Personal Narrative: The Five Practices Of Exemplary Leadership

After looking back in last week’s module at our leadership definition drafted in Module One, it is now time to look forward. As a leader I want to continue to grow, in fact, it is vital to grow. Since everyone does have the potential to become a leader and have an influence they need to grow, I need to grow or it will all go away. I do not want to lose my opportunity and I want to lead and succeed, so I need to make sure that I grow! That is why I am so excited and grateful that we have made leadership development action plans in this course over the past few weeks. I envision using the leadership development action plan that I have created to help me grow and become that leader I know and want to be. Even though I am not actually leading

Yes, I have always liked to lead and take on a leadership role, but from filling out this plan and learning more and more about leadership and myself over the past few weeks I have found that I never really knew what leadership was then. I have learned what leadership is and what it takes to be an exemplary leader, which is why it is so important that I use this plan and continue to work on myself and that areas that I need to improve on. Improving these areas, and new ones as they come along will help me become a better person and leader. I will be the role model I want people to follow and I will be the leader I have always wanted to be and know I can. It will take work, drive, commitment, and time, but that is what leadership is all about and what I will do. This is how I envision using the leadership development action plan that I have

There are so many takeaways from this course that I intend to keep with me as I advance in my academic and professional career. My first takeaway would have to be learning and developing my leadership definition. This was something that I was never really sure of, or always had a simple answer to, but now I know what it is in my own words that are based on the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership. This is another takeaway for me. Learning the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership was so enlightening and really helped me master the material in this course. I feel as if it was the key to really connecting the material to me and how I can improve to be the leader I want to be. Engaging in the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership, I personally feel like extraordinary things can happen for leaders, but they need to accept the leadership challenge. Another huge takeaway I will keep with me and remember is that leaders have an impact, whether they mean to or not. This is something I had never really realized earlier until learning and seeing it in this course. When I become a leader I have to remember this and remind myself that it is not about who I am, but it is about what I do. This is something that has stuck with me throughout this whole course and something I will remember for when I become a leader one