Leadership Portfolio Essay

To become a successful Product Manager; lead teams using transformational leadership model; and network effectively with professionals of my field. I am new to the field of Product Management and while my previous experiences leverage this decision, it still remains a challenging proposition to succeed in this field. In this regard, I am writing this leadership plan which will be my guiding force throughout my professional life. The document will be updated as and when underlying goals are met and the bar of defining success extended. The three most important competencies which I will strive to improve are: 1. Skills: * A competent product manager must have a diverse skillset and I plan on adding skills to my existing portfolio. Some crucial skills which I plan on learning during the course of my MBA program are: * Sales and Marketing management – For successful selling, marketing and merchandising of a new product * Strategic management – For a more robust product inception, development and deployment * Conflict management – For effective and lasting resolution of internal and external conflicts * Financial management – For informed capital budgeting and financial forecasting decisions * Project management – For better and efficient modular management of entire project lifecycle. In addition to the skills mentioned above, in this new role, I will strive to assimilate newer skills which will smoothen my professional evolutionary continuum. * Takeaway from the course: * Learnt the nuances of Authentic Leadership I plan on working more on this aspect and hopefully get better members in my network. 5. Find a networking event to attend, and bring the idea to class to share with the group. There is an event organized by Duquesne University’s Small Business Development Center â€Å"First Step: Business Start-Up Essentials† on November 15th 2012. The topics covered in this event include Social Media, Search Engine Optimization and Web-Design. This will be an interesting event to network especially since many attendees will be looking for new and innovative ideas to promote their brands. They will also be bringing loads of experience and knowledge on starting similar line-extension products.