Effective Leadership

Effective Leadership– Instructions

Overview:

Write an essay detailing a selected individual’s leadership style and approaches in relationship to his or her communication, using and applying various leadership methods and theories.

• • Competency: Analyze business communication situations.

• Analyze a leader’s methods of influence.

• Competency: Analyze the interrelationships of communication within organizational systems.
  • Apply theories related to leadership styles to describe a leader’s communication.
  • Analyze a leader’s communication from a situational leadership perspective.
  • Describe a leader’s use of power bases in relationship to a leader’s communication.
• Competency: Communicate effectively.
  • Consistently apply appropriate APA style and formatting.

Context:

This assessment focuses on the ever evolving topics of organizational leadership and effective communication competencies:

• • Who are the truly influential leaders in our organizations and personal lives?
  • How do we each individually define leadership and how did we come to our current level of understanding?

Modern thought holds that true leadership versus management occurs when followers willingly choose to follow their leader out of a belief in their ability to manifest a well communicated mission, goal or outcome. Hamel and Prahalad (1996) write, “The role of leader as forecaster is to articulate a future so full of exciting possibilities that no one will be able to rest until it is achieved” (p. 186).

According to Farren and Kaye (1996), “Leaders are bridges that connect people to the future. They include others’ visions in their own, building alliances and partnerships based on shared aspirations” (p. 187). True leadership results in shared realities and a sense of trust!

In addition, it has been suggested that potential followers engage in both conscious and unconscious evaluations of a potential leader, but they will only follow and strive to perform at their full potential if they believe this leader to be credible. To help support this theory, Bornstein and Smith (1996) have identified what they consider to be the Six Cs of Leadership Credibility:

• • Conviction: The passion and commitment the person demonstrates toward his or her vision.
  • Character: Consistent demonstration of integrity, honesty, respect, and trust.
  • Care: Demonstration of concern for the personal and professional well-being of others.
  • Courage: Willingness to stand up for one’s beliefs, challenge others, admit mistakes, and change one’s behavior when necessary.
  • Composure: Consistent display of appropriate emotional reactions, particularly in tough or crisis situations.
  • Competence: Proficiency in hard skills, such as technical, functional, and content expertise skills, and soft skills, such as interpersonal, communication, team, and organizational skills (pp. 283–284).

We all act as both leaders and followers within our families, at work, and in our social lives. Take some time reflect upon our own beliefs and competencies in regard to leadership and communication.

References

Hesselbein, F., Goldmith, M., &Beckhard, R. (Eds.). (1996). The leader of the future: New visions, strategies, and practice for the next era. New York, NY: Jossey-Bass.

Farren, C., & Kaye, B. L. (1996).New skills for new leadership roles. In F. Hesselbein, M. Goldsmith, & R. Beckhard (Eds.), The leader of the future: New visions, strategies, and practice for the next era (pp. 175-188). New York, NY: Jossey-Bass.

Hamel, G., &Prahalad, C. K. (1996). In F. Hesselbein, M. Goldsmith, & R. Beckhard (Eds.), The leader of the future: New visions, strategies, and practice for the next era (p. 186). New York, NY: Jossey-Bass.

Bornstein, S. M., & Smith, A. F. (1996). In F. Hesselbein, M. Goldsmith, & R. Beckhard (Eds.), The leader of the future: new visions, strategies, and practice for the next era (pp. 281–292). New York, NY: Jossey-Bass.

Suggested Resources:

• • MindTools. (2013). The Blake Mouton managerial grid. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_73.htm
  • MindTools. (2013). The Hersey Blanchard situational leadership theory. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_44.htm
  • Manage Train Learn. (2013). Tannenbaum and Schmidt’s continuum. Retrieved from

Instructions:

Complete the following:

• • Choose an individual who you know personally and consider to be an effective leader. This person may be someone you have worked for or with or have been in contact with through organizations in the community.
  • Research the various leadership theories and methods referenced in the Suggested Resources (Above Section).
  • Write an essay detailing the selected individual’s leadership style and approaches in relationship to his or her communication through the following:

• Use Charles Handy’s six methods of influence to analyze how the leader influences others.
• Apply different theories related to leadership styles to describe the leader’s communication.
  • Describe which of Goleman’s six leadership styles best fits the leader.
  • Identify the leader’s position on the Tannenbaum-Schmidt leadership continuum.
  • Analyze the leader’s place in the Blake and Mouton Managerial Grid.
• Analyze the leader’s communication using Hersey and Blanchard’s situational leadership theory.
• Using French and Raven’s description of five leadership power types, explain how the leader communicates.

Additional Requirements

• Written communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message.
• APA formatting: Resources and citations are formatted according to APA (6th ed.) style and formatting. Include a properly formatted title page and references page.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.

Last Updated on April 13, 2019