To lead effectively, start by reflecting on your core strengths, passions, and values. Think about the activities that energize you or the values (e.g., justice, service, innovation) that guide your decisions. You can use some of the tools mentioned in Chapter 2 of this module to structure your reflection.

It might be useful for you to write down your insights into a short “leadership profile” describing your core strengths (e.g., “strong communicator with high empathy and resilience”) and values (e.g., “commitment to equity and community”). This personal profile will guide your career choices and goals as you move forward.

Creating a Personal Development Plan

A personal development plan (PDP) is your roadmap to building skills for social impact. It breaks long-term career goals down into clear steps.

To create your plan:

• Set a vision and goals:Start with the end in mind. Define your long-term social impact goal (e.g., “become an NGO leader focusing on supporting disabled persons”). Write it down as a clear objective.
• Identify required skills:Ask “What skills or knowledge will I need?” This might include grant writing, fundraising, public speaking, or coalition-building. List each key skill area.
• Self-assessment:Rate your current level for each skill. This helps you see gaps. For example, you may have strong communication skills but need leadership training.
• Focus on one skill at a time:Choose one high-priority skill to develop. Research shows we learn best on the job (about 70% of learning), with coaching (20%) and formal courses (10%) (the “70-20-10 Rule of Development“). So plan real experiences (projects, volunteer tasks) as well as mentorship or training for that skill.
• Action plan and timeline:Write specific actions (e.g., “Join a grant-writing workshop by June; shadow a program manager this quarter”). Include resources needed (mentors, books, online courses) and set deadlines. Define what success looks like (e.g., “Complete a funded grant by year’s end”).

Building and Tracking a Leadership Portfolio

Think of a leadership portfolio as a growth journal or file where you collect evidence of your leadership journey. It is a tool for reflection and communication that will help you track your growth and reflect on your strengths. To build your portfolio:

• Record achievements:Save documents and links that show your leadership – project reports you led, presentations you gave, reports on outcomes you influenced, certificates from training, etc. If you received praise (emails, testimonials, awards), keep those too.
• Reflect on learning:After each experience, jot down lessons learned. What went well? What would you improve? These notes show your growth mindset.
• Update:Keep setting new goals and updating your portfolio, consult it with your Personal Development Plan. Regularly (e.g., quarterly) review what’s in your portfolio and add new items. This keeps your profile current.
• Use it for visibility:You can turn parts of your portfolio into content – add notable projects to your resume or LinkedIn.
• Show strengths:Each entry should tie back to your strengths and values. For instance, if empathy is a strength, include a story of how you used listening skills to improve a team process.

👉 As you can see, it is helpful to keep track of your development and reflect on it. Remember to provide time for that when you step on your path to become a better leader. However, even on the best-planned path, you may encounter some obstacles. In the next part, you will learn how to deal with them.