LDR 600 Course Discussions and Assignments

LDR 600 Course Discussions and Assignments

LDR 600 Course Discussions and Assignments

LDR 600 Leadership Styles and Development Week 1 Discussion

DQ1 The concept of leadership as a “vocation” greatly distinguishes leadership from a job, career, or what one simply does for a living. A vocation can be thought of as one’s calling. Vocation is often associated with the clergy or missionaries who feel called by a higher power to fulfill a specific purpose. Vocation is also a concept associated with careers like teachers, emergency responders, doctors, or other health care professionals who feel strongly compelled to dedicate their own lives to improving the lives of those whom they serve. Consider your own view of leadership. How does understanding leadership as a vocation inform your understanding of the personal and moral commitments required of leaders? If leadership is not a job, but a calling, what responsibilities do leaders have towards their position, their organization, and their followers?

DQ2 Leadership is a complex process that requires leaders to critically appraise the circumstances in which they find themselves to best determine how to lead and influence those around them. There are multiple tactics a leader can employ in any given circumstance to influence a situation or their followers. Compare two leaders you have dealt with in the past. What different tactics did these leaders employ to influence situations or people? Which tactics were successful? Which tactics were not successful? As a leader, how can you critically appraise situations to make sure you select appropriate tactics for influencing a given situation?

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LDR 600 Leadership Styles and Development Week 2 Discussion

DQ1 Review “Case 3.1: A Strained Research Team,” located in Chapter 3 of the textbook, Leadership: Theory and Practice. Post a 250-300 word response to the questions located at the end of the case. In your response, be sure to address the strengths and weaknesses of the three-skill approach in this situation.

DQ2 Review “Case 4.1: A Drill Sergeant at First,” located in Chapter 4 of the textbook, Leadership: Theory and Practice. Post a 250-300 word response to the questions located at the end of case. In your response, be sure to address the strengths and weaknesses of the behavioral approach to leadership in this situation.

LDR 600 Leadership Styles and Development Week 3 Discussion

DQ1 As discussed in Topic 1, effective leaders apply various leadership tactics depending upon the contexts in which they find themselves. Consider the leadership tactics, traits, or models you find yourself drawn to as a leader. Why are you drawn to these particular tactics, traits, or models? How do they interconnect with your own personal, moral, ethical, or religious beliefs? Do you think the personal, moral, ethical, or religious beliefs of leaders can interfere with their ability to effectively lead? Why or why not?

DQ2 Select a leader you believe successfully led an organization through a crisis or challenge (e.g., public relations crisis, marketing mishap, shift in market demand, reorganization). Identify the leader and the company with which the leader is affiliated. Provide brief context for the crisis or challenge. Identify the leadership models and approaches that were employed in the handling of the situation. Finally, explain why you think the leadership was particularly effective in this context.

LDR 600 Course Discussions and Assignments

Week 4 Discussion

DQ1 What are the strengths and weakness of transformational leadership theory and leader-member theory (LMX)? How might your knowledge of the LMX theory help you to become a better leader? DQ2 How would you apply the transformational theory leader-member theory (LMX) to improve an organization’s performance? Discuss in the context of your own organization, an organization you have belonged to in the past, or another existing organization that would benefit from significant organizational improvement. LDR 600 Course Discussions and Assignments

Week 5 Discussion

DQ1 Select an individual that you believe exhibits authentic leadership. This individual can be historical or contemporary. Provide specific examples that support how this person exhibits authentic leadership. What is the role of authentic leadership in creating trust and followership in this example, and how can it improve organizations?

DQ2 Christian servant leaders profess to serve those whom they lead through love and the moral obligation to promote the greater good of others. What leadership behaviors would you expect from a Christian servant leader and how might those behaviors differ from someone who is not a servant leader. Also, although servant leadership is often associated with the Bible and the teachings of Jesus Christ, do you believe servant leadership is compatible with other religions or worldviews? Why or why not?

Week 6 Discussion

DQ1 What are the strengths and weakness of adaptive leadership? What particular challenges might an adaptive leader encounter in encouraging their followers to solve their own problems and challenges?

DQ2 How do you think individuals’ preconceived notions, prejudices, and their own interpretations of other cultures impact the workplace? How might you employ the psychodynamic approach to help the employees get along with each other and work better together?

Week 7 Discussion

DQ1 Today’s complex organizations often require the smooth, integrated functioning of teams across several functional areas. Leading of a team of diverse individuals is quite a challenge. Encouraging the effective collaboration of multiple teams of diverse individuals is even more challenging and requires skilled leaders who can understand and impart organizational vision to team members. Skilled leaders must also foster leadership skills in others to achieve collaboration and organizational success. Imagine yourself in the complex situation of ensuring the integrated functioning of multiple teams. How prepared are you for such a challenge? What knowledge and skills will you need to acquire on your own leadership development journey to successfully prepare for such a challenge?

DQ2 Leadership positions within teams can often be fluid and dynamic. Circumstances may require an individual to step forward and lead in some situations and then adopt the role of follower in others. As a leader, how do you know when it is appropriate to lead and when it is appropriate to follow? How can you foster leadership skills in your team members so they too feel confident enough to lead when the situation calls for it? LDR 600 Course Discussions and Assignments

Week 8 Discussion

DQ1 Select a female leader that faced challenges based on gender and whose circumstances would be different if the leader had been male. What challenges did this female leader face in the business world? How did the female leader you selected overcome those challenges?

DQ2 What characteristics result in toxic leadership? What are possible repercussions of toxic leadership? Provide a personal experience (do not disclose specific names) or public example of toxic leadership.

LDR 600 Leadership Styles and Development Week 1 Assignment

Leadership Profile Complete the “Leadership Profile” graphic organizer. APA format is required for essays only. Solid academic writing is always expected. For all assignment delivery options, documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. You are not required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Leadership Profile The Leadership Profile assignment seeks to expose you to leaders that exemplify leadership qualities. This provides an opportunity to consider (if you have not already) the qualities of leadership with which you most identify. Identify effective leadership traits. Search for a business leader that exemplifies the leadership trait. Identify the company and job title for each business leader. Include a description of how the leader exemplifies the leadership trait. Describe if the leadership trait inspires followership and why.

Leadership Matrix:

Leadership Summary:

Provide a 250-500 word summary that further explains the role of power and influence within leadership. Which traits do you believe will inspire others? What qualities do you believe will foster effective leadership? Provide at two to five references, which may include the textbook. APA format is required for essays only. Solid academic writing is always expected. For all assignment delivery options, documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

LDR 600 Leadership Styles and Development Week 2 Assignment

Book Selection: Theoretical Framework for Leadership In preparation for the Benchmark Assignment – Analysis of a Theoretical Framework for Leadership in Topic 6, select a book about leadership by a successful leader whom you believe has adopted leadership as a vocation. It can be a book by a well-known individual in the discipline of leadership or a leader in your own field, religion, sport, or another area of personal interest. Submit your selection to your instructor. You will submit an analysis of your selected text in Topic 6.

LDR 600 Leadership Styles and Development Week 3 Assignment

Analysis of the Chilean Mine Rescue Review the assigned article, “Leadership Lessons From the Chilean Mine Rescue.” Write a 500-750 word paper that analyzes the Chilean mine rescue. As a leader, you will be faced with responding immediately to solve issues. The Chilean mine rescue is an example of leadership under extreme circumstances.

Reflect on this example to shape how you might apply the goal-path theory and the situational approach in an everyday, real-world situation. Address the following questions and concepts: How did the leaders demonstrate flexibility and adaptability?

Please provide examples. How did the leaders apply aspects of the path-goal theory to this situation? Provide examples. Did the leaders communicate effectively with all of the stakeholders involved?

How could communication have been improved? How well did the leaders follow the situational approach to leadership? Provide examples. How does this example shape how you might apply the goal-path theory and the situational approach in a real-world situation, in your content? Include three to five references to support your position.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required. familiar This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become with the expectations for successful completion. You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.

Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.

LDR 600 Course Discussions and Assignments

Week 6 Assignment

Benchmark – Analysis of a Theoretical Framework for Leadership Select a book about leadership by a successful leader whom you believe has adopted leadership as a vocation. It can be a book by a well-known individual in the discipline of leadership or a leader in your own field, religion, sport, or another area of personal interest.

Students are encouraged to select their book early in the course (at least before the end of Topic 2) to allow time for thoughtful reading and planning for this assignment. In an analysis of 750-900 words, examine the theoretical framework, style, and leadership traits presented in the selected book. Discuss how this particular individual has adopted leadership as a vocation. As a leader, which qualities of this person would you seek to emulate in order to inspire followership?

Which shortcomings of this leadership approach would you attempt to overcome? Be sure to cite examples from the book and integrate a minimum of four secondary sources on leadership theory to support your analysis. Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion. You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.

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Week 7 Assignment

Creating and Leading Effective Teams Review the Harvard Business School reprint, Leading Teams. Consider the criteria for successful teams and the factors needed to ensure teams are structured for success. Create a plan (750-1,000 words) describing the steps necessary to create more successful teams at various levels within your organization.

Include the following in the plan: Define the characteristics and structure of successful teams within your organization. How are independent teams vital to the success of your organization?

What are important factors to consider when leading teams within the various levels of the organization? What factors are important to consider when leading teams at the executive level? What aspects are essential in identifying appropriate members for teams and ensuring the teams are successfully launched? What factors are important to ongoing team dynamics?

Describe guidelines to evaluate the function and productivity of teams. Compassion is a significant attribute of many religions and philosophies, including a Christian worldview, as well as being important for both authentic and servant leadership. As a leader, how would you empower your teams through compassion to honor diversity and support equality for all members as they work toward a common goal?

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required. This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion. You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.

Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center. LDR 600 Course Discussions and Assignments.

Week 8 Assignment Benchmark – Professional Development Plan Use the “Professional Development Plan” document to complete the assignment.

Refer to “Essential Leadership Competencies” for additional information. APA format is required for essays only. Solid academic writing is always expected. For all assignment delivery options, documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion. You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.

Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center. Professional Development Plan Leadership as a vocation requires a commitment to professional excellence and integrity, which can be achieved through establishing habits of self-reflection, life-long learning, and professional development. The purpose of this assignment is for you to reflect on where you currently are in your leadership capabilities; define where you want to go; and specify goals, plans, and a timeframe for achieving your professional objectives.

Your professional development plan will be composed of three parts: Vision, Goals/Objectives, and Plans.

Vision: The ability to create, communicate, and compel vision is critical to inspiring and effective leadership. While ultimately many leaders are responsible for developing visions to guide complex organizations, effective leadership begins on a much more personal level—a vision of yourself as a leader.

Who are you and who do you want to become in your field or sphere of influence? Once you are clear about that, you can then confidently establish how you will help others and your organization achieve their visions. Your leadership vision is based on a number of factors including your attitude, values, personal beliefs, guiding principles, and how you behave. It may also be influenced by theoretical, philosophical, or religious frameworks and the leadership traits, values, and behaviors of others. A leadership vision is also dynamic.

No great leader ever “arrived.” Those who have adopted leadership as their vocation can spend a lifetime in self-reflection in order to continue to learn and more effectively motivate and inspire others. Spend some time reflecting below on where you currently are in your leadership capabilities, what you have learned about leadership in the course, and how you want to develop and improve as you continue your leadership studies and move forward in your field. Review the document “Essential Leadership Competencies” for an overview of the scope of effective leadership capabilities.

Reflection: Vision: Then, in 300-500 words, briefly articulate your vision for yourself as a leader 3-5 years from now. Where do you want to be? What kind of leader do you want to become?

Goals/Objectives: After you have stated your vision, create five to eight leadership goals/objectives you will strive to meet in the next 3-5 years. Try to formulate at least one goal/objective related to the four major leadership competencies included in “Essential Leadership Competencies”: self-leadership, leading others, leading an organization, and leadership as a vocation. Include a brief justification for each goal/objective to explain how it will help you achieve the qualities of professional excellence and integrity required of excellent leaders.

Plan: Specify activities you will engage in to achieve your goals/objectives. You may find it helpful to research professional development activities in your field or organization to determine what resources are available to you. Be specific about projects you will engage in either as student or as a professional and identify people in your life who can help you achieve your goals. Be sure to include a timeline of events. Finally, include a method for evaluating your professional development plan at regular intervals. What milestones will you include in your plan to help ensure its success? How will you use methods of self-reflection to assess your progress as you move towards your goals?