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MBA 580 – Executive Leadership
Leadership Development Plan
Executive Summary
Dr. Falvey’s Executive Leadership course has provided a great opportunity for us as
students to dig into many leadership resources, as well as discover many strategies for
successfully leading our current and/or future teams. We have reviewed many articles and
books, each presenting a unique thought process or tactic for approaching leadership and
providing value by presenting examples from many different scenarios. First, Break All the
Rules… provides a perspective built on breaking conventional wisdom and going against the
grain. Ernest Shackleton’s account of his voyage to the Antarctic, an expedition that quickly
turned into a quest for survival, provided a perspective built on adaptability and crisis handling.
Finally, Helen Rothberg’s personal account of her experience as a bartender, recorded in The
Perfect Mix, explains leadership in an unconventional, but effective way, following her ADVICE
model. My review of these and other sources has been instrumental in my formation of a few
key elements for my Leadership Development Plan. This plan includes: maintaining my Harvard
Business Review subscription, focusing on the four core activities of great managers, utilizing
elements from Rothberg’s ADVICE leadership model, reading a leadership book quarterly, and
leveraging the BNSF relationship with Harvard Business to complete leadership courses as
continuing education.
Synopsis of Learning: Self-Assessment
Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, in their book First, Break All the Rules…,
developed twelve questions that capture the strength of the workplace. These questions can be
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used by managers to self- assess to determine their strengths, as well as opportunities for
improvement. The questions are a measuring stick of sorts. A course assignment asked us to
complete the twelve questions from the perspective of our employees. This experience was an
eye-opening one, allowing us to recognize our strengths, but also identify our opportunities for
better leadership.
My review resulted in many high scores, indicating, as Dr. Falvey said in his review, “that
[I] have lots of strengths that [I am] leveraging well in [my] current role.” These scores show I
am providing direction for my team, ensuring they know what is expected of them – and
preparing them for those expectations by providing the materials and equipment necessary to
do so. Further, I allow my team the opportunity and freedom to develop processes on their
own, encouraging innovation and creativity, in an effort to keep the work from becoming stale.
I praise my employees and encourage their development. I also take time out to talk about
their lives – what makes them tick outside of the office. I encourage each team member to
share their opinion and do everything in my power to utilize their thoughts in the final decision.
Lastly, I encourage team comradery and relationship building – by hosting team lunches and
team building activities.
While I received many high scores, I also have some opportunities. Some of my
employees felt as though they were not able to directly connect their work to that of the bigger
purpose of our company. This is something I need to work on – as it is important for each team
member to see the value they provide to the company. At our progress meetings, I will be
taking special time out to help my employees make this connection.
Summary of Learning: Additional Materials
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While there were many resources provided for learning in the course, I found my
greatest lessons came from a few sources in addition to First, Break All the Rules… discussed
previously. These resources include: Ernest Shackleton’s account of his Antarctic voyage,
“Women and the Labyrinth of Leadership” a HBR article written by Alice Eagly and Linda Carli,
and Helen Rothberg’s tale of her bartending experience that taught her everything she knows
about leadership.
Ernest Shackleton was perhaps the greatest explorer of all time. He had a passion for
discovering new lands – especially those in the Antarctic. He declared he would be part of the
race to be the first to the South Pole. However, when he was beat, he changed his course.
Instead, he would be the first to lead a team to the South Pole, then hike across Antarctica. In a
