7LEAD027W Learning and Managing in a Global Context SEM 2 Assessment Brief | University of Westminster

Assessment Briefing

The Assessment

Assessment Summary

Reflective journals are a tool used in leadership development.  They enable the developing leader to pause and take stock; review achievements, and reflect on the progress made towards goals.  Writing in a journal creates a safe space to reflect dispassionately on personal experiences and observations, which in turn leads to the identification of both personal strengths and derailing behaviours. This assessment takes the best parts of a reflective journal which you will maintain during the module.  Keeping the journal over a few weeks will allow patterns to emerge: certain situations, projects, meetings and people will energise and motivate you, while others will have the opposite effect. Documenting and reflecting upon these patterns will enable you to evaluate yourself as a leader.  You’ll also be able to reflect on which strategies have been successful in dealing with situations, both positive and negative.  Knowing which strategies work best will help you to create your leadership development plan.

Your task:

Seminar activities during the module will include specific activities that can be written up in the form of an entry in a reflective diary.  These activities will be highlighted on the module site.  A summary is provided below:

• Journal Entry #1: Identifying Leadership Potential
• Journal Entry #2: Personal Leadership Development
• Journal Entry #3: Leadership and ‘Flexibility’
• Journal Entry #4: Responsible Leadership
• Journal Entry #5: Team Leadership in Uncertain Times
• Journal Entry #6: Team Leadership and Employee Empowerment
• Journal Entry #7: TBC*
• Journal Entry #8: TBC*

You are strongly encouraged to complete Journal Entry #1: Identifying Leadership Potential in order to receive feedback in your Blackboard Journal (see Blackboard for further details, including deadlines).  You must select ANY THREE of your journal entries and transfer them to a Word document, which you will then submit via the Turnitin link on Blackboard.  If Journal Entry #1 is one of your three entries, you do not need to resubmit your presentation slides, as your seminar tutor can view these in your Blackboard Journal entry.

Please ensure that you have consulted as a minimum, the essential reading for each Blackboard Journal entry. In your final submission, please ensure that you have separate reference list for each of the three entries.  Please note that the overall word count is 3000 words.  You are strongly encouraged to spread the word count as evenly as possible between the three entries (approximately 1000 words each).

There is no requirement for you to write an introduction or conclusion to the overall submission.  However, when preparing your three entries for submission, do please make sure that you have demonstrated learning from personal experience.  The journal entries invite you to do this, and therefore you should use the first person ‘I’ throughout your work.  Furthermore, you should be thinking about how to apply what you have learnt, and indicate in each of your entries how this learning can help you develop as a leader (thus constituting a ‘leadership development plan’).

Learning Outcomes Addressed

• LO1:  Apply appropriate frameworks and approaches to responsible leadership for the analysis of problem scenarios within a business context.
• LO2: Critically evaluate the applicability of a range of theoretical models and practical solutions to foster sustainable leadership practices.
• LO3: Critically apply the skills of strategic thinking; be able to envisage options and consequences, select sound courses of action and challenge the status quo.
• LO4: Apply the skills of self-awareness, demonstrating an understanding of leadership potential of self and others that is appropriate in the management of multicultural teams.
• LO5: Critically evaluate the relevance of personal integrity, ethical behaviour and wisdom in leadership.