PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Professional Development

Professional Development

Introduction

Personal development, unlike other roles, carries with it a certain exposure, a unique kind of vulnerability and transparency—the process of leading instantly reveals the person exercising Personal development, there is no hiding. Personal development is thus bidirectional—leading from the inner self to lead well in the external domain. Kevin Cashman wrote, “We lead by virtue of who we are, … and thus … leadership is authentic self-expression that creates value” (1998, pp. 18, 20). Very little research has focused on this most central aspect of Personal development, however. This chapter attempts to address this blind spot. Three theoretical areas appear particularly salient to constructing an integrated theory of leading self: Personal development self-development, authentic Personal development, and the moral aspect of leading self. Self-development sets the scene for authenticity, which entails self-awareness, including the idea of identity—how one understands one's self, and spirituality as a way to enhance one's authenticity. The moral aspect of leading self is presented with particular concern for moral imagination. The chapter concludes by offering remaining questions for further exploration toward an understanding of leading self.

Self-Development

If we begin with the premise that Personal development can be taught and can be learned, then we are led to ask, What learning is necessary to prepare for Personal development? How does one learn to lead oneself? Leading self, like all Personal development, is a developmental process that spans the life cycle beginning in childhood and continuing through senior hood. Developmentally, learning about Personal development comes about through life experiences that shape the ways we understand and experience authority, influence, and relationships. The story of one's life is the story of one's Personal development; our early experiences and how we respond to and interpret those experiences create the template for leading self. Learning from experiences and learning about one's self are the two main sources for learning how to lead oneself.

Learning from Experience

The old adage that “experience is the best teacher,” is indeed the beginning of truth. Noted researchers in Personal development development, Albert Vicere and Robert Fulmer (1997) describe what they call the Knowledge Creation Cycle (Figure 99.1). Knowledge is the result of learning from one's experience; however, experience is an inadequate teacher unless perspective yields new learning. Learning becomes relevant knowledge only when that learning is linked to practice. Knowledge gained from many experiences can lead to wisdom when reintegrated and deeply reflected upon over time. The knowledge creation cycle suggests experiences of all forms—life events, assessments, work tasks, school assignments, and so on—are transformed into lasting learning through reflection and applying new insights to new experiences—essentially this is a process to put into practice what we learn. The knowledge creation cycle is perpetually in motion, one never ceases to learn and apply that learning to the next set of experiences by reflection. Eventually this cycle leads to wisdom, which is the outcome of learning from your own experiences and from those of others.

Expanding one's learning from experience is an ongoing investment ...