Leadership is a process of learning, self-discovery and personal growth. A structured plan can help jump-start the process and keep you moving toward your goals. Follow these steps to create your own PLP (personal leadership plan).

Step One: Write a Personal Mission Statement.
A personal mission statement forces you to think about your life, clarify its purpose and identify what’s really important to you. It should define the qualities you want to acquire, who you want to become and the roles you want to play in your academic, professional, family and community lives. After writing your mission statement, use it as the standard by which you judge your activities and choices.

Step Two: Describe and Prioritize Your Values.
Values are the ideas and beliefs that really matter to you. They guide your conduct and help you weigh your choices in life. Make sure any goals and action plans you develop are consistent with your values.

Values Exercise
To help identify and prioritize your values, circle five that are most important to you, and cross off 10 that are least important.

Step Three: Set Leadership Growth Goals.
Goals are dreams with a deadline™. They serve us by organizing our thoughts and leading us to specific, meaningful actions. Your goals should define success in terms of the qualities or skills you want to develop or improve, the leadership roles you want to assume and the achievements you want to make. Get started by paying attention to the behaviors and traits of leaders you admire. State these as specific goals to be reached in specific timeframes.

Step Four: Imagine Your Legacy.
Your leadership legacy is the sum total of the differences you make in people’s lives. Start creating it now by thinking about the long-term impact you want to have. Articulate your vision of the future and how you will make it better by being here. Dare to create a path people will want to follow.

Step Five: Create and Implement an Action Plan.
To create an action plan, determine the steps you must take to move from your current reality to your goals. Identify the resources, people and strategies you will need to call on to reach your destination.

Step Six: Monitor Your Progress.
The development of a personal mission, goals and action plans is an ongoing process. Review your PLP periodically to make sure it still represents your vision and continuing development. Evaluate your progress toward your goals, assess the effectiveness of your action plans and make adjustments as needed.