Leadership Skills

Self-assessment

Knowing yourself and being honest with your knowledge, skills, and abilities is the most difficult part of developing a professional development plan. However, you must be blatantly truthful with yourself. For example, I could start by saying that my statistical skills are excellent, but that would be dishonest because it has been years (if not decades) since I used them. Do not assess yourself as you were or would like to be--consider your knowledge, skills, and abilities right now.

When looking to improve in your current position, or one you are hoping to achieve, start with the job requirements, duties, and responsibilities. If you are unsure, look at your state's labor market information of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. In Oregon, the Employment Department is an incredible resource for career information.

Developing Your Self-assessment

Below are some topic areas and prompts to help you identify your strengths and weaknesses. Depending on your career interest, you may have many other topic areas.

Area	Strengths	Weaknesses
Communication	Specify how the minimum requirements are met	Need more verbal or written skills Need to work on interpersonal communication skills
Team player	If you enjoy doing it and have experience, cite it for your portfolio	Need more training or experience
Leadership	Documented experience	Need more
Work ethic	Documented experience	Need to work on skills and experience (poor work ethic; lack of discipline; no self-motivation)
Management ability	Documented experience	Need to work on skills and experience (limited or poor management experience)
Emotional intelligence	Workplace experience that can be cited and confirmed	Need to work on skills and experience (overly emotional or inapporpriate behaviors)
Social intelligence	Workplace experience that can be cited and confirmed	Need to work on skills and experience (unsure about appropriate social interactions in the workplace)
Professional networks	Professional image in place and communications established	Need to work on skills and experience (inappropriate photos or articles online, or no professional networks established)

Career and Industry Needs

Now that you know your strengths and weaknesses, research your employer's or industry's needs. Whether you intend to stay in one position or seek a promotion or change of employer, knowing what is expected will help you be prepared for upcoming changes.

Area	Positives	Challenges
Current trends	Opportunities (growth, increased need, expansion, technology changes)	Fewer opportunities (downsizing, changing economy, technology changes)
Educational requirements	Opportunities for those in the field with a specific level of education	Lack of educational requirements—need training
Changing skill sets	Strong need for the skills	Lackof the skills—need training
Advancement	Promotional opportunities within the company or opportunities with other employers	Obstacles—need more education or skill sets
Career path	Opportunities available with similar skill sets	Limited skills that can transfer to other occupations within the career path
Developmental opportunities	Many opportunities available that relate to your career or industry	Limited opportunities available
Geography	Career opportunities are available within your immediate area	Opportunities are only available in specific areas
Networking	Career field has many networking options; you are networked	Limited options within the field; need to connect or need mentoring

Here is a document that you may use to complete your self-assessment.

Leadership Skills
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Velda Arnaud, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Lead, Educate, Serve Society
leadeducateserve@gmail.com