Name: Christine A.

Migliori

Personal Leadership Plan (PLP)

Personal Leadership Plan
Note: Write a brief response to each of the following prompts.

1. When obstacles get in my way, do I look out the window to blame others or do I look in the mirror

first?

When obstacles get in my way, the only person I blame is me. An obstacle is only an obstacle if

you let it stop you from completing your goal and I let them stop me. There is no one else to

blame but the face in the mirror looking back at me.

2. Am I ready to shape my life as leader? Am I in charge of myself or do I let others take charge of me?

I feel that these two years of study has prepared me to shape my life as a leader. I have learned

so much during this study, that I feel I am prepared; but there is still so much to learn. I am

very much in charge of myself and only allow others to take charge of me when it is appropriate

and warranted.

3. Leaders influence followers by the stories they tell. Do I teach others through stories? Are my stories

authentic? Yes, I have been to tell stories they are a great way to get your message across and

people enjoy hearing what it is that others have experienced. My stories are authentic and

based on my own life experiences or the experiences of someone I have known personally.

4. Moral leaders know themselves. What are my values and beliefs, qualities, attitudes, and/or habits as

person and as leader that I like? Are my personal and professional values and beliefs the same or

different? Do I value knowing myself and listen to my inner voice?

The values and beliefs, qualities, attitudes, habits that I have as a leader that I like are directly

linked to what I believe. My faith guides me in everything that I do and has a profound

influence on my life. They influence and guide everything I do and how I treat people.

Personally, they are the foundation on which my marriage has been built and they help

strengthen and improve it. My professional and personal values are directly linked because they

are both guided by my faith. It helps me to treat people fairly and act justly and according to

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the rules and guidelines that exist in the organization I work. If these beliefs become different, I

will have to reevaluate my leadership practice and quite possibly what I believe. I value

knowing myself and try to listen to my inner voice but sometimes I fail.

5. When others see what I do and listen to what I say, do they recognize who I am? Am I authentic?

What don’t they see or hear? How will I become more of who I am and less of what I do not want to

be?

I believe that they do; because I am not afraid to let people know that my actions, decisions, and

beliefs are guided my faith. I think this is seen in who I am. I am authentic because I really have

nothing to hide and I am not afraid to let people see who I am. It is not easy sometimes to be

seen as a deeply religious person, but that is who I am and if people can not accept that; they

will have a difficult time seeing who I am. This last question confuses me because I am

comfortable with who I am and really to not want to be less than I am. There are improvements

and changes that can be made- everyone can always improve; no one is perfect. But I am happy

with who I am and can only see growth potential in my future.

6. Do I realize that I need others to help me find my way? Do I have a critical friend? Do I allow my

critical friend to guide me, to help me listen to my inner voice?

I could never find my way on my own and am blessed to have a small circle of people in

my life on whom I depend. They are my guides in life when I need them, and I know

that I can depend on them. Yes, I have a critical friend and she is not afraid to tell me

the way it is. She can be depended on to call me out when needed, praise me when

needed, and offer guidance when needed. It is helpful that she is also a teacher and her

friendship has helped me to be become a better teacher and person. Yes, I am very

dependent on her as a guide. She has helped me through many personal events and has

always been there. Her advice is sound, and her opinion is valued. More than one she

has told me to listen to the little voice in my head and has always been right. My heart is

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filled with dread because she is retiring next year and will not be in the building when I

need her.

7. What are some limitations that I place on myself? What can’t I do? Why? How can I overcome my

limitations and become more effective?

I doubt my own abilities and am my own worse critic. I doubt myself. I question myself.

I sometimes forget to believe and trust in myself. I am always too hard on myself.

I need to learn to trust in myself and my instincts. When I have the courage to believe in

myself, I am very successful. When I ignore my inner critic; I am more successful than I

believe that I can be. What I need to d is put aside this self-doubt and realize that I am

more capable than I believe myself to be. By putting my inner critic to bed I will learn

to trust in my abilities and be more effective in my leadership skills.

8. If I don’t eat the yellow bananas, they eventually turn brown and rot. Green bananas, on the other

hand, continue to ripen. When I look in the mirror, do I perceive myself as being more like a yellow

or green banana? Am I too complacent? How can I continue to ripen as a person and leader?

When I started this program two years ago, I was very much a yellow banana and was

on the verge of rotting. But by pursuing this degree I have discovered my green banana

and I hope that I will continue to ripen as time passes. Where I was once too

complacent, I am now more involved and active in my pursuits to continue to grow and

develop. I hope to continue to develop as a person and a leader by continuing my

education. I have made it a vow to never stop learning. Even after I finish pursing my

doctorate, I will continue to be an active learner and improve as both a person and a

leader.

9. What are my short-range personal/career goals? What will I do to achieve these goals?

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My short-range personal goals are to complete the Leaders as Learners program. This

will be completed by fulfilling all of those last-minute requirements that seem to pile up.

My career goals are to complete the year as a highly effective teacher and maintain the

results I have had in the last two years. How I will reach his goal is to continue to seek

out new teaching strategies and adjusting my teaching style to meet the needs and

diversity of my students.

10. What are my long-range personal/career goals? What will I do to achieve these goals?

My personal goals include attaining my doctorate in education and being accepted to a

doctoral program. To achieve this goal, I will apply for select programs and try my
hardest to be accepted. Even more personally my husband and I hope to adopt a child
and are pursuing all available options for adoption.

My career goals include continuing to develop as a teacher and eventually move into a
leadership position. I will probably not actively teach a leadership position until I
complete my doctorate as I feel that I need more education in order to be effective in
such a position.

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My Strategic Plan for Building Leadership Capacity

Green to Growing to Knowing

Note: Identify several personal and professional growth areas and place them in one and only one categories.
Feel free to add new items in the green category as you progress through the two-year cohort.

Green Growing Knowing

Final Year Final Year Final Year

Here is where I am green…. This is what I will do about it… This is how I will know that I
have arrived… my banana is
beginning to turn yellow!
1. I need to be more 1. I will need to learn to 1. When I am leading fairly
consistent in my apply the same and applying the same
leadership practices and principles to everyone. principles to everyone
act as a leader should. The rules apply to and not just select people
2. I need to learn to follow everyone and need to be 2. When my follow through
up and make sure people followed by everyone and follow up are as
are completing the tasks and enforced by me as a seamless as the initial
assigned. leader. assignments I gave.
3. I need to make sure that 2. I need to make sure that When people know that
my directives are being I follow up and follow I will be accepting timely
followed. through with my reports I will be effective
directions. If I give in my follow-up.
someone the 3. When the staff and
responsibility to students I am leading
complete the task, I need are following my
to make sure that the directives and I am
task is completed on leading by following
schedule. these directives I will be
3. I also need to make sure a yellow banana.
that everyone is
following my directives,
this includes my friends.

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My Capacity to Lead
Key:
1- I do not have this trait
2- I think I have this trait
3- Someone told me he sees this trait in me
4- More than one person has told me they see this trait in me
5- Several people, including someone who is in a leadership position, have told me they see this trait in me

Note: Self-assess your personal and professional growth areas. Choose 1-5 and color code by PLP edition.

1 2 3 4 5
Infrequently Definite Very Evident
I am…

Self-confident 1 2 3 4 5

Trustworthy 1 2 3 4 5

Extrovert 1 2 3 4 5

Assertive 1 2 3 4 5

Emotional 1 2 3 4 5

Enthusiastic 1 2 3 4 5

Humorous 1 2 3 4 5

Tolerant 1 2 3 4 5

Passionate 1 2 3 4 5

Adaptable 1 2 3 4 5

Persistent 1 2 3 4 5

Initiator 1 2 3 4 5

Caring 1 2 3 4 5

Risk taker 1 2 3 4 5

Decisive 1 2 3 4 5

Knowledgeable 1 2 3 4 5

Imaginative 1 2 3 4 5

Insightful 1 2 3 4 5

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Name: Christine A. Migliori

1 2 3 4 5
Infrequently Definite Very Evident

I am skilled at …

Planning/organizing 1 2 3 4 5

Sharing leadership 1 2 3 4 5

Time management 1 2 3 4 5

Solving problems 1 2 3 4 5

As leader, I (am) …

Inspire 1 2 3 4 5

Tell stories 1 2 3 4 5

Energetic 1 2 3 4 5

Build relationships 1 2 3 4 5

Collaborate 1 2 3 4 5

Ethical 1 2 3 4 5

Authentic 1 2 3 4 5

Communicate effectively 1 2 3 4 5

Respect diversity 1 2 3 4 5

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Name: Christine A. Migliori

My Wheel of Life
Balanced or Unbalanced?
Here are some indicators from Gordon Patterson (2005) to assess our level of balance.

You hear yourself saying that you must make more time for yourself because you’re the most
meaningful person in your life.
1 2 3 4 5
Infrequently Definite Very Evident

You must begin to make more time for biking, exercise, running, writing, reading, or whatever
your recreational interests.
1 2 3 4 5
Infrequently Definite Very Evident

You begin to become more serious and less playful.

1 2 3 4 5
Infrequently Definite Very Evident

You begin to feel sorry for yourself and do not understand why others don’t understand how
busy you really are.
1 2 3 4 5
Infrequently Definite Very Evident

You are an expert at multitasking and others are amazed at your skill to get things done.
1 2 3 4 5
Infrequently Definite Very Evident

You listen to others tell of personal joys but hope those “things” are as important as their work.
1 2 3 4 5
Infrequently Definite Very Evident

Here are some reflective questions from Joan Gurvis (2005) that may help us get more balance in
our lives.
 What percentage of time do you spend at work as compared to family, recreational, and
self-needs?
 How much time do you take each day for yourself?
 What rejuvenates you and how much time did you spend on becoming “recharged?”
 Who controls your time? Why?
 How did you get to “ought to do” rather than do activities?

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A Balanced Life

Keep track of what you do each day for a week. At the end of each day, categorize the items: work,
recreation, family, personal, inner self (spiritual). Approximate the number of hours allocated to each of
the five categories. When you are ready to enter your data, place your cursor under the circle and left
click once. A rectangle will appear. Right click inside this rectangle and choose the “edit data in Excel
2003” option. Enter the approximate percentage of your life you have allocated to each of the five
categories being careful not to exceed 100%. Close the Excel spreadsheet and your pie graph will
automatically adjust to visually display the relative percentages allocated to each category and reinforce
the extent to which your life is in balance. As you move through this program, you should strive to get
more balance in your life to ensure effective leadership! Is your life in balance?
How can you begin to get more balance in your life?

Semester Spring Year 2

Work
Recreation
Family
Personal
Spriritual

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