own situations and self-improvement. To assist with
this objective, your action plan should outline the specific steps you would take to implement
selected aspects of the course. The purposes of this exercise are to give you (a) the opportunity to
develop a concrete strategy for changing some aspect of behavior or of yourself that you feel
needs development, (b) added appreciation for the complexity involved in applying behavioral
science concepts to managerial problems, and (c) an additional opportunity to demonstrate your
mastery of the course material.
Your paper requires you to reflect deeply upon yourself AND integrate those reflections into
what you will have learned in the course. Be sure to integrate material from the readings into
your thoughts. Cite those concepts appropriately and list your references in a reference section at
the end of your document (the reference page does not count in your length requirement). I do
not care what style you use for references, so long as you use one.
In this essay, you must address the following:
1. Look inward. In this class, what have you learned about YOUR strengths and needs for improvement regarding leadership and interpersonal effectiveness?
2. Look outward. Contemplate your own leadership philosophy. That is, how can you most effectively harness your own strengths to motivate others toward a goal? If you had to
condense your leadership philosophy down to 10–no more, no less–guiding principles,
what would they be? (Make sure you pick your own, not ones that others have written or
that you find anywhere else.) How do these principles reflect both who you are and what
you now know about leadership and interpersonal effectiveness?
3. Look onward. Describe, in concrete, actionable terms, your action plan for becoming an
increasingly effective leader and team member. This section should include a description
of your specific goals: short-term (the next 12 months), mid-term (1 to 3 years), and long-
term (3 to 5 years). Then, describe your strategy for achieving these goals.
Your paper should be presented as an essay, with an introductory paragraph, the sections listed
above, and a brief concluding paragraph. Your paper should be no less than 9 full pages, and no
more than 11 double-spaced pages, with 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, 1-inch
margins.
The paper must be submitted via Blackboard by 11:59 p.m. on the date listed in the syllabus.
I will use the following rubric to grade your paper:
Levels of Achievement
Criteria Proficient Competent Novice
Essay content 17-25 Points All aspects of the
assignment are
addressed thoroughly.
9-17 Points
Aspects of the
assignment are omitted
or treated more
superficially.
1-8 Points Essay content does not
conform to assignment.
Use of course
concepts to support
analyses
17-25 Points
Analytical claims and
arguments are
supported by
concepts/theories from
the course.
9-17 Points
Some claims or
arguments lack support
from course concepts.
1-8 Points Course concepts are not used
in advancing the analyses.
Critical Thinking 17-25 Points Ideas presented in a
logical and compelling
order; assumptions
recognized and treated
appropriately;
reasoning behind
choices/decisions is
clear and explicit.
9-17 Points Missed assumptions;
reasoning not
presented; organization
lacks logic or flow.
1-8 Points Thinking is unclear; lacks
rigor.
Structure & writing 17-25 Points No more than 1 or 2
minor errors in
sentence structure,
spelling or punctuation;
clear and appropriate
paragraph structure and
transitions; uses
original language;
author’s ideas
presented clearly and
concisely; conforms to
required formatting.
9-17 Points No more than 5 errors
in sentence structure,
spelling or punctuation;
adequate paragraph
structure and
transitions; minor
inappropriate use of
paraphrasing or
quotations; author’s
ideas confusing or
wordy in spots; minor
errors in required
formatting.
1-8 Points Repeated major and minor
errors in sentence structure,
spelling or punctuation;
paragraph structure has
serious and persistent errors;
excessive use of
paraphrasing or quotations;
difficult to discern author’s
ideas because of writing
deficiencies; major errors in
required formatting.
