Fundamentals of Leadership 1.2
Write 2–3 pages to support a job application in which you provide your definition of leadership, how it can positively impact an organization, and how it’s different from management.
In the 21st century, the study of leadership is multidisciplinary, with contributions from the fields of history, philosophy, psychology, political science, business, and education (Northouse, 2007). There are almost as many definitions of leadership as there are people who have tried to define it. Although we intuitively know what the word means, it has different meaning for different people. Manning and Curtis (2012) explained, “Leadership is social influence. It means leaving a mark. It is initiating and guiding, and the result is change” (p. 2).
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Questions to Consider
As you prepare to complete this assessment, you may want to think about other related issues to deepen your understanding or broaden your viewpoint. You are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of your professional community. Note that these questions are for your own development and exploration and do not need to be completed or submitted as part of your assessment.
How do effective leaders model behavior for others?
Is it possible to model leadership outside of the workplace?
For this assessment, consider that you are a successful middle manager in an organization that has an executive level position open. The human resources department is leading an internal search for that opening and considers leadership strengths as key to the position. As part of the application process for candidates interested in the opening, they asked each candidate to submit a short paper explaining the candidate’s views of leadership.
To complete your paper, research the definition of leadership and consider how the definitions you find match your own ideas of what leadership means. The organization’s HR department indicated the paper should be around 2–3 pages. They also provided the following outline to use in preparing the paper:
Create a definition of leadership and support it with examples.
Analyze how leadership can positively impact an organization and provide supporting examples.
Develop and analyze a personal strategy to develop leadership skills, including why you think it is effective.
Explain your personal strategy to develop leadership skills.
Create a definition of management and support it with examples.
Compare and contrast the differences between leadership and management.
Based on the intended audience, your summary should be well organized and written in clear, succinct language. Follow APA rules for attributing sources that support your analysis and conclusions.
