Leadership Styles and Their Effectiveness Essay

Peer Editor: Faculty: Certification of Authorship:I certify that I am the author of this paper and that any assistance I recieved in its preparation is fully acknowledged and disclosed in this paper.I also have citedd any sources from which I used data,ideas,or words,either quoted directly or parapharased.I certify that this paper was prepared by me espcifically for the purpose of this assignment,as directed. Praxis II Leadership Styles and Their Effectiveness Ike Hall EDAD-8021 Pro-seminar Leading Community Practice Dr.Duhon Praxis Paper Submitted Feburary 24,2008 in Partial Fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education (ED.D.) Leadership Styles and Their Effectiveness Introduction The late Harold Geneen, man behind the success of the International Telephone and Telegraph Corp. (ITT), once said â€Å"Leadership cannot really be taught. It can only be learned’. Essentially leadership is always tied to the individual who takes on the role. Throughout history, many great leaders emerged. They brought with them either positive or negative influence. They are considered great leaders because of their undeniable contribution in shaping the events of time. But what in their leadership style makes them great? There are many definitions of leadership however usually it is defined by the results it produces, both in the situation and the people under it. More commonly leadership is defined as the influence of one over those he leads (Clark 2007). There are many facets to leadership. In fact it is one of the most studied subjects around. Many researches have been conducted to tap it. Many programs have been designed to enhance it. Many individuals seek it. And many scholars have tried to explain it. One of the most common inferences of leadership is that leaders are made not born (Clark 2005). This paper will try to identify what makes a great leader. By studying the different styles of leadership, it aims to present a more concrete explanation of the subject. Going through the merits of the different styles will essentially broaden understanding. By assessing the different points of leadership, a clearer picture of its influence, particularly in the school setting will be achieved. While leadership remains subjective and relative (Bittel, 1989) this paper will seek to create a more objective view of the subject. It will expose its most important components. It will present a few of its tested formulae. By doing so, it will identify what are essential to becoming an effective leader today. Evidence from Literature A great number of books have been written on leadership. Experts have been very generous in sharing their thoughts about it. In fact, in the last 30 years alone there has been an influx of experts in the subject. No matter how it is explained, or what terms are used to describe it, the view on leadership remains essentially the same. Even John Maxwell, arguably the most popular expert in leadership summarizes it as simply the influence of one over others (1998). Not surprising, experts bring with them different views on leadership. They also encourage people to subscribe to their own brand or style of leading. However while there seems to be a whole lot of choices, leadership style can very well be broken down into three (Goodworth 1988) general classifications. These are Autocratic, Laissez Faire and Democratic (Vaccio 1988). Autocratic or Authoritarian Leadership is defined as one that dominates (Bittel 1989). Its most common attribute is the all-encompassing rule over team members or followers. Most likely Autocratic Leaders will not admit they are. However, the reality of it is that it is the easiest and most common style in leadership. It is so common that usually individuals adapt to it more quickly. Even though this style is viewed as abrasive and often times unproductive as it stirs team members or followers toward passive resistance, it can be highly effective in situations requiring urgent action. The greatest dictators of history all possess autocratic leadership characteristics that they maximized to propel them to infamous success. One of the most obvious evidences of this particular style is it takes advantage of the weaknesses of team members or followers in every situation. While the Autocratic Leadership suppresses input of team members or followers, it is entire the opposite in Laissez Faire Leadership. Also named as Free Reign (Goodworth 1988), this particular style places decision-making on the hands of the team members or followers. It is described as having very little involvement from the leader. It gives little direction and motivation. This leadership style is ideal only in groups composed of individuals who are highly motivated with great initiative. Laissez Faire Leaders totally empower their members to achieve goals. It is important that the members are therefore worthy of empowerment. The third style is the Democratic Leadership. It is also referred to as Participative (Clark 2007). The Democratic Leader consults with team members or followers in decision-making without relinquishing control over the team. Participation is encouraged, hence the name. Similar to Laissez Faire, Democratic Leadership empowers members as well. The distinct difference between the two is that Democratic Leadership has more leader involvement. Although the team members and followers are given an active role in decision-making, final judgment still remains with the leader. The three general classifications otherwise known as leadership styles are very different from one another. Each has a set of good and bad points that makes them distinct. However no matter how different they are, they all define leadership the same way. Leadership is influence. This is one irrefutable fact of leadership that experts agree on. Critical Analysis It was mentioned in previous paragraphs that leadership is relative (Maxwell 1998). Its effectiveness depends on the individual who takes on the role. Each style of leadership offers up both positive and negative traits. Each is ideal in certain situations. Each has the capacity to achieve success. In a school set-up, leadership is often a combination of the three classifications. This is not an ideal practice however this is probably the most common. In many instances teacher and student have an autocratic relationship. Teacher speaks and students listen. Teachers give instructions and students follow. This practice however is slowly becoming old-school. Today, teachers and students have a free exchange of ideas. In fact there are times that teachers allow students to take control of discussions. Particularly in school teams, coaches are often accused of allowing their team to have a free reign during games. The trust level is so high that empowerment is effortless. Democratic style of leadership is one which is commonly desired. An open sharing of views and balanced decision-making are often claimed. In the school setting this style of leadership is evident in organizations. Teachers and students are leveled with each other. The school paper is the best example of this kind of leadership. Although teachers hold the final decisions in publications, students are given the opportunity to bring their point across without fear of being shut-down. School is the best place to exercise leadership. There are so many opportunities to try out different styles, put them together to create a more stable form. Schools encourage leadership. Exposure to the different styles allows students to decipher for themselves which are suitable for certain situations. Conclusion It has been mentioned time and again that leadership is influence. The school is an ideal place to hone leadership potentials of individuals. In other words, the school provides an opportunity for individuals to acquire skills in influencing others. Leadership style will always be relative to the individual. Even experts agree to this with their different takes on leadership. However in all the study of leadership one thing remains. No one leadership style is generic (Clark 2005) enough to be applicable in all situations and all individuals. There will always be a need to put two or three different styles to make it work. References Bittel, L. (1989). ‘The McGraw-Hill 36-hour management course’. US: McGraw-Hill. Clark, D. (2005). ‘Leadership styles’. Retrieved on February 17, 2008 from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadstl.html Clark, D. (2007). ‘Concepts of leadership’. Retrieved on February 18, 2008 from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadcon.html Goodworth, C. (1988). ‘The secrets of successful leadership and people management’. US: Heimann Professional Publishing Maxwell, J. (1998). ’21 irrefutable laws of leadership’. US: Thomas Nelson Publishing. Veccio, R. (1988). ‘Original behavior’. US: Dryden Press

A Street Car Names Desire Essay

A Street Car Named Desire deals with a culture clash between the Old South’s â€Å"plantation† mentality (priding itself on false pretenses) and the New South’s relatively uncivilized, yet real, grip on reality. The two characters who come to represent this tension are Blanche and Stanley Kowalski. Blanche advertises herself as a champion of â€Å"Southern Honor. † This entails an unfaltering dedication to virtue and culture. These are not, however, driving factors in her life but only mask her alcoholism and delusions of grandeur. By contrast, Stanley is an industrial worker who acts on habit and structure. Tennessee Williams juxtaposes illusion and reality by depicting the antagonistic relationship between the two by consistently employing symbolism. Blanche is constantly escaping the realities of life by retreating into her own fabrications. Her plummet into a delusional world begins when her beloved husband reveals himself to be gay and, soon after, shoots himself. She falls into a spiral of affairs after this event in a search to find emotional satisfaction and to reaffirm her womanhood. She ignores the obvious detrimental effect of her intimacies because all she wants is to be happy again: to be loved. Blanche physically escapes the reality of her life by leaving Belle Reve and Laurel to go to her sister’s home in New Orleans. Here, she misrepresents who she is and enters another relationship where she recreates her identity. When confronted about her lies, Blanche explains that she lies because she refuses to accept the hand fate has dealt her: I don’t want realism. I want magic! Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I don’t tell truth, I tell what ought to be truth. And if that is sinful, then let me be damned for it! (Williams, 34) Lying to herself and to others allows her to make life appear as she thinks it should be rather than as it is. Her final, deluded happiness (as her sister and Stanley commit her to an insane asylum) shows her acceptance that illusion is an adequate reality, but it also shows reality’s inevitable triumph. The driving force of reality, embodied by Stanley Kowalski, quickly dismantles all the falsities Blanche comes to represent. He is a practical man firmly grounded in the physical world who disdains fabrications. He finds meaning only in the primitive and straightforward: â€Å"There’s something downright bestial about him! †¦ He acts like an animal, has animal’s habits! †¦ Yes, something ape-like about him† (71). An animal would not create an alternate reality for a situation but would act according to the real, harshness of life in order to ensure its own survival. Stanley’s animal habits can be looked at as an appreciation only for tangible truths. In the end, Stanley succeeds in debunking all the false images Blanche created about herself. He goes out of his way to reveal Blanche’s past and then flaunts it in a crude, insensitive way: â€Å"Take a look at yourself here in a worn-out Mardi Gras outfit, rented for 50 cents from some rag-picker†¦ Do you know that I’ve been on to you from the start, and not once did you pull the wool over this boy’s eyes?†¦ Ha ha! Do you hear me? Ha ha ha† (67). Stanley again asserts his bestial tendency, but this time to show his dominance. When he proceeds to physically rape her, he metaphorically strips her of the false reality she created. Williams uses symbolism to show that Blanche is trapped in a life of delusion. The Varsouviana Polka and the use of light are reoccurring symbols that elude to her disconnect with reality. The Polka is the music that played the night her husband committed suicide. Blanche says that it ends only after she hears the sound of a gunshot in her head. It plays at various points in the play, symbolising this event that triggered her mental decline. Whenever a situation gets too â€Å"real,† Blanche firmly believes she hears the Varsouviana, panics, and looses her grip on reality. Also, throughout the play, Blanche avoids appearing in direct, bright light, especially in front of Mitch: â€Å"And turn that over-light off! Turn that off! I won’t be looked at in this merciless glare†(45). It is clear she avoids the lights in efforts to conceal the reality of her age and fading beauty. Symbolically, Blanche avoids light in order to prevent Mitch from seeing her for who she is. She, once again, retreats into her own world of illusion. Blanche is never able to be looked at â€Å"in the light† and exposed. She never faces reality. Both Stanley and Blanche have a hard time relating to the other gender without sexual implications. The difference is that Stanley is upfront about this â€Å"animalistic† behavior towards women, while Blanche tries to paint herself as above the primitive nature of her sexual impulses. We can call one approach realistic and the other delusional, but it doesn’t change the fact that both characters approach interactions in a sexual way. What does this say about the nature of what is real and what isn’t? Williams seems to draw an ambiguous line. This implies that reality and illusions coexist in our lives, and what we choose to label our views and actions is just a matter of perspective.

What were the causes of the Russian Revolution in March 1917 essays

What were the causes of the Russian Revolution in March 1917 essays In March 1917 Russia was an autocracy, a political system favouring unlimited authority by a single individual. It was the crucial events that took place during this period of history that would change many peoples lives. It was the uniting of the peasants, workers, and middle class with the Tsars own army and the many other long-term reasons such as the lack of real change after 1905 revolutions. It was inevitable that Russia was to go the way it did. There are many short and long term reasons for the revolution in March 1917, which we will examine. One of the long-term causes of the revolution in 1917 was that there were poor conditions for the workers in the towns because the peasants who worked in the factories mainly came in the winter. This was because it was the time of the year when it was hard for them to make money out of their land. This meant there was no permanent housing made for them and they mainly slept in the street. Foreigners started most of the industry this was because the Tsar sent letters to people in Britain asking them to invest money in the factories, and this is exactly what they did. The foreigners treated the workers with no respect giving poor wages, no housing, and the government allowed this because they didnt want to upset them with reforms. This created an overall bad hygiene and sanitary in the streets. The peasants, who made up 75% of the population, had no chance of land ownership. A law had been passed that they couldnt buy land and so therefore had to form communes which made the peasants have no incentive as they would have to share the profits and many were apathetic because they didnt see the point in getting up early to work on the land when others did nothing. The conditions were also harsh, there was the grain tax, and abuse of alcohol because the farmers made their own alcohol from the potatoes that they most commonly grew on their land and so it became a...

Free Essays on Terroris, What America Is Doing

Americans are used to be oblivious to the fact that there are some people in the world that just can’t get over the fact that they hate others. Israel has been constantly attacked by a group that calls themselves the Palestinians for over 20 years (Corbin). Suicide bombers would terrorize the people of Israel for that last 15 years and no one in America could ever feel the pain the Israelis did suffer. Terrorist was an untouchable word in American society. ‘It won’t happen to us,’ was the mindset that most people had. Not one American was openly scared of chemical nuclear or biological warfare. ‘That is on their soil, the Middle East is too far from me.’ Ignorance was bliss false security was comfortable to the average American. As long as McDonalds was open and they could drive a gas guzzling car, the average American was a happy person. Well some people are mad because they do not like our fattening and unhealthy fast food chains and the gas there the Americans are so used to using run of their oil. This is what sparked a flame in one mans mind to have the united states attacked for their constant domination of their country. So, on September 11th there was a strike on American causing over 3600 people to die (Corbin). Americans clime innocence bit that is not what the radical groups see. Now terrorism is on the mind of every one in America and The American government is combating it head on. What exactly is terrorism anyway and how does America plan o attacking the problem? There seems to bee more then one problem and more then one way to attack it. Part of the job of the elected officials in America is to decide who is a threat and how they will be dealt with. Before any answer can be reach one thing had to be done in the fight agent terrorism. That is what exactly is terrorism and how do we measure the severity of the terrorist acts. There is not just one type of terrorism, there are several, none of witch really fal... Free Essays on Terroris, What America Is Doing Free Essays on Terroris, What America Is Doing Americans are used to be oblivious to the fact that there are some people in the world that just can’t get over the fact that they hate others. Israel has been constantly attacked by a group that calls themselves the Palestinians for over 20 years (Corbin). Suicide bombers would terrorize the people of Israel for that last 15 years and no one in America could ever feel the pain the Israelis did suffer. Terrorist was an untouchable word in American society. ‘It won’t happen to us,’ was the mindset that most people had. Not one American was openly scared of chemical nuclear or biological warfare. ‘That is on their soil, the Middle East is too far from me.’ Ignorance was bliss false security was comfortable to the average American. As long as McDonalds was open and they could drive a gas guzzling car, the average American was a happy person. Well some people are mad because they do not like our fattening and unhealthy fast food chains and the gas there the Americans are so used to using run of their oil. This is what sparked a flame in one mans mind to have the united states attacked for their constant domination of their country. So, on September 11th there was a strike on American causing over 3600 people to die (Corbin). Americans clime innocence bit that is not what the radical groups see. Now terrorism is on the mind of every one in America and The American government is combating it head on. What exactly is terrorism anyway and how does America plan o attacking the problem? There seems to bee more then one problem and more then one way to attack it. Part of the job of the elected officials in America is to decide who is a threat and how they will be dealt with. Before any answer can be reach one thing had to be done in the fight agent terrorism. That is what exactly is terrorism and how do we measure the severity of the terrorist acts. There is not just one type of terrorism, there are several, none of witch really fal...

Why Burning Money Is Illegal in the United States

Why Burning Money Is Illegal in the United States If you have money to burn, congratulations- but youd better not actually set fire to a pile of cash. Burning money is illegal in the United States and is  punishable by up to 10 years in prison, not to mention fines. (More fun facts: Its also illegal to tear a dollar bill and even flatten a penny  under the weight of a locomotive on the railroad tracks.) The laws making defacing and debasing currency a crime have their roots in the federal governments use of precious metals to mint coins. Criminals were known to file down or cut off portions of those coins and keep the slivers for themselves while spending the altered currency. The odds of being prosecuted under the federal laws that making burning money or defacing coins, however, are fairly slim. First, coins now contain very little precious metals. Second, defacing printed currency in an act of protest is often compared to burning the American flag. That is to say, burning money may be considered protected speech under the U.S. Constitutions First Amendment. What the Law Says About Burning Money The section of federal law that makes tearing up or burning money a crime is  Title 18, Section 333, which was passed in 1948 and reads: Whoever mutilates, cuts, defaces, disfigures, or perforates, or unites or cements together, or does any other thing to any bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt issued by any national banking association, or Federal Reserve bank, or the Federal Reserve System, with intent to render such bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt unfit to be reissued, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both. What the Law Says About Mutilating Coins The section of federal law that makes mutilating coins a crime is Title 18, Section 331, which reads: Whoever fraudulently alters, defaces, mutilates, impairs, diminishes, falsifies, scales, or lightens any of the coins coined at the mints of the United States, or any foreign coins which are by law made current or are in actual use or circulation as money within the United States; or whoever fraudulently possesses, passes, utters, publishes, or sells, or attempts to pass, utter, publish, or sell, or brings into the United States, any such coin, knowing the same to be altered, defaced, mutilated, impaired, diminished, falsified, scaled, or lightened shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. A separate section of Title 18 makes it illegal to debase coins minted by the U.S. government, meaning to shave some of the metal off and make the money less valuable. That crime is punishable by fines and up to 10 years in prison. Prosecutions Are Rare for Mutilating Currency Its pretty rare for someone to be arrested and charged with defiling or debased U.S. currency. Even those penny press machines found at arcades and some seashore attractions are in compliance with the law because theyre used to create souvenirs and not to debase or shave metal off the coin for profit or fraud. Perhaps the highest profile case of currency mutilation dates to 1963. An 18-year-old U.S. Marine named Ronald Lee Foster was convicted of whittling away the edges of pennies and spending the 1 cent coins as dimes in vending machines. Foster had been sentenced to a year of probation and $20, but more seriously the conviction prevented him from being able to get a gun license. Foster made national news in 2010 when President Barack Obama pardoned him.

An Overall Analysis of Various Aspects of Islam Research Paper - 1

An Overall Analysis of Various Aspects of Islam - Research Paper Example Unlike Islam as a set of beliefs Hinduism is a collection of different intellectual or idealistic points of view, as Gavin Flood says in this regard that it does not have "unified system of belief encoded in declaration of faith or a creed" (Flood 34). In spite of Hinduism’s numerous traditions and versions including Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Srauta, a common philosophy of Hinduism is founded on the concepts of â€Å"karma, dharma, and societal norms† (Georgis 62) The Islamic faith in the oneness of God fundamentally originates from the Holy book, Quran, which the Muslim believes to be direct revelation or guidance of God descended upon Prophet Muhammad. Etymological Roots of Islam and Hinduism The term â€Å"Islam† derives from the root ‘salaam’ or ‘s-l-m’, where the term â€Å"Hindu† has its root in the word ‘Sindhu’ a local Sanskrit appellation, of the Indus River. Indeed the word, â€Å"Hindu† was incorpora ted in English from the Arabic term â€Å"Al Hind† used to refer to the Indian Subcontinent and the people living in this area. Later the term â€Å"Al-Hind† gets changed into Persian articulation as ‘Hindu’. On the other hand, the etymological root of Islam literally means ‘wholeness and completion’. But a number of other Islamic scholars consent that Islam as a religion has a broader meaning, â€Å"submission to the will of God†. ... But drawing references to the textual evidences in the holy Quran, scholars claim that Islam begins from the birth of Adam, the first man and prophet of Islam. In this way, Abrahamic religions are supposed to be the ancient versions, of Islam, which God Himself annulled because the distortions of His message brought about man. (Nasr 45) But other scholars believe that since God has repealed other religions as well as other versions such as Christianity (the religion preached by Zesu, a prophet of high respect in Islam), Judaism (preached by Moses, another revered prophet) and other religions, the real Islam for modern people is to be considered the one that Muhammad founded in the Seventh Century in Arab peninsula. Unlike Islam’s self-acclamation about its origin in Adam’s the first man’s age, the religious texts o Hinduism do not verify its origin. Rather anthropological researches show that the origin of Hinduism in India dates back to a period between 5500BCE and 2600BCE, commonly known as the late Neolithic age (Thapar 77). Indeed from this period up 500BCE Hinduism prevails as a Vedic religion depending on the religious texts called Vedas. The Vedas is a collection of several versions, of which the Oldest is the Rig Veda. The Vedas advocates the worship of gods such as Agni, Indra, and Varuna. This Vedic religion had undergone lots of changes over the century before the modern Hinduism emerged after the Muslim conquest of India in the early seventh century. Along the protracted path of addition, inclusion and reduction, the early first century texts Ramayana and Mahabharata began to be influential in this religion. Beliefs in

Imperialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Imperialism - Essay Example A positive outcome is seen in one document entitled "Modern Progressive nations,† this file shows what larger nations gave to smaller colonies. The nations constructed roads, canals, and railways for them. Exposed telegraph and the newspaper to them, established educational facilities for them, shared with them the sanctification of their civilization, and generally made them economized. After this happened, they belonged to modern culture. Another affirmative effect is realized in document three known as "Colonial Governments and Missionaries.† It expresses the way in which the colonial governments presented improved medical precaution and better techniques of sanitation. Then new crops were introduced; tools and farming skills, which boasted the rise of food production. Such changes meant few mortality rates were experienced and also an overall improvement on the state of living was seen in those smaller colonies. They could now live longer and experience better sanitat ion related to former imperialism. The Great War for equality just as how Hitler viewed and referred it as the Great War for fascism, is being battled out in Africa as viciously as anywhere else. This is not only a problem of strategy. The opposing imperialism's need Africa, just for the sake of the continent, a point in which the Democratic propagandists discount with the Olympian sublimity of complete hypocrisy or complete ignorance. Hitler says plainly that he desires his living spaced. But allow that to pass. What we need to do is to state some few facts concerning Africa, its role in imperialist frugality, then its future in a socialist domain. One major issue is the world market in which capitalism has by far created that we shall forcefully find ourselves tackling fundamental problems of the current society and the answer of the permanent calamity not just in Africa but the entire world. Until the year 1914, the British bourgeoisie did not have any slight idea of the revolutionary ferocity which capitalism was harboring in its bosom, especially in the colonies. One obscure Russian radical exile named Lenin inscribed confidently the issues about the inevitable occurrence of the proletariat who were in India and also China, as some of the leaders in theemerging nationalist revolutions. In contrast, neither world publicist nor British politician worried about that. It is practically valuable to re-read what some of these wise people of thirty years ago always