In up to 1,300 words, create a plan to help achieve your business leadership potential.  Components of this plan and presentation should include:

1. Discuss your assumptions and beliefs as a leader. Discuss how these have changed or evolved while studying business planning and development.  You may refer to business gurus such as the CEO of Starbucks and provide a synopsis of what you have learned from that individual.

2. Create a personal mission statement including talents and abilities you possess.

3. Discuss and define how you will use the strengths you currently posses to become and effective business leader.

4. Include the theories of leadership and models that inform and support your philosophy of leadership, and the reasons for these as your focus.

5. Identify and discuss key short term (next 6 months) and medium term (next 2 to 3 years) goals and define the type of activities that you will do to achieve these goals.  The goals must be business orientated and may discuss anything from starting a business to obtaining a job in management in some particular industry.

6.  Discuss whether gaining financial independence is important.  Create a budget for yourself.  Show the cash inflows and outflows in your budget.

7.  Research and discuss least five potential financial investments you might make to help accomplish your goal of becoming a business leader.  Calculate the future value of the investments using the estimated interest rates you anticipate for each investment.  Discuss how planning for financial growth will assist you in become a business leader.  How will it help you start other businesses?  How will it help you to manage a business.

8. Establish a timeline for each element of your business leadership plan and plot your goals and supporting activities along the timeline.

9. Define and discuss how you will build accountability into your plan. Who will support you? How can you hold yourself accountable from swaying from your plan?

10. Define and discuss your ideas of how you will incorporate technology as a means to enhance/strengthen your leadership style (be sure to include a discussion of why technology and the appropriate use thereof is essential). You may discuss social networking and how you intend to build and protect an online reputation.

11. How will you measure your leadership? What metrics will you put in place? Think of goals and specific objectives.

12. Please provide a summary of what you want to accomplish as a leader: for yourself, for those you work with and for, and for the wider society.  Please include a discussion of social justice.

13. Please plan for building a way of thinking that helps you continue to practice the continuous process of critical reflection.

Marking Criteria:

-       Good introduction,

-       Excellent of citations, especially with regard to leadership styles, potential investments, and social networking.

-       Clear and accurate referencing (according to the Harvard system)

-       Clear and logical explanation and discussion

-       Clear reflection on the items listed in the assessment

-       Good business English

-       Independence of thought  and originality

-       Good conclusion

-       Style and Presentation of the report