How can you incorporate current leadership research into your strategic learning plan?

1 Identify your learning objectives

Before you dive into the vast pool of leadership research, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to learn and why. What are the specific skills, competencies, or behaviors that you want to develop or improve as a coach? How do they align with your professional vision and values? How do they relate to the needs and expectations of your clients? By answering these questions, you can define your learning objectives and prioritize the most relevant and useful research sources for your learning plan.

3 Evaluate and synthesize the research

Once you have selected your sources, you need to evaluate and synthesize the research that you encounter. This involves critically examining the quality, relevance, and applicability of the research, as well as identifying the main findings, implications, and gaps. To help with this process, you can use a framework or checklist such as the CRAAP test (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose) to assess the credibility of the research. Additionally, it's helpful to compare and contrast different studies or perspectives on the same topic or issue in order to identify similarities, differences, and contradictions. It's also important to summarize and paraphrase the key points and arguments of the research in your own words and examples. Finally, organize and categorize the research into themes, patterns, or categories and use visual tools such as mind maps, charts, or tables to display them.

4 Apply and reflect on the research

The final and most important step in your learning plan is to apply and reflect on the research that you have learned. This means that you need to use the research to inform and improve your coaching practice, as well as to evaluate and monitor your learning progress and outcomes. To do this, create a learning portfolio or journal where you document objectives, activities, and achievements, as well as reflections, feedback, and action plans. Additionally, use the research to design evidence-based coaching interventions that address the needs of your clients. Furthermore, incorporate feedback from clients, peers, mentors, or supervisors on your coaching performance and effectiveness. Finally, review and update your learning plan regularly to keep up with changing leadership needs. By doing this, you can enhance your professional development and credibility as a leadership development coach while providing more value and impact to your clients.