Discussion Paper: What’s Leadership
Getting Started
Recognizing good organizational leader characteristics is important, not only to ensure that your leadership style is benefiting the organization but also to identify these characteristics in others so they can provide the greatest service to the organization.
This assignment is a continuation of material from Chapter 1 and your 1.2 Discussion. This material will help you understand organizational leader characteristics as you consider and defend your perspectives and consider those of your peers.
Upon successful completion of this discussion, you will be able to:
- Evaluate leadership styles.
Resources
- Textbook: Leadership: Enhancing the Lessons of Experience
Background Information
In this discussion, you will consider the various definitions of leadership as provided in the textbook from the authors’ review of literature in the field of leadership. You will also explore the concept of leadership as both rational and emotional as well as the differences between the roles of a manager versus the roles of a leader.
The concept of followership is also introduced in this assignment’s reading from the textbook, as well as the growing role of women in leadership positions and responsibilities.
Instructions
Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.
Review Chapter 1, “What Do We Mean by Leadership?”, in our textbook. As you review, reflect upon the definitions of leadership and how these definitions and other aspects of leadership add to your prior understanding of a leader’s role in an organization.
Conduct a critical analysis of the postings by two of your classmates from the posts submitted in 1.2 by the end of the workshop and should be written as if you were reviewing their posting in an academic journal. Your discussion response should, therefore, answer the following questions as applicable:
- Were three leadership definitions clearly defined with examples and clear, insightful critical thinking? Comment on two of the three definitions of leadership presented in the post of your classmates. Do you agree or disagree with their interpretation of the definition of leadership? Provide rationale from personal examples or subject matter expert opinions.
- Did the discussion of leadership as an art or a science include a detailed explanation that demonstrates clear, insightful critical thinking? Review your classmates’ posts. Does their explanation support defining leadership as either an “art” or a “science”? Explain.
- Was the concept of spiritual gifts effectively discussed, relating the concept to that of leadership styles?
- In addition to commenting on the critical thinking displayed in the post, offer your comments on the original post and provide your overall agreement or disagreement with the poster’s concept of leadership. Your response to each question above should be one paragraph in length and cite one academic source.
Interactions are expected to:
- Clearly and thoroughly address the prompt(s) with meaningful information that shows critical thinking.
- Introduce your own ideas and questions to add greater depth to the discussion, rather than restating what your classmates have shared. (Include much more than “Great post,” or “I agree.”)
- Refer to relevant course concepts as you discuss your learning together.
- Develop insightful conversation by directly addressing your classmates’ ideas.
- Demonstrate professionalism.
Your response posts are due by the end of the workshop.
Assignment: Power and Influence
Getting Started
In this assignment, you will write an essay on the concepts of power and influence, contrasting what you learned in Chapter 4 of our textbook with principles of servant leadership from the supplemental resources noted below. This assignment should cause you to reflect on how the proper use of power and influence can enhance the leader’s ability to effectively lead.
Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:
- Discuss similarities and differences between servant leadership and other leadership styles.
Resources
- Textbook: Leadership: Enhancing the Lessons of Experience
- Video: Ken Blanchard – Servant Leadership
- Video: Why good leaders make you feel safe – Simon Sinek
- Article: “Servant Leadership: How to Put Your People Before Yourself”
Background Information
It has been said that leadership, simply stated, is influence, the ability to use a position of leadership to influence behavior and positive change within an organization. Many leaders, of course, have different perceptions of how to influence others, utilizing power in negative ways rather than positive ways. The concept of servant leadership emphasizes the positive ways in which a leader can influence followers and initiate positive change within an organization.
Instructions
- Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.
- Read Chapter 4, “Power and Influence”, in our textbook.
- Watch the video Ken Blanchard – Servant Leadership.
- Watch the video Why good leaders make you feel safe – Simon Sinek.
- Review the article “Servant Leadership: How to Put Your People Before Yourself”.
- Reflect upon the concepts of a leader’s power and influence, in particular how the ideas from servant leadership enhance this aspect of a leader’s abilities and success.
- Write a paper incorporating information from our textbook and the supplemental material on servant leadership:
- Compare and contrast the concepts of power and influence as discussed in the textbook with what you discover about servant leadership from the supplemental readings above. Provide a detailed explanation for your evaluation that demonstrates clear, insightful critical thinking.
- Give an example from your personal experience where you did not agree with the exercise of power and influence. Would the application of servant leadership principles have affected the outcome? Why or why not? Provide a detailed explanation for your evaluation that demonstrates clear, insightful critical thinking.
- Your paper should be 400–500 words in length. Use proper spelling, grammar, and APA style in your paper and for any sources cited. For questions on APA style, go to OCLS APA Writing Styles Guides.
- When you have completed your assignment, save a copy for yourself and submit a copy to your instructor by the end of the workshop.