Assignment: Followership and Leadership Assessment and Development Plan
Throughout your major program(s), you have developed knowledge and skills that relate to or contribute to your ability to engage, encourage, and lead others and/or further the success of processes through the applicable knowledge, skills, and expertise you have gained about them. Through collaboration activities, such as team or group activities, you have furthered your knowledge and skills in followership and leadership. As you complete your major program(s), it is important that you take stock of your strengths and areas for improvement in followership and leadership related to your current or desired professional field and role, and develop a plan for continuous growth through cultivation of your strengths and gaining the knowledge and skills necessary for growth in those areas requiring improvement. This project is designed to help you accomplish this task in your capstone course.
Progressively, throughout Units 1 - 4, you will engage in the following research and assessment activities for which the specific expectations are addressed later in the document:
• Unit 1 - Relationship between Followership and Leadership Styles and their Traits
• Unit 2 - Followership and Leadership Expectations in Professional Field
• Unit 3 - Followership and Leadership Assessment
• Unit 4 - Followership and Leadership Development Plan
In Unit 5, you will formalize the development plan and submit the final report as follows:
1. Prepare a report in APA format that details your research and assessment findings and conclusions, and your development plan for each phase of this project. The sections required for this report are as follows:
a) Title Page [unique title and not title of this assignment]
b) Abstract
c) Introduction
d) Relationship between Followership and Leadership Styles and their Traits
e) Followership and Leadership Expectations in [name of professional field]
f) Followership and Leadership Assessment
g) Followership and Leadership Development Plan
h) Conclusion
i) References
2. Within each of sections d-g, each of the section objectives/instructions must be carefully addressed in this final report. Be sure to carefully review the grading rubric below. Do note that this is a professional report, so use of first person and contractions, etc. is not permitted.
3. The minimum word length, excluding the title page, abstract, and references, is 2500 words. More than likely, you will exceed this minimum word length, given the scope and requirements of this project.
4. Submit your report for feedback and grading by Sunday of Unit 5.
Unit 1: Relationship between Followership and Leadership Styles and their Traits
Research the various traits and styles associated with leadership and followership and their relationship with each other. To begin this research, read the following for background information.
• A Fresh Look at Followership: A Model for Matching Followership and Leadership Styles
• Everyday Leadership
• 8 Common Leadership Styles
• Four types of Leaders
Research scholarly and professional journal articles on these topics in Deets Library, from Open Access Journals, and from professional associations written within the last ten years. For this research, news sources, general information Websites, encyclopedias, or other similar sources may not be used. The objectives are:
1. Based on your research and its analysis, develop a comprehensive list of 1) followership styles and traits, and 2) leadership styles and traits, each with comprehensive descriptions in your own words synthesized from your findings with appropriate citations for the concepts, facts, and ideas revealed in the research.
2. Based on your research and its analysis, describe the relationship between leadership and followership styles in your own words synthesized from your findings with appropriate citations for the concepts, facts, and ideas revealed in the research.
Note: A minimum of five different scholarly and professional journal articles in addition to those provided above should be cited in-text and included in references as applicable to each of these objectives.
Unit 2: Followership and Leadership Expectations in Professional Field
Building on your findings in Unit 1, conduct further research of scholarly and professional journal articles in Deets Library, from Open Access Journals, and from professional associations written within the last ten years to identify the desirable
1) followership styles and traits, and
2) leadership styles and traits that are applicable to your current or desired professional field and role. For this research, news sources, general information Websites, encyclopedias, or other similar sources may not be used.
1. Based on your research and its analysis, develop a comprehensive list of desirable
1) followership styles and traits, and
2) leadership styles and traits specific to your current or desired professional field and role.
2. Explain why each of these styles and traits are of importance to your success in your current or desired professional field and role. This must be conveyed in your own words with appropriate citations for the concepts, facts, and ideas revealed in the research.
Note: A minimum of five scholarly and professional journal articles should be cited in-text and included in references as applicable to each of these objectives.
Unit 3: Followership and Leadership Assessment
Complete the Identifying Your Followership Style Questionnaire Then, complete the eight exercises of the Leadership Assessment Tool Inventory - Assess Your Skills In completing the assessments related to an organization, consider the type of organization in which you might desire to work if you are not working in your desired professional field and role currently. Given the research completed in Units 1 and 2, and your findings from these assessments:
1. What are your followership strengths and areas for improvement specific to your current or desired professional field and role?
2. What are your leadership strengths and areas for improvement specific to your current or desired professional field and role?
Explain each finding, its relevance to the professional field, and why it is important. Cite research sources from Units 1 and 2, and the assessments to support your analysis of the above expressed in your own words.
Note: A minimum of five scholarly and professional journal articles should be cited in-text and included in references as applicable to each of these objectives.
Unit 4: Followership and Leadership Development Plan
1. Research the diverse methods through which you may cultivate your followership strengths and gain the knowledge and skills necessary for growth in those areas requiring improvement. Assess the viability of each of these methods for your continued growth as a follower. For this research, scholarly or professional journal articles, or professional and educational resources written or developed with in the last five years are required. News sources, general information Websites, encyclopedias, or other similar sources may not be used.
2. Research the diverse methods through which you may cultivate your leadership strengths and gain the knowledge and skills necessary for growth in those areas requiring improvement. Assess the viability of each of these methods for your continued growth as a leader. For this research, scholarly or professional journal articles, or professional and educational resources written or developed with in the last five years are required. News sources, general information Websites, encyclopedias, or other similar sources may not be used.
3. Create a detailed five-year plan for the continuous development of followership and leadership abilities. This plan must include a section for followership and a section of for leadership. Each of these sections must include a subsection that lists strengths and another subsection that includes areas for improvement. For each strength, the method(s) for continuously developing that strength must be identified. For each area for improvement, the method(s) for gaining the knowledge and skills for improvement must be identified. Where appropriate, a target date for completion should be included. However, as the focus is continuous development, many of these methods will not have such a date, given the continuous process. Be sure that what is included in this plan is realistic and one to which you can make a commitment.
Unit 5: Formalize the Development Plan
1. Prepare a report in APA format that details your research and assessment findings and conclusions, and your development plan for each phase of this project. The sections required for this report are as follows:
j) Title Page [unique title and not title of this assignment]
k) Abstract
l) Introduction
m) Relationship between Followership and Leadership Styles and their Traits
n) Followership and Leadership Expectations in [name of professional field]
o) Followership and Leadership Assessment
p) Followership and Leadership Development Plan
q) Conclusion
r) References
2. Within each of sections d-g, each of the section objectives/instructions must be carefully addressed in this final report. Be sure to carefully review the grading rubric below. Do note that this is a professional report, so use of first person and contractions, etc. is not permitted.
3. The minimum word length, excluding the title page, abstract, and references, is 2500 words. More than likely, you will exceed this minimum word length, given the scope and requirements of this project.