...Defining Leadership There are many ways to define leadership. There is equally as many points of views and several theories that one look to determine the perfect definition, yet still no real consensus of why an individual becomes a leader or even what circumstances place the person in the role of a leader. One way to answer these questions is to describe the different point of views. Reviewing the different viewpoints will create clarity to the definition of leadership; allow discussion around the various theories and why this definition is superior to the other definitions. Lastly, how this selected definition will help the Old Navy Market leader team to lead in a more effective manner. What is Leadership? Leadership in the simplest definition according to Merriham-Webster defines leaders as: 1) A position as a leader of a group, organization 2) The power or ability to lead other people. These definitions show leadership as something that you do, it is not an activity or a position. This point of view also assumes it is where people operate that makes them a leader. The second definition requires the possession of certain traits or skills. Definitions rarely help one to understand or do the very thing you are trying to define. For example, one can define balance but this does not help to achieve balance necessarily to snowboard without falling. Are all leaders born with the needed traits to be a successful leader? There is not enough consensuses about “universal”...
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...DEFINING LEADERSHIP In reading leadership books you’ll find a lot of different opinions about what makes an effective leader; however almost everyone agrees on the definition of leadership: Effective Leadership is the ability to get things done through other people. To break it down, there are two things that are required in order for someone to be an effective leader. 1. Things must get done John Maxwell, a guru in leadership, says “Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less.” A true leader needs to be able to influence people to get the job done. If the individual has a group and tells them what to do, but does the work himself or the work doesn’t get done at all – then the person is obviously not an effective leader. 2. Group Cohesion Another aspect of effective leadership is keeping the group together. An individual might be able to get the job done and get it done well by being abrasive and snapping orders left and right, but I’ll guarantee that the group will be quickly handing out their resumes or looking for a new group to work with. Leadership is a complicated process by which an individual influences a group to accomplish a mission, task, or reach a goal that moves the organization forward in a way that the organization becomes more cohesive. The individual does this by applying leadership attributes such as values, personal character, knowledge and skills. Most of us want to be thought of as an effective leader. The question on our minds is; what makes...
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...Joan Didion: What is Home? In Joan Didion’s essay “On Going Home” she writes about leading a double life. She feels like one person when she’s with her husband and daughter in Los Angeles, and a completely different person when back “home” surrounded by her childhood family in the Central Valley of California. During this particular trip, she begins to reflect on her life in Los Angeles. Didion contemplates the fact that she often feels uneasy around her husband, just like he feels uneasy being around her family. At a crossroad, she must decide not only who she is, and the life she wants, but also the kind of life she wants for her daughter. Her life in Los Angeles has cleansed her from her youth—one that was dusty and full of useless trinkets. She ponders the time her husband wrote the word “D-U-S-T” on those useless trinkets and she remembers her feelings of sadness and indignation. She says, “We live in dusty houses…filled with mementos quite without value to him” (139-40). The dust-covered trinkets signify what is important to her, or what needs to be addressed in her marriage. Yet, these objects just lay there waiting for someone to see them—for someone to dust them off and care for them—not unlike how Didion wishes her husband would see her and nurture her in their marriage. Didion wonders which of her two homes is normal or if they are both flawed. When she and her husband are with her family, he becomes apprehensive about her behavior, “…because once there I fall...
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...What is leadership moment? Moments that defines us. In life and in leadership, we experience moments and events that define who we are - as leaders and human beings. What we do, what we say, and the distinctions we make during these defining moments impact and define who we are and what we value and stand for - in our mind and in the mind of others. Defining moments occur periodically through life and through a leader’s career, often times unrecognizable as being “defining” until sometime later on. What makes certain moments in our leadership career defining? What impact do these moments have on defining who we are as leaders? How do those around us react to how we behave during a defining leadership moment? As a leader, why should I be concerned with a moment or experience in the past? What difference do these defining leadership moments in our past make anyway? Defining leadership moments are also moments or experiences where your words, behaviors or decisions - how you handle yourself in a given situation - creates an impression that helps to define your leadership in the minds of others. How you are distinguished by others as a result of these defining leadership moments contributes to your leadership legacy in action. It is the impact your actions have on others that create the distinctions that contribute to your leadership legacy. Defining Leadership Moment | Leader / Event | Crossing the Delaware River | George Washington | Gettysburg Address | Abraham Lincoln:...
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...The Importance of Organizational Leadership Defining the organizational goal ,while formulating plans and organizing people to achieve these goals through the implementation process is the fundamental role of being a leader in a sustainable organization. The importance of leadership in a sustainable health care organization will allow leader's the ability to visualize a better and different future for the organization along with plans to achieve it. Envisioning the path to a brighter future is a inventive process and often cannot be taught. Organizational leadership consist of making plans and projecting growth for the future. In performing the duties of leadership, leaders must initiate the process with defining the purpose with a vision, having a strategy in place and knowing who will carry out the plan. The vision includes defining the next product and finding new systems for the product. Strategizing will articulate the plans which will demonstrate the skills and knowledge of a leader and making people complete the strategy and for this reason obtaining the goal is important. In implementing the plan this will enable leaders to provide motivation, inspiration while establishing a relationship using the position and power of leadership. "Good leadership depends on how effectively one chooses and makes decisions, because every leader must deal with a range of options in his everyday chores" (Brewer,2015 pg316). Many sustainable health care organization will go through...
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...Chapter 1 1.2 Conceptualizing Leadership Questionnaire Trait emphasis: 10 Ability emphasis: 15 Skill emphasis: 18 Behavior emphasis: 16 Relationship emphasis: 16 Process emphasis: 17 What I learned in chapter one was the difference between leaders. There are 6 different types of defining leadership, and the weights of each category vary person to person. Being relative to the person defining it, leadership to me is mostly focused on skill and expertise. Process follows close,y behind with relationship and behavior after that. Knowing that, it's apparent that I do not believe that leadership is a "trait" you are born with. I believe that is a quality which is learned through experience and following specific processes. Along with that, I don't believe everyone is a leader. If we were all "leaders," there would be no differentiation between leaders and followers. It's a process that involves a relationship between the leader and the people he/she is leading. In terms of myself, I believe I have developed my leadership by having been given leadership roles and responsibilities to help enforce that skill and develop my leadership ability. By viewing leadership as a skill or a lesson that can be taught, I believe that there is always room for growth in my leadership qualities. I also believe that to become a better leader and a better teammate is synonymous for this chapter. You must be aware of the various types of leadership styles, and you must also assume...
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...emerged at Whirlpool that impacted its talent needs. As the company expanded its operations in the US and globally, the company’s leadership needs changed. Operating in a dynamic and diverse market added additional considerations for the company’s leadership talent pool because “the growth, size and scale of the business added a level of complexity that required different skill sets and capabilities to compete in the global marketplace” (Goldsmith and Carter, 2010). The business grew in the US and globally, technology and new product development required a talent pool that was not only technology proficient but capable of helping the companies meet the dynamic and diverse needs of the consumers they served. Also, Whirlpool was now competing for talent acquisition and product business in a global marketplace requiring the company to adjust talent and product marketing strategies that allowed them to continue to sustain product growth as well as attract talent. As a result the changing dynamics of the workforce made it necessary for Whirlpool to develop a talent strategy that accounted for the fact that the workforce was no longer the loyal workforce that was typical in years past. (Goldsmith and Carter, 2010). Discuss how expanding globally changed the talent requirements at Whirlpool. Whirlpool began developing the Whirlpool Leadership Model in 1999. The program addressed Whirlpool’s expanding globally changing talent requirements as well as it defined clearly who can...
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...| The Importance Of Leadership | Theory & Concepts | | The definition of leadership and a look into the classical leadership theories and concepts. | | Toni James | 10/29/2012 | | Contents Introduction p.2 Defining Leadership p.2, 3 Introducing Theory and Concepts p.3 Traits Theory p.3, 4 Behaviour Theories p.5, 6 Contingency theory p.5 Transactional and Transformational Theory p.5, 6 Conclusion p.6, 7 Reference List p.8, 9 Bibliography p.9 Appendix 1 p.10 Introduction The following report will focus on defining leadership, research and comparison into leadership theories and concepts. It will look at appropriate leadership concepts that can be applied to Paragon Software in order to help grow market share. Defining Leadership Leadership is viewed in a number of different ways and there are many interpretations of its meaning. Leadership may be exercised as an attribute of position, or because of personal knowledge or wisdom. Leadership may be based on a function of personality, or it can be seen as a behavioural category. It may also be viewed in terms of a leader’s ability to achieve effective performance from others. (Mullins, 2009) Stogdill (1974, p.259) concluded that there are almost as many definitions of leadership as there are persons who have attempted to define the concept. (Stogdill, 1974) There lie two fundamental difficulties in defining leadership. Firstly, leadership is open to subjective interpretation...
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...Term Project – IT Governance Overall Scope: You are required to study of IT Governance in a business organization of your choice as per the Weill-Ross framework, develop of the Governance Arrangement Matrix (GAM) of the organization, and comment on the effectiveness of the Governance Mechanisms. Deliverables: Write-up and presentation Specific deliverables/guidelines: In line with the above, the following may be the specific contents of your findings/write-ups as well as the presentation. But then, these are indicative. You are free to decide to add any more relevant information. 1. Intro to the Company and Business Principles (Vision statement, broad enterprise level functions and unit level functions of the organization etc) 2. Role of IT in the organization & the IT Principles 3. The IT Governance Arrangements Matrix (sample shown below) 4. Various governance mechanisms implemented (enterprise wide and in the units) along with the advantages and disadvantages 5. Suggested IT Governance improvement needs IT Decision | IT Principles | IT Arch | IT Infra | Business Need | IT Investment | Archetype | Input | Decision | Input | Decision | Input | Decision | Input | Decision | Input | Decision | Biz Monarchy | | | | | | | | | | √ | IT Monarchy | | | | √ | | | | | | | Feudal | | | | | | | | | | | Federal | √ | | | | √ | | √ | | √ | | IT Duopoly | | √ | √ | | | √ | | √ | |...
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...government’s new million dollar grant funded Public Leadership Academy. The mission of the Public Leadership Academy is to provide ongoing training and development of the local government’s current and prospective public leaders. This program was developed in an effort to build and sustain world class public leadership that exemplifies exceptional leadership traits and skills, while fostering long-term relationships internal and external stakeholders and constituents. In the upcoming weeks, you will deliver your first presentation to the government’s local councilpersons, in which you address the type of public leadership model(s) that is both needed within the local government for its public leaders and required to fulfil the mission of the Public Leadership Academy. After careful review and analysis of the steps needed to meet your goal, your first assignment is to revisit the theories and styles of leadership. You will examine the theories and styles that support the role of the public leader. You may use the Internet and / or Strayer databases to complete any additional research. Note: You may create and / or make all necessary assumptions needed for the completion of this assignment. Use the basic outline below to draft your paper. Organize your responses to each question (except Question 4) under the following section headings: • Defining The Public Leader (for Question 1) • Leadership Theories (for Question 2) • Leadership Styles...
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...underwriting leadership for the region and serves as its liaison to the corporate office in Odenville. Originally from Odenville himself, Leon grew up just a few miles from the company’s headquarters. However, his was one of the few families in town that had no family members employed there. He remembers thinking that he didn’t really know what all of his friends’ parents did at American Family, but he knew he never wanted to work there. Things changed, however, after Leon attended college. After graduating with a business degree, getting married, and having a baby all within a year’s time, he admits that he simply needed a job! He started at American Family as a Claims Adjuster and was soon promoted to Claims Manager. He later moved to the Southern Region as a Consultant before being selected for his current role as Regional Manager. When asked about his career success, Leon advises that he was always the guy with his hand raised. He volunteered for every opportunity that came along, more so out of a desire to learn and gain new experiences than it was to get himself noticed. He stresses that the best way to stand out, at American Family or in any organization, is by doing a great job at whatever it is that you’re currently doing. This is still true for Leon today. He states that he strives to be the most effective, most collaborative, and most results-driven leader that he can be. A defining moment of Leon’s career was when he began his first leadership role as a...
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...| 2011 | | H.J Hichel Ltd Prepared By, Sumudu Kodagoda | DEVELOPING STARTEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS | | Table of contents Task 1...............................................................................................................................................3 Task 2.............................................................................................................................................14 Task 3.............................................................................................................................................24 Task 4.............................................................................................................................................31 References......................................................................................................................................44 TASK 1: P 1.1: Explain the link between strategic management and leadership. Strategic management helps coordinate organizational activities, but taken to excess can create “groupthink,” where the choreography is overdone. According to Certo and Peter (1991, 5), “strategic management is defined as a continuous, iterative process aimed at keeping an organization as a whole appropriately matched to its environment.” Stembridge (2001, 24- 25) states: “the continuous process of strategic management then, includes strategic planning, i.e., analysis, as well as strategy formulation, implementation...
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...weeks. I will assess his leadership skills, traits and abilities, to determine his level of proficiency. I will go on to explain how the theories and models presented in Lesson 4 can be put into to practice to assist him in becoming a more efficient supervisor. The second portion of the assignment will be focused on Leadership theory and will explain both transactional and transformational Leadership as I understand them. The final portion will cover what I perceive as the close relationship / resemblance between transformational and situational Leadership. After having read the Scenario for Module 1, I took the following approach to completing it. I first took into consideration the leadership traits/qualities that I felt Mr. Dalicaster possessed. From table 7-1 (Yukl, Gary 2002, P176) I ascertained he had the technical and possibly the interpersonal skills to be an effective leader, but his lack of experience as a new supervisor contributed to a lack of conceptual skills. I also suspect that because he feels he must continue to work to support his family rather than retire, that his motivation to becoming an effective supervisor may in fact be diminished. Because leadership encompasses so many traits and qualities and requires different levels of skill for each unique situation, it is difficult to rate the effectiveness of his managerial skills based on this one scenario using the trait theory alone. If I now move toward Situational Leadership it is important to note...
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...Known as “arguably the best basketball coach ever, with a record 10 national titles as the [head] coach of [UCLA basketball] and the distinction of being the first person to be voted into basketball’s Hall of Fame as both a player…and coach,” John Wooden is a great leader to take a look at and examine (Leadership Lessons). Coach Wooden believed that “leadership itself is largely learned [and] most of us have a potential far beyond what we think possible” (Wooden 4). Furthermore, John Wooden stated, “those who aspire to be leaders can do it [and] those who wish to become much better leaders can also do it” (Wooden 5). Coach John Wooden falls within the category of a much better leader and his leadership skills were learned through a variety of experiences. John Wooden’s journey to becoming a great leader can be traced back to the single most important person in his life, his father Joshua Wooden. Wooden stated multiple times that his father was “at the core of [his] philosophy of leadership (Wooden 6). More specifically, the “character and achievements of John Wooden can largely be traced to a piece of paper his father gave him on the day he graduated [grade school],” a “defining moment” if you will (Williams and Denney 26). Joshua Wooden handed a young John a small card with a seven-point creed to which he asked his son to live by. The seven points contained on the card were: “1. Be true to yourself. 2. Help others. 3. Make each day your masterpiece. 4. Drink deeply from...
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...The principle for both politics and power is the extent of an interconnection between individuals. As individuals pursue their own goals in a firm, they must also deal with the interest of others. Managers may see a power gap. The power gap and its associated political dynamics are twofold. One is that power and politics represent a closure of organizational life. Organizations are not equally comprised of individuals with the same power. Some people have a lot more clot than others. There are winners and losers in the battle of resources and rewards. Another is that politics and power are essential means of the organization and used in getting the work completed by managers. Many more organizational members can win when managers isolate the situations in which the individual and interest alike in the organization (Schermerhorn, Hunt, & Osborn, 2008). Compare and Contrast Power and Politics in Organizations. Within each organization a manager's power is in large part determined by his or her position and personal power and by his or her ability to build upon combinations of these sources. An essential source of power accessible to a manager derived only from his or her position in the organization. Specifically, position power derived from roots joined with the position. The essential perspectives of position power: legitimate, representative, information, coercive, reward, and process power. Position power enhances whereas a manager capable of demonstrating to others...
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