Training and Assessment Strategies for Leader Self-Development

The conceptual reviews conducted in Phase I pointed to the need for the construction of (a) self-development support programs that can help Army leaders plan and maximize their own growth, and (b) assessment tools that increase the U.S. Army'sunderstanding of the enabling processes and individual attributes that foster effective leader self-development. The intent of the Phase II effort proposed here is to continue to develop training modules designed to teach leader self-development skillswithin a training program that also targets leader adaptability skillsA unique feature of this training program is its inclusion of assessment tools that are constructed to measure leader self-development skills. The responses given by self-developers to these scales will then serve as the basis for (a) subsequentself-regulation processes constructed into the program, and (b) how the training program is to be structured in different ways for different self-developers. That is, the proposed program will contain a feature that tailors the delivery of instruction andfeedback to certain attributes of the individual that may alter how he or she may respond to a prototypic leader training intervention. In essence, the program will be somewhat customizable to each self-developer. This feature, combined with trainingmodules that promote growth in and use of self-regulation skills, answers call for more structured self-development programs that guide learning in a format that is tailored to the individual's level of cognitive skill and learning disposition. Theresearch and development proposed will produce tools based on innovative strategiesand assessment techniques for leadership training and self-development. If we are successful, this work should expedite and improve leadership self-development and alsoadd value to other leadership training methods. Our research indicates that other military markets should have a strong interest in the tools produced, and we think our approach is readily adaptable to other government and commercial domains.