LDRS 310: The Learning Organization
File Format: Save your Microsoft Word file in the following way:
First Name <space> Last Name <space> LDRS 310 – Personal Mastery Paper
For example, Ann Smith LDRS 310 – Personal Mastery Paper).
What is a personal mastery paper?
Personal mastery is the self-leadership discipline of lifelong learning. Senge (1990) argues the essence of this practice is “learning how to generate and sustain creative tension in our lives” (p. 124). Creative tension is the product of two important self-development practices, first, “continuously clarifying what is important to us” and second, “continuously learning how to see current reality more clearly” (p. 141).
Personal mastery is not a place where we arrive, but rather a continuous process, a lifelong discipline of taking responsibility for our personal learning and growth.
What is the writing process?
Your paper body (Content) will include four parts, based on an autobiographical method of professional learning inquiry known as currere (Pinar, 1975)[footnoteRef:1], which explores the experiences giving shape to a person’s self-understanding and life’s work. We will also use Scharmer’s (2018) Theory-U to structure this inquiry process as four reflective movements, including (a) the past, (b) the future, (c) an analysis, and (d) a synthesis for the future. [1: Pinar, W. (1975). The method of “currere”. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Research Association, Washington, DC. ]
(a) The Past. Remember past leadership experiences and leadership role models you’ve had; consider how these experiences influenced the formation of your own personal leadership attitudes, ideas, capabilities, and behaviours. Guiding Questions:
a. How has your past shaped who you are today?
b. How has your past shaped your work or what you are presently doing?
1 to 2 pages double spaced
(b) The Future. Imagine your highest future possible in terms of the authentic leader you aspire to be, the life of intention you aspire to live, talents you aspire to develop, experiences you intend to live, communities where you aspire to connect, and the contribution that you aspire to make in the world. Guiding Questions:
a. Who is your highest self you aspire to be? Describe what you envision yourself to be like in the future.
b. What is the work you aspire to do in the future?
1 to 2 pages double spaced
(c) The Analysis. Analyze your present state of growth in life and as a leader. What are the elements and structures that define the “present” moment in your lifelong learning journey? Connect your past and future with your current life situation. Consider the consequences of how you are presently generating creative tension (or not), are you releasing your aspirations, releasing the truth of reality, or growing?
Guiding Questions:
a. What are the current challenges and the emerging areas of possibility that your life and/or work asks you to address?
b. What about your current life/work frustrates you the most?
c. What would you have to let go of to bring your vision into reality?
i. Specifically, identify 2-3 places of internal resistance.
d. Where in your current life do you experience the beginnings (or seeds) of the future you want to create?
e. Who makes up your support community, and what do you believe are their highest hopes regarding your future journey?
1 to 2 pages double spaced
(d) The Synthesis. Define how you intend to bring the future you most desire into reality. Specifically, outline your way forward—that is, your plan—to achieving your highest future in life and as a Leader.
Guiding Questions:
a. Over the next three months, if you could prototype a microcosm of your future in which you could explore by doing, what would it look like?
b. Who is the community to help bring your future into reality and who can support you in your highest future intention?
c. If you committed to bringing your future into reality, what practical steps would you take over the next 3-7 days?
1 to 2 pages double spaced
What are the grading expectations?
A paper meeting all the expectations below demonstrates “very good work with less than 10 grammatical or APA flaws”, which according to the grading scale used in this course is a B+ grade. Work that does not meet all these expectations will receive a grade below B+.
· Demonstrates a careful understanding of the personal mastery paper’s scholarly context, audience, purpose, and all the prescribed elements.
· Follows a logical four-part reflective inquiry structure, including past, future, analysis and synthesis sections, as well as an introduction and conclusion.
· Uses straightforward language that communicates meaning to readers with clarity and fluency and is generally error-free.
· States ideas clearly, elaborates with explanations, and exemplifies using good, credible, relevant examples and other evidence, such as, expert sources. This paper must have at least 4 expert sources referenced.
· Correct use of APA conventions , including 8 citations , references documentation, document formatting, and stylistic writing elements.
To receive a grade above B+ the work must exceed all the expectations below. *
* To exceed expectations, you must demonstrate a thorough understanding of the assignment, your argumentation must be carefully constructed with insightful linkages and well-written transitions, you must have a higher density of ideas, substantial explanations, use compelling examples (personal or from expert sources), your language must be graceful, your grammar virtually error-free, and you make elegant use of APA conventions.
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