...Compromising toward Chaos: Failure to Lead results in Civil War David J. Chasmer Fairleigh Dickinson University Author Note David J. Chasmer holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Rutgers University, and is a candidate for a master’s degree in Public Administration through Fairleigh Dickinson University. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to David Chasmer, 1310 Morris Street, Union City NJ 07087. Abstract This paper seeks to examine the presidency of Millard Fillmore, in the context of leadership. It is my objective to prove Fillmore to be a ‘bad leader.’ Fillmore’s actions and leadership skill will be analyzed against the five aspects of leadership, specifically shared vision, modeling the way, challenging the process, encouraging the heart, and enabling others to act. Compromising toward Chaos: Failure to Lead results in Civil War Highly divisive times in world history have provided the opportunities for some of our nation’s best leaders to take charge and guide our great nation on a path that leads to success. The particular brand of success sought after could be any, from security from attack, to economic success. The great leaders of history can be measured in any number of quantitative or qualitative standards, but the ultimate issue is whether their actions benefited the nation in the long run. With that being said, I believe that the opposite of a path toward success would be a path toward division and hostility...
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...Someone once told me "I know you'll be successful." But what is success? I think the definition of success cannot be pinned down to one single thing. Aspects of life must intermingle and converge, resulting in a fusion of moments and a synthesis of ideas. Because one man's idea of a successful and fruitful life may not be the same as another man's hope for a brighter future. How one defines success is therefore integral to that person's experience of life in and around him. As we are creatures of habit, we can proceed through life with preconceived notions of what is and what should be, convinced that what has worked in the past must also work in the future. In that way we deny ourselves the virtue of malleability. We are often our own worst enemies. The Chinese philosopher and military tactician Sun Tzu likened the successful soldier to water. "Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows; the soldier works out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing." The brilliance of this idea is not in the likening of life to war, rather in revealing the simple truth that we are a product of our experiences and how we adapt determines our success, along with what path we take. Each hill and valley we encounter provides us with an opportunity to adapt and change, gives us the chance to use our talents within the realms of our potential to evolve our life in new and sometimes unexpected ways. God's plan may be unknown and unfathomable...
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...current IT world Project management is about being controlled from the start of the job to the end. Efficient and effective teams with a leader that can encourage cooperation and motivate to get outcome as all are working toward the same goal. It is in everyone’s best attention to work together to the works success. Project management is appropriate to many businesses and organizations. Some basic industries that use project management include Information technology, telecommunication, construction, software development, banking, manufacturing, professional engineering and architecture, computers. Project management is important because tough budgets, reducing resources, limited time constraints, and competition to improve the methods we do business in the competitive environment. The great ability of project management makes it possible to focus on priorities, track and measure performance, overcome challenges and issues, become flexible enough to adjust to change and reach higher performance and a higher probability of success in each and every project. The challenges of project management most especially the high hopes from senior management combined with little or no hierarchical permission are powerful, but project managers can influence the entire path of an organization. Project management is very important in today's business environment when one considers the repercussions of the lack of good project management or when project management is not successful applied to...
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...The seminar that the class attend pertain to the idea of becoming more than what one’s situation can perceive. The audience was a collective body of graduate students who, currently, are seeking success in the avenues that each wishes to pursue. The three guest speakers help give light and knowledge on the task that each student will or might have to possible face as they undergo their path to success. The speakers spoke about the opportunities and obstacles that might challenge the student and gave feasible explanation towards the accountability of the outcome. The first speaker, spoke about how he obtain his PhD and choose a different path which lead he to the conclusion of being humble and seeking the opportunity that was placed before him. He addressed how the differences between how one can change in their opinion to be enhance their attributes, even though, they choose another path. He broke down how it does not matter about the opposition but rather the commitment one wish to engage to conqueror their goals. Second speaker, was a man who decided to pursue a career in law enforcement. The tactics that he spoke upon were the issues that cause him to realize and understand that were he stood in his life and wanted to change his future. Summarizing what he discussed seemed to be, overtime; one can rise above what is expected and turn time into opportunity. The message that this speaker wish to convey focus on how to climb ladders of an organization, and then lead by example...
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...Running head: ACADEMIC SUCCESS 1 Academic Success Jose Cruz University of Phoenix ACADEMIC SUCCESS 2 Academic Success Jose Cruz Academic success What does being successful mean? Being successful might mean making tons of money, owning a bunch cars and property, being famous, but to me being successful means achieving the goals I set for myself, whether that be being financially stable, earning my bachelors’ degree and pursuing my educational goals and finally being able to start a family of my own when I am financially and professionally stable. Life goals academic goals, one thing for sure is that only persistence and hard work will get you to where you want to be. Setting goals is a great way to reach your dreams as well as your educational success. Proper time management and a step by step process is a good place to start when trying to kick start your path to becoming a success. My primary educational goal is to actually finish college successfully and gain my Bachelor’s degree. One reason why this is an important goal for me is because I would be the first person in my family to have a college degree, let alone be the first to graduate, I have few other family members who attended college but have failed, which is one of the reasons why I decided to go to school after being out of high school for so long. Seeing that so many have failed before me I was afraid I would fail as well but it is of great importance for me to succeed not only just gaining my...
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... Smart and rational life choices will result in success in life. Even if life leads down an unsuccessful path, personal blame is the correct choice and not the blame of others. By understanding that concept, one can turn the unsuccessful path into a successful one. The connection of personal responsibility and success is prevalent in many parts of life, from work to personal life to school. Accepting personal responsibility is a key element for success in school. “Responsibility is ‘response-ability’ – the ability to choose your response to any event, even when the event itself is beyond your control”. (Ellis, 2011, p. 171) Elements exist during school that will be beyond control, such as group work and other team members completing their part of the assignment. By studying hard, participating in group work, collaborating with other students, and doing honest assignments, one can work toward personal success of the highest grade achievable. The work put into assignments will reflect the outcome of success. If there is no effort, the grade will reflect the lack of work. “There is another way, called taking responsibility. You can recognize that you choose your grades by choosing your actions. Then you are the source, rather than the result, of the grades you get”. (Ellis, 2011, p. 171.) By working hard and achieving personal success during school, and working toward a career, the focus can shift toward success in the workforce. As we progress in life...
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...Graduate Study Challenges and Strategies for Personal Success “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” This famed quotation by one of the most influential American essayist and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson, inspired me toward my journey to pursue graduate study. Taking the first step toward this journey is the most difficult. I understood that challenges will be inevitable in this path and implementing strategies to face these challenges is crucial for my success. I gained significant experience in both my academic and professional career over the years. I realize that I have the determination to accomplish goals and the necessary means to envision success. I have a variety of reasons I chose to pursue graduate study, both personal, and professional. Personally, I want to teach my children the importance of education in one’s life and to inspire them to aim for academic excellence. Professionally, I am very passionate about Nursing and about improving the quality of care given to patients. My ultimate goal is to influence change in the health care field as an educator or as an administrator. I want to inspire others to be excited with Nursing and be more involved in creating best practices that affects health care. I also want to ensure that I am more marketable to advance in my career. Graduate study paves the way toward the realization of these aspirations. Three Challenges that I will face in Meeting my Goals ...
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...this early in our lives, and we take two paths to arrive at the answer. The traditional career path is aligned with a hierarchal structure of the individual’s work organization. First, entry into the organization where promotion upward comes from; high performance - going above and beyond job duties, and last but not least length of tenure with the organization. The individual gains experience and learning skills based on what the job requires. The individual’s path moves upward, however there are only a few top positions that are available. This means the plateau or pinnacle might be reached without having a position at the executive level. The traditional approach frames success based on achievement and the position held. The individual’s career management is placed in the organization’s hands, and there is little effort to align career with lifestyle. The protean career path moves away from the verticle path to a path that moves laterally and across different areas of interest. The responsibily is held by the individual, and the path toward success is not upward, however it leads outward and is achived by individuals’ psychological fullment and self-interests being explored. There is more career mobility as individuals reinvent the type of job or work they do. Learning is a constant process where skills are learned and transformed in preparation for other carrer endevours. Individual’s motivation moves them along either path. Bibliography Noe, R. (2010). Employee...
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...Coach Knight vs. Coach K Case Study A leader’s greatest challenge is determining which leadership style is best suited to motivate their subordinates. The path-goal theory “emphasizes the relationship between the leader’s style and the characteristics of the subordinates and the work setting” (Northouse, p. 125). Another theory, the leader-member exchange theory, focuses on the relationship between members and their leaders, or their dyadic relationship. Path-Goal Theory In the path-goal theory, leaders help subordinates determine their goals, clarify a path, remove any obstacles, and provide support along their journey to their goal. To do this, they choose the best suited leadership behavior for the given situation. The Path-Goal Theory is very similar to the Situational Leadership II model in that it examines four similar leadership styles including directive, supportive, participative and achievement-oriented. Directive “characterizes a leader who gives subordinates instructions about their task, including what is expected of them, how it is to be done, and the time line for when it should be completed” (Northouse, p. 127). Supportive leaders “go out of their way to make work pleasant for subordinates. In addition, they treat subordinates as equals and give them respect for their status” (Northouse, p. 127). Participative leaders “consult with subordinates” and “integrates their suggestions into the decisions about how the group or organization will proceed”...
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...state that “students today adopted an increasingly consumerist goal for their education” (61)” in a sense that they “perceive themselves primarily as costumers, purchasing a product: a degree” (61) - This raises the question of why students have a consumerist view on education and whether students value the learning process of obtaining a college degree - The study indicates that most students“seek the path of least resistance to obtaining a academic degree.” - This suggest that students may not value the learning process or the end product of knowledge to be of any importance and instead, they are only interested in obtaining a degree though the easiest method by selecting professors based on their easiness rating. - Personally, i find this surprising - what is the purpose of higher education if it presented no challenges? - more importantly, what is the significance of an academic degree if student's take the easier route? - An academic degree is of special value that indicates a student's innate ability - If all students obtain a degree by choosing the easiest path, this will devaluate the significance of an academic degree - And thus, an academic degree will have no meaning - Perhaps student's may need reassess their value on education and realize the importance of the learning process Although obtaining a degree is the primary goal of many students, the learning process is also of equal importance Brinkworth first year experience - Brinkworth et al...
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...quality of leadership in an organization has a direct impact on the success of the organization. Leadership is the process of directing the behavior of others toward the accomplishment of some objective. Leaders need to be able to motivate their people to accomplish organizational goals. Motivation is what drives people to achieve goals, and it is the reason those people act the way that they do (Certo & Certo, 2012). In this leadership scenario, Stephanie works for Jonathan who everyone generally admires for his friendly demeanor and relaxed management style. He assigns his employees different duties each week. His employees can be working at the checkout counter one week, stocking shelves the next, and in the store’s new culinary center the following week. Alex works for Dan. Dan believes the best way for his employees to master a job is to do it over and over again. Alex finds his assigned work to be very monotonous and boring, which leads to an unmotivated employee, waiting for the opportunity to quit this job. Dan’s management style is very directive and tyrannical; his employees experience little job satisfaction and suffer from poor employee morale. The two theories of leadership that best relate to this scenario were the Life Cycle and Path Goal Theories of Leadership. The Life Cycle theory deals with the leader matching a leadership style with the situation and maturity of their followers. The Path Goal theory deals with leaders giving rewards to members of the organization...
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...As of now, the major that I am considering is accounting. I decided I wanted to do accounting back when one of my cousins became an accountant. She ended up getting her CPA and a full time job at the place she interned at, which ultimately made me want to do the same. One path I thought about taking with this major is to be a forensic accountant. Before I became an accounting major, I was a criminal justice major, so getting into forensic accounting is something that I am very interested in. With this career, I would try and detect crimes, such as fraud, and would have the opportunity to work for government agencies or law firms. Being a forensic accountant is probably my first choice. Another field that I would be interested in is being a...
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...percent of his work force who were deemed least useful by their managers. Creating the Best Practice movement and Work Out (meetings that aided in brainstorming solutions to company problems) were innovative programs that helped him catapult GE toward success. He retired after two decades as GE’s CEO and nominated Jeffrey Immelt as his successor. Jeffrey Immelt became the ninth man to lead General Electric in 2001. He abandoned Welsh’s leadership approach and was said to be “less a commander than a commanding presence” (Rowe and Guerrero, 2013, p. 190). He focused on long term strategies rather than setting pinpoint earning targets, as his predecessor had. By aiding service growth in some of the company’s divisions and investing strategically, Immelt achieved unprecedented revenue growth in key foreign markets. This situation is best described as an evaluation case, rather than a decision or problem. Questions Some of the key questions in this case are: 1. What parts of Jack Welch’s leadership strategy were effective? 2. What mistakes did Jack Welch make that Jeffrey Immelt should avoid? Hypothesis By learning from Jack Welch’s leadership style and improving on his mistakes, Jeffrey Immelt can ensure the growth and success of General Electric. Proof and action Welch was a highly competent and successful leader whose business strategy helped grow GE’s market capitalization by 27 times (Rowe and Guerrero,...
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...As with any venture, direction is a key of success. In becoming an entrepreneur, one must have a path for the business to follow, and that path will be your strategic plan. The strategic plan includes items such as the business plan, company summary for your business, market analysis, goals of your business and estimated financials. Entrepreneurs can’t really tell an exact amount for financing however, entrepreneurs should be prepared to defend their numbers when asked to do so. For most strategists in big companies, after the companies were established, strategists would continually updated their business plans and use them as steering mechanism to direct the company. According to Porter (1996), even though entrepreneurs were able to come...
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...paper. Your three precise choices is to allow your solution to delineate you, destroy you or strengthen your life towards your future. Our mind-set has been introduced to an innovative year of new prospects and inventive dreams. A legendary Chinese philosopher named Confucius, once said one must “Study the past, if you would define the future.” This notable quote solely states that if you know the cause, you can predict the outcome and has motivated many individuals to only focus on their effects in life and not their previous position. Your past has the ability to overshadow your success to convey stress and discomfort among you. Although, in your belief, your past may determine your future, however, that is not always the upshot. Your past has been generated into a learning ground to...
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