This assignment requires that you not only complete the self assessment and skill building exercises but that you demonstrate the following:
1. evaluate your behavior and its impact on others as you offer leadership within the wp01I community that you participate in through self-awareness
2. seek and integrate feedback from others within the wp01I community through analysis and exploration
3. determine an action plan stating how you will use the findings to strengthen your ability to lead yourself and others.

1. Leadership Skill Building Exercise 2-3 (Chapter 2, page 68)

For this addition to your leadership portfolio, first select five of the traits, motives, and characteristics described in this chapter that you think you have already exhibited. For each of these attributes, explain why you think you have it. An example would be as follows:
Insight into people and situations: As a restaurant manager, my job was to help hire an assistant manager who would share some of the responsibilities of running the restaurant. I invited a friend of mine, Laura, to apply for the position, even though she had never worked in a restaurant. I noticed that she was businesslike and also had a good touch with people. Laura was hired, and she proved to be a fantastic assistant manager. I obviously sized her up correctly.
Second, select several leadership traits, motives, or characteristics that you think you need to develop to enhance your leadership skills. Explain why you think you need this development, and how you think you might obtain it. An example would be as follows:
Passion for the work and people: So far I am not particularly passionate about any aspect of work or any cause, so it is hard for me to get very excited about being a leader. I plan to read more about my field and then interview a couple of successful people in this field to find some aspect of it that would be a joy for me to get involved in.

2. Leadership Skill Building Exercise 3-3 (Chapter 3, page 104)

How much charisma, or how many charismatic behaviors, have you exhibited this week? Think back to all your interactions with people in this last week or two. What have you done that might have been interpreted as charismatic? Review the characteristics of a charismatic leader described in the text and in the Guidelines for Action and Skill Development. For example, did you smile warmly at someone, did you wave to a person you see infrequently and address him or her by name? Did you help your team, club, or group think seriously about its future? As part of this same exercise, record your charismatic behaviors for the upcoming week. Be alert to opportunities for displaying charisma.

3. Leadership Skill Building Exercise 5-2 (Chapter 5, page 175)

For this chapter entry in your leadership portfolio, visualize two different leadership scenarios that you witnessed directly, read about, or saw on television or in a movie. Think through how you would have used a different leadership approach for each one if you had been the leader. To illustrate, suppose you had passed a construction site for a skyscraper and noticed that the crane operator seemed confident and competent. You might conclude, “In this situation, I would have used a delegating style of leadership with the crane operator because she was so self sufficient.
Yet I would still have given her some recognition for a job well done at the end of her shift.” Another scenario might be that you witnessed a bloody fight at a professional hockey match. You might conclude, “In this situation, I would be as directive as possible. I would suspend and fine the
players, with no room for negotiation. Decisive action must be taken to quell violence in professional sports.”

4. Leadership Skill Building Exercise 7-5 (Chapter 7, page 244)

For this insert into your leadership portfolio, think through all the recent opportunities you might have had to use political tactics. How did you deal with the situation? Did you capitalize on any opportunities? Did you use an ethical approach? Did you use any unethical tactics? Did you commit any political blunders? Here would be an example:
I saw a flyer indicating that our Business Management Association was having a guest speaker, an executive from Merrill Lynch. I had been pretty busy with studies, my job, and social life, yet I decided to invest the time and attend. As it worked out, the meeting was a wonderful opportunity to make a couple of good contacts. After the talk, I spoke to the speaker and complimented her. We had a brief conversation about how I was looking for a career in investment banking, and she gave me her business card. I sent her an e-mail message the next day, thanking her for the time she gave me. I also met a couple of important people at the meeting and got their cards also.

5. Leadership Skill Building Exercise 8-4 (Chapter 8, page 274)

Influence is necessary for leaders, so you need to practice your influence tactics to enhance your leadership effectiveness. In this chapter’s entry to your leadership journal, describe any influence tactic you implemented recently. Describe what you did and how the influence target reacted. Comment on how you might use the tactic differently in your next influence attempt. Also describe which influence tactic or combination of tactics you plan to use in the upcoming week. Here is a possible example:
I coach a youth basketball team called the West Side Chiefs. The kids are great, and I am enjoying the experience. Yet the name Chiefs really bothers me because it is so behind the times, and a lot of people think using the term Chief for sport is racist. So I tried to influence the league director that we needed a name change. I presented my argument using a bunch of facts about how Chief has become passé for sports teams. (My technique was rational persuasion.) I did get a listen, but I didn’t get approval for the name change. So next, I combined my logical argument with an inspirational appeal. I asked the league directors how they would like it if our team were called The West Side Chinese or the West Side Jews. Finally, my influence tactics worked, and for next season my team will be the West Side Rattlers.

6. Leadership Skill Building Exercise 10-5 (Chapter 10, page 341)

One of the easiest and most powerful ways of motivating people is to recognize their efforts, as described in this chapter. Like any other interpersonal skill, being effective at giving recognition takes practice. During the next week, find three people to recognize, and observe how they react to your recognition. For example, if a server gives you fine service, explain after the meal how much you enjoyed the service and leave a larger-than-average tip. If your hair stylist does a fine job, similarly provide a compliment and a good tip. Or find some helper to recognize with a compliment but without a tip. Observe the responses of these people—both their facial expressions and what they say. Of even more importance, observe if any of these people appear eager to serve you the next time you interact with them. As with other parts of your leadership portfolio, keep a written record of what happened to you and how much skill you think you have developed.

7. Leadership Skill Building Exercise 11-3 (Chapter 11, page 376 to 377)

For this chapter’s entry into your leadership portfolio, record any creative or innovative idea you have had lately in relation to organizational activity, including school. After recording the idea, ask yourself what prompted you to develop it. If you have not contributed a creative idea recently, your assignment is to develop a creative idea within the next ten days. If possible, make plans to implement the idea; otherwise, it will not lead to innovation. Here is an example of a creative community initiative taken by Alexis, a marketing major:
In my neighborhood, there is a ten-story high-rise building. Practically all of the tenants are senior citizens who live on limited pensions. Some of the folks in the building are in their eighties or even their nineties. The building is old and not particularly warm, especially for people with poor blood circulation. I’ve often heard friends and family members say that we should do something to help the seniors in the high rise, but nobody seems to go beyond expressing a little sympathy.
Then I got a brainstorm. I thought, “Why not organize a ‘Socks for Seniors’ program?” My friends and I would buy dozens of pairs of socks that usually sell for about $4.00 a pair from deep discounters like Dollar General. We could raise some of the money by returning bottles and cans with deposits. A few friends of mine made a bunch of telephone calls, and we raised $200 in no time for our project. Then, one cold night, we visited the high rise, rang a few doorbells, and told the residents what we were up to.We were allowed in to start distributing the socks. The smiles and words of appreciation we received were enormous. My idea is so good, I plan to do it every year. My friends are with me, and we think that if we post this idea on a website, it might spread around the country.

Your portfolio must include an executive summary summarizing your key take-aways from the leadership portfolio and that will be worth 4 points out of the 25 points for this assignment.