Assignment: Envisioning Leadership: What Kind of Leader Do I Want to Become?

Understanding the many styles, facets, and characteristics of leadership is key to becoming the leader you want to be and ensuring that change efforts are successful. In this week’s Discussion, you thought about and shared what you believe to be essential characteristics of effective early childhood leaders; however, as you know, many qualities go into being an effective leader, and often, different situations call for different types of leaders. The most effective leaders demonstrate characteristics that combine a number of styles, drawing on them as needed.

This Application Assignment will help you analyze and articulate who you want to become as a leader, the leadership role called for in the response you have identified, and your vision of leadership. As you complete this assignment, bring to mind leaders you truly admire both in and out of the early childhood field, and take time to think about the characteristics and actions that have earned your respect. Think about those people you “met” in your program of study who inspired you. Go back and review any of the resources that helped you clarify and extend your thinking about leadership. Finally, use the following questions to guide and inform your thinking:

• Part 1: Becoming the Leader You Want to Be
  Drawing from the readings this week, your Discussion, and any additional research you would like to do, analyze what you have learned about leadership and the characteristics of a leader, and then apply these characteristics to yourself:
  • What kind of leader do I want to become and why? (Do not hesitate to combine characteristics/skills/dispositions from a variety of leadership categories.)
  • What are possible obstacles I may have to overcome?
  • What is my plan for developing the skills, knowledge, and dispositions to becoming the leader I want to be?
• Part 2: Leading Your Challenge and Ideal Community of Practice
• What skills, dispositions, and knowledge does the person(s) who will lead my Ideal Community of Practice need in order to help ensure success?
• What skills, dispositions, and knowledge does the person(s) who will lead my response efforts need in order to help ensure success?
• Will it be the same person(s) for both tasks? Why/why not?
• Part 3: Your Personal Vision of Leadership
  Again, drawing from the readings this week, your Discussion, any additional research you would like to do, and your experience completing this assignment. What is your personal vision of leadership?