In any business environment, it is important to know that there are employees who could potentially rise into leadership with the right steps and training. For this reason, individual development plan for leadership are essential for every organization that wants to remain competitive at all times.
In this article, we will be examining various leadership development goals and action plan examples, as well as personal leadership development plan examples. By studying these leadership development plan examples, you can discover how you can cultivate leaders within the workforce. Keep reading.
What Is a Leadership Development Plan
Before getting into the specific individual development plan example for leadership, we are going to explain what we mean by the term leadership development plan. After this, the leadership development plan examples below will make sense to you as they will provide you with invaluable insight.
In general, a leadership development plan is a structured approach to providing the training needed to cultivate leaders within the workforce. Therefore, all leadership development goals and action plan examples show how t eam members can hone their leadership skills to be in a position to undertake a leading role in the future.
As you will notice from the personal leadership development plan examples below, every plan is as unique as the individual it was created for. This happens because every person has different characteristics that affect their leadership style.
Why Do You Need an Individual Development Plan for Leadership
Individual development plan for leadership have numerous usages, both for the person and the company. That’s why it is important to study as many as you can in order to understand how you can create one for yourself.
In essence, the leadership development plan examples are important because they:
- Develop your personal skills – in the personal leadership development plan examples, you will see that you have to include all the skills you need to obtain to emerge as a leader. Therefore, they will push you to gain new invaluable skills.
- Make you a better employee – all the new skills that you have included in the leadership development goals and action plan will also help you show greater productivity. Through your new training, you will collaborate better with your team members and bring better results.
- Help you promote your career – the simplest and most obvious reason to study various individual development plan examples for leadership is to further your career. Learning new skills and becoming a team leader is the first step toward the managerial positions you are dreaming of.
- Improve business results – there is no denying that developing your personal leadership skills will also have benefits for the business as well.
10 Individual Development Plan Examples for Leadership
In this section, you will find various leadership development goals and action plan examples that will show you how to utilize this useful tool.
Individual Development Plan Examples for Leadership – 01
The first one of the leadership development plan examples that we are going to examine is about a team member that aims to become a team leader in the future. To do this, they need to hone their leadership skills for effective team management. Of course, the first step in these personal leadership development examples is to perform a self-assessment. Therefore, the final example will be as follows:
Goals:
- Learn more about conflict resolution,
- Develop time management skills,
- Take a problem-solving approach.
Steps:
- Consult with the existing team leader,
- Enroll in a communication skills workshop,
- Start learning more about the other team members.
Resources:
- Find small projects that you can lead,
- Start using time management and collaboration software.
Date:
- In the following 12-18 months.
Individual Development Plan Examples for Leadership – 02
We will continue our individual development plan examples for leadership with another case of a team member that wants to emerge as a team leader. In this case though, the team member has been working with that goal in mind since the beginning, and therefore, they possess more skills. Taking this into consideration, one of the possible personal leadership development plan examples is the following:
Goals:
- Create more connections in the industry,
- Learn how to effectivelycommunicate your strategy.
Steps:
- Enroll in an online communication skill course,
- Read more leadership-related books,
- Attend networking events.
Resources:
- Take more leadership responsibilities.
Date:
- In the following 6 months.
Individual Development Plan Examples for Leadership – 03
Another one of the leadership development plan examples that we will see is that of an existing team leader that aspires to become a project manager. This is a step up from the previous example, and that’s why this individual needs to develop even more skills. If this is something that interests you, then this is one of the leadership development goals and action plan examples you need to study carefully.
Goals:
- Learn more about risk management,
- Become better at stakeholder communication.
Steps:
- Attend more networking events,
- Seek feedback from your higher-ups,
- Read books on risk management,
- Enroll in a project management certification program.
Resources:
- Consult with other project managers within your organization.
Date:
- In the next 12 months.
Leadership Development Plan Example – 04
The following one of the individual development plan examples for leadership takes the same case as the previous one. However, it is interesting to see how different individuals take different steps to achieve their goals. Therefore, even if the objective is the same, the leadership development plan examples are distinct.
Goals:
- Obtain budgeting skills,
- Learn how to plan the project effectively, according to the team members’ skills.
Steps:
- Enroll in an MBA or a project management certification program,
- Ask a trusted project manager to mentor you on how to plan a project,
- Take more responsibilities in the current projects.
Resources:
- Find books, articles, and tutorials,
- Use social media to network.
Date:
- In the next 12-18 months.
Leadership Development Plan Example – 05
In the next one of our leadership development goals and action plan examples, we move one step forward. This means that we are examining a project manager that wants to take on even more responsibilities and become a senior project manager. Of course, there is some overlap between all the personal leadership development plan examples since one skill builds on all the others.
Goals:
- Become better at leading larger teams,
- Learn how to communicate with and manage clients,
- Develop your risk assessment skills.
Steps:
- Mentor other project managers within the organization,
- Attend workshops on risk assessment,
- Attend meetings with clients.
Resources:
- Find a mentor in the industry,
- Look into advanced degrees.
Date:
- In the following 2 years.
Leadership Development Plan Example – 06
Continuing with the individual development plan examples for leadership, we are going to examine another case of a project manager that aims for a senior project manager position. As we’ve seen in previous leadership development plan examples, there are some basic differences even between similar cases.
Goals:
- Understanding what it means to lead a large number of employees,
- Create connections in the industry to promote your career in the future,
- Build a good reputation with clients.
Steps:
- Actively communicate with the clients during meetings,
- Seek industry professionals and higher-ups in the organization,
- Find a mentor and take notes on their leadership style.
Resources:
- Find networking events,
- Write articles and blog posts to establish your name in the industry.
Date:
- In the following 12 months.
Leadership Development Goals and Action Plan Example – 07
One of the other leadership development goals and action plan examples that you need to examine is that of a senior project manager that wants to move to a directorial position. As your career progresses, it is only natural that you are going to keep aiming for higher positions with more responsibilities. Therefore, the personal leadership development plan examples alter according to your shifting goals.
Goals:
- Communicate with and manage stakeholders,
- Learn more about budgeting,
- Obtain strategic planning skills.
Steps:
- Attend workshops on strategic planning, financial management, and budgeting,
- Handle meetings with stakeholders.
Resources:
- Connect with mentors within your organization,
- Find relevant books and articles.
Date:
- In the following 12-18 months.
Leadership Development Goals and Action Plan Example – 08
One more of the leadership development plan examples that we need to explain is about an employee that wants to rise into a directorial position sometime in the future. This is a more long-term plan compared to the other leadership development goals and action plan examples we have already seen. However, it will keep the individual focused throughout all this time.
Goals:
- Take frequent promotions,
- Learn more about team management,
- Become an active participant in decision-making.
Steps:
- Enroll for a business degree,
- Seek out workshops on leadership,
- Take gradually more and more responsibilities.
Resources:
- Read books on leadership,
- Find suitable mentors.
Date:
- In the following 3-5 years.
Personal Leadership Development Plan Example – 09
The next one of our individual development plan examples for leadership is one about a small business owner. Even when the brand is small and doesn’t have many employees, it is still important to improve their leadership skills to make it thrive. That’s why personal leadership development plan examples like this one are so important.
Goals:
- Improve customer relationships to drive more sales,
- Collaborate with other small businesses,
- Learn more about financial management.
Steps:
- Enroll in relevant courses on leadership and strategic planning,
- Hire a financial advisor,
- Get skilled employees.
Resources:
- Meet with other business owners,
- Reach out to local communities.
Date:
- In the following 1-2 years.
Personal Leadership Development Plan Example – 10
The final one of the personal leadership development plan examples we are going to analyze is that of a retail store owner. This is a more specialized case of the previous example of the small business owner.
Goals:
- Improve customer service to gain return customers,
- Learn more about inventorying and merchandizing,
- Gain financial management skills.
Steps:
- Train your employees so that they know all about customer service,
- Get a visual merchandiser,
- Take a financial management course,
- Do market research.
Resources:
- Read books and articles,
- Join local associations for small businesses.
Date:
- In the following 12 months.
Key Takeaway: A Leadership Development Plan Template and a One-stop Tool
All of the above individual development plan examples for leadership have shown you how to alter the plan according to your needs and specifications. In reality, this is a versatile tool that can be adapted for any case. Nevertheless, creating effective leadership development goals and action plan has never been easier than using a ready-made template.
In Boardmix, you can find leadership development plan template, which will allow you to have it ready in a matter of minutes. The only thing you need to do is select the template and then fill in your personal goals, steps, resources, and date. To make things even better, you can return to your personal leadership development plan at any given moment to review and edit your goals.
Sign up for Boardmix today to get started with your leadership development goals and action plan!
