Running head: LEADERSHIP EFFECTIVENESS PLAN

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Leadership Effectiveness Plan

Robin Reisdorf
UW-Milwaukee

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Abstract

Becoming an effective leader means understanding ones relationship with her potential followers. Tim Nolans SMART Leadership Model is comprised of the five key qualities that are essential for becoming an effective leader. It is the characteristics within these general qualities where
one finds her strengths and weaknesses and discovers what she needs to do in order to solidify
her ability to lead.
Keywords: skills, mannerisms, attitude, trust, listen, observe

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Leadership Effectiveness Plan
At the core of all that is important in leadership is the relationship of leader and follower (Nolan, 2000). With relationship management as my focal point in learning how to lead effectively, both Nolan and my instructor, Pam Boulton, have inspired my Leadership Effectiveness Plan:
To build a mutually trusting relationship with my co-workers that is free of judgement and works
toward maintaining a sense of community.
I will achieve this plan by listening and observing, voiding myself of judgement, suspending my decision making, and building the trust of my co-workers.
Listening and Observing
In order to learn more about the teachers I work with and to gain a better understanding
of what their values are, I will listen with intention and observe with the purpose to notice behaviors and patterns. Listening to my co-workers can help improve my communication skills, which
Nolan identifies as one of the valuable skills for a leader to demonstrate. Nolan (2000) says, It
is through effective listening that a leader learns of the interests and values held by potential followers. An effective leader uses listening as a key tool in determining the quality of connections
between them and potential followers.
Observing quietly will also help me increase my skills by gaining a better understanding
of the group dynamics. A person skilled in reading group dynamics can pick up quiet agendas,
resistance and interpersonal relationships (Nolan, 2000). Practicing quiet observation tech-

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niques and gaining an understanding of the group dynamics will supply me with the insight I
need to relate to peoples needs and provide more effective leadership.
Voiding myself of Judgement
Judging others can create negative opinions and false assumptions. In effort to void myself of the judgements I make about other people, I will acknowledge my judgement and then
remove it from the situation. The decision I make about a situation will be based on facts and
take the other persons perspective into consideration. In order to effectively make a judgementfree decision, I will need to suspend my decision making until I have listened and observed long
enough to make an informed decision.
Suspending my Decision Making
Suspending my decision making is a testament of my attitudes and beliefs, as well as my
willingness to make a change. It is the individual potential leader that determines whether to
make modifications in his core attitudes and beliefs (Nolan, 2000). This is great news for me
since I am making the conscious decision and effort to void myself of placing judgement onto
others and to suspend my decision making.
I can be an effective leader by helping myself, as well as my co-teachers, challenge assumptions and explore better ways of doing things. By creating a team approach to problemsolving, creating and implementing new ideas, and sharing control with other teachers, I am establishing a sense of community and building the trust of my co-workers.
Building the Trust of my Co-Workers
Forming an understanding that we are in this together will ensure others that I have
everyones best interest at heart. Although I desire to be an effective leader, I want my co-work-

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ers to feel confident that I value their opinion and that their efforts work to benefit the whole
group. My integrity and honesty have been proven already, and I will use these strengths to help
build the trust of my co-workers. Nolan (2000) says, For virtually every follower a deeply held
personal value and leader expectation is that the relationship between leader and follower is honest. I already have the reputation of being honest, which is a great starting point for me.
Gaining the trust of my co-workers will bring me back to how well I have observed,
which is a characteristic of my mannerisms and behaviors. Nolan (2000) says, Followers build
trust in an individual who is clearly aware of what is going on around him. It seems with leadership that values and skills are interconnected and cannot function successfully while independent. I already exhibit some of the qualities of being a leader. By practicing and implementing
the above skills, mannerisms, attitudes, and trust, I will be even closer to becoming an effective
leader!

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Resources
Nolan, T. (2000). The leadership handbook. New Berlin, WI: Nolan Communications.