Lesson 6.2 – Creating a Personal Leadership Development Plan
Leadership skills develop over time through learning, experience, and practice. One useful way to continue improving as a leader is to create a personal leadership development plan.
This plan helps you identify specific goals and actions that will strengthen your leadership abilities.
Steps for creating a leadership development plan
Many leaders use a simple process when creating a development plan:
- Identify your current leadership strengths
- Recognise areas where you would like to improve
- Set specific development goals
- Identify actions that will help you reach those goals
- Review your progress regularly
Examples of leadership development goals
- Improve communication with my team
- Develop stronger delegation skills
- Become more confident when making decisions
- Encourage more collaboration within my team
- Provide more constructive feedback to employees
Practical actions to support development
Leaders can strengthen their skills by:
- Seeking feedback from colleagues or mentors
- Observing experienced leaders
- Practicing new leadership behaviours
- Participating in additional training programmes
- Reflecting regularly on leadership experiences
Workplace example
A supervisor who wants to improve communication may decide to schedule regular check-in meetings with team members. Over time, these conversations help the supervisor understand employee challenges and provide better support.
Key takeaway
Leadership growth requires intention and practice. A personal development plan helps leaders stay focused on improving their skills and supporting their teams effectively.