MY JOURNEY TOWARD LEADERSHIP MASTERY

In his book “Outliers,” author/speaker Malcolm Gladwell writes that "ten thousand hours is the magic number of greatness." He recognized that with requisite talent, people who practiced and learned in their discipline for minimally 10,000 hours, could reach a level of true mastery. MIT professor Peter Senge (The 5th Discipline) develops a similar theme when he identifies individual (and organizational) learning disciplines. “Personal Mastery,” for Senge, is a set of specific principles and practices that enables a person to learn, and expand their capacity to create the results they desire. To understand ourselves, to know our purpose in life, and to direct our energies by using our strengths, is to create more meaningful contributions in life and work. As we conclude our Leadership Academy curriculum, what have you been learning, practicing and applying? What do you notice about your own development and the development of members of your cohort? In this final Module, you will share your own personal mastery story in a formal presentation to a group of Academy Fellows and invited guests from the Academy Board of Advisors, and ACC NCR Board of Directors and leadership.

MATERIALS

• Fellow Self-Assessment chart.
• Look back and review any notes and reflections you have from the beginning of the Leadership Academy, including (but not limited to):
  • Your Personal Development Plan, and notes on your accomplishments and milestones vis a vis goals and behaviors you planned to address;
  • Any personal notes and reflections that you’ve prepared per the Briefing Sheets for each Module over the course of the Academy; and
  • Any feedback on your leadership that you have received from your learning cohort, facilitators, and work colleagues.
• Randy Pausch: “Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.”  Carnegie Mellon University, December 20, 2007.
• The Value Of Acknowledging Your Internal Client’s Good Work (Robert Falk and Robert Calabrese, ACC Docket, November 2016).

TASKS

• Complete the Fellow Self-Assessment chart.
• Review the notes and reflections mentioned above.
• Read the article The Value Of Acknowledging Your Internal Client’s Good Work (from the ACC Docket) to help prepare you to give effective feedback to your colleagues’ presentations.
• Watch the Randy Pausch video.
• Prepare a Formal Presentation (10 minutes):  Although you will present this talk to other Fellows and invited guests from the Academy Board of Advisors, and ACC NCR Board of Directors and leadership, craft your presentation as if you were presenting it to your own leadership/management team and workplace colleagues. Please select one of the two options below for the focus of your presentation, and consider the associated questions as you develop your presentation:
  • Option A: “My Journey Toward Leadership Mastery.”
    • How would you describe your personal learning journey as part of ACC NCR Leadership Academy?
    • What did you set out to discover, learn, and develop for yourself as a leader?
    • How have those learning goals been accomplished?
    • A significant learning moment, and why was it so?
    • How have you applied some of your learning to what you do in your role? What has been the impact on others?
    • How are you committed to on-going development as a leader?
    • Please note this is not a re-telling or summarization of your learning from each Module.
  • Option B: “My Leadership Legacy”
    • Imagine yourself at the end of your career and prepare a retirement speech -- “My Leadership Legacy” -- about your evolution as a leader.
    • When did you realize that you were in fact a leader and not just an attorney? What prompted that realization?
    • What key leadership lesson(s) did you learn and implement? What came naturally to you? What was difficult or challenging?
    • Beyond bar requirements for continuing education, what did you do over the course of your career towards “leadership education” and why?
    • Who were your role models, and how did you become a role model for others?
    • What “call to action” or “last thought” might you impart to your audience?
      

Notes regarding your presentation:
* The presentation will consist only of your oral delivery.
* Do not prepare slides or plan to use any other audio or visual features.
* You should expect to stand while you deliver your presentation.

Click Here To Download A Word Version Of The Briefing Sheet
Into Which You Can Type Your Responses To The Tasks (above).

COHORT MEETING

• Check in and share any additional learning from the previous session.
• Share your Personal Development Plan accomplishments and your intentions for ongoing development.
• Share some highlights from your Fellow Self-Assessment chart and note areas of awareness and development.
• Share “highlights” (and any “lowlight” moments) of your Leadership Academy learning experience. What lasting impact will these have on you?

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Deliver a formal presentation (10 minutes) summarizing your ACC NCR Leadership Academy experience.
• Experience how you inspire others through your own personal story.
• Learn how to provide actionable feedback.
• Savor your success, having accomplished milestone goals in your Personal Development Plan.