Leadership has often been described as both an art and a science. Having the ability to influence other's decisions is paramount in order to be considered a good leader by one's followers. Good leadership is a necessity in all facets of today's world and within its daily operations. Each specific leadership situation is also different in its own way. This specific and relative facet of this phenomenon makes this topic interesting and very deep with example and information. The purpose of this essay is to describe what specific attributes contribute to a successful leader. In order to fully understand this topic, it is necessary to divide the topic into three separate stages in order to properly put into context the many different ideas that can contribute to positive and successful leadership.
To me, leadership development occurs in three distinct steps. The first step is a base line understanding of one's own…...

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Works Cited

Bolden, R. Gosling, J. Marturano, A and Dennison, P. " A Review of Leadership Theory and Competency Frameworks" Centre for Leadership Studies University of Exeter June 2003. Web 4 June 2011.

Boje, David "Transformational Leadership" Transform Webpage 25 December 2000. Web 4 June 2011.

Fullan, Michael "Leadership for the 21st Century: Breaking the Bonds of Dependency" Educational Leadership Vol 55 #7 April 1998. Web 4 June 2011.

House, Robert et al. "Understanding cultures and implicit leadership theories across the globe: an introduction to project Globe" Journal of World Business 37 (2002) 3-10. Web 4 June 2011.

Community
The first question asks the author to provide an overview of community building practices as defined by the Kouzes and Posner text. The second question asks the author to identify three different cultures from countries than their own and how they establish and create a sense of community. The third question asks the author to give examples of leaders that are definitely or probably using Contingency Theory. Fourth, the author needs to provide an example of a culturally diverse work team that the author worked in and how the author promoted cohesiveness in that team. Finally, the author is asked to suggest specific actions that can be taken to implement a tangible and effective leadership approach.

Questions Answered

As for how a sense of community and overall community building practices are best implement and effected, the main headers of the relevant Kouzes chapter tells the story. In order, they are listed…...

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References

Babson. (2014, March 11). Contingency Theory. Contingency Theory. Retrieved March

11, 2014, from  http://faculty.babson.edu/krollag/org_site/encyclop/contingency.html 

Kouzes, J.M., & Posner, B.Z. (2012). The leadership challenge: how to make extraordinary things happen in organizations (5th ed.). San Francisco, CA:

Jossey-Bass.

Leadership: Enhancing Lessons Experience
According to Johnson, & Giorgis (2002), Leadership is the process in which an individual influences actions of others towards common goals, Formulates policies, strategies, and influence people towards achievement of the same strategies. Over the past decades, various changes in the world have led to various definitions of leadership. The fall of the Soviet Union, globalization and various advances have changed the world we knew. A woman in leadership positions is a new phenomenon; various leadership trainings are available, and leadership as a skill is now an asset for professionals. For African Universities to ensure knowledge transfer and observing millennium development goals, a good leadership structure is essential. A leader has exception skills and acts outrageously to situations (Padam, 2009).

Scholars have advanced various theories on leadership. Leaders' Individual personal attributes beat explains the trait theory, when one looks closely at Mahatma Gandhi and Hitler it is evident…...

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References

Johnson, N.J., & Giorgis, C. (2002). Leadership. The Reading Teacher, 56(3), 315-316. Retrieved from http:/ / proquest.com/docview/203276035

Padam, S. (2009). Leadership: Theory and practice. South Asian Journal of Management, 16(3), 136-137. Retrieved from http://.proquest.com/docview/222728386

Ilgen, D.R., Hollenbeck, J.R., Johnson, M., & Jundt, D. (2005). TEAMS IN ORGANIZATIONS: From input-process-output models to IMOI models. Annual Review of Psychology, 56, 517-543. Retrieved from  http://search.proquest.com/docview/205830055 

Hanson, K., & Leautier, F. (2011). Enhancing institutional leadership in african universities: Lessons from ACBS's interventions. World Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, 7(2), 385-417. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/20425961201000040

Leadership
The Role of Leadership in Excellence Initiatives

Leadership is often thought of as a quality that is innate to certain individuals, such as CEOs and Presidents who have demonstrated their tireless commitment to a specific cause. This belief is not entirely true, however, and must be examined so that what leadership entails can be fully understood. (Bennis, 2010) There are two theories of leadership, the trait theory and the process theory. The trait theory teaches that leadership 'resides' in people, and is based on a certain mixture of intelligence, extroversion, fluency, and even physical stature. The trait theory of leadership teaches that having these innate traits will directly contribute to one's ability to lead, and therefore the best leaders will combine the highest amount of these aforementioned traits. The process theory of leadership, however, teaches that leadership comes as a result the interactions of individuals in a group. The process theory…...

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Work Cited

Bennis, Warren. (2010). Concepts of Leadership. Retrieved September 21, .

Myatt, M. (2012). A Leadership Job Description. Forbes Magazine. Retrieved September 21, .

No Author. (2012). A Definition of Leadership. Oxford University. Retrieved September 21, .

No Author. (2012). Our Definition of leadership. The Teal Trust. Retrieved September 21, .

Leadership Application
Effective leadership has a big role to play when it comes to the life and success of any organization. Leadership normally transforms what is potential into a reality. Leadership is therefore the successful act that brings success to all of the potent potential that is in an organization as well as its people. Each day there are new paradigms that are proposed and at the same time the old ones are loosing their effectiveness. Leadership is therefore a major way through which people normally change the minds of other people and steer forward towards the accomplishment of the goals that have been identified within an organization. Organizations need leaders so as to orient and make new employees familiar with how things go about in the organization.in this case George Latour is making attempts of leading and coaching a new employee into the organization, Sherry Stern. However the relationship between…...

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References

Fryer, B., Goodnight, J., Goulston, M., Lawrie, J.M. & Chappelow, C. (2004). The Micromanager. Harvard Business Review, 82(9), 31-39.

Chambers, H. (2005, Summer). Surviving the Micromanager. How to Succeed with Away Boss. Canadian Manager, 30(2), 24-25.

Simonton B.(2010). Good Leadership vs. Bad Leadership. Retrieved April 10, 2014 from  http://www.bensimonton.com/good-vs.-bad-leadership.html#.U0evb8uLrFw 

Benincasa R.(2007). 6 Leadership Styles, And When You Should Use Them. Retrieved April 10,2014 from  http://www.fastcompany.com/1838481/6-leadership-styles-and-when-you-should-use-them

Leadership is a term that can mean many things to many people in many situations. It can refer to a sergeant in the U.S. Army leading his men through minefields to track down enemy combatants in Afghanistan. It can mean the fastest car in a NASCAR race and it can allude to the young man in a Sunday School class who takes over competently when the regular teacher is unable to be present.
When discussing leadership it is helpful to use examples of people who showed leadership in various ways. The best-selling book by Michael Abrashoff (It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy) offers a wonderful glimpse into how a captain took over a Navy ship that was ranked very low in its capabilities because of a number of serious problems with personnel, with equipment, and obviously with leadership.

In Abrashoff's book the author reviews the…...

Leadership
Exercise 3-3

This week, maybe not my most charismatic week to be honest. There are definitely times when I can turn on the charm and be very charismatic, but this week I don't think I've excelled in this regard. I think that I should pay attention to opportunities to be charismatic because this is a skill that can be developed. Since I know that I have it in me to be this way, I figure that I should probably cultivate this skill a little more, because that will help me to be a better leader.

I think back to a recent trip I took. I was able to get a free seat upgrade just by asking, and when I met people I was able to impress them right away, gain their confidence and talk business effectively. I got a lot out of that trip in that regard, just be being at the…...

He projects a persona of trustworthiness, likability and brilliance that even his harshest critics admire. But a multiplicity of goals does not always make for a sense of coherent mission, and this sense of mission is required to sustain as well as initiate major changes. One of Obama's most-admired historical figures was Abraham Lincoln and: "Lincoln united his followers with a 'corporate mission' of preserving the Union and abolishing slavery, and this objective became more firm and resolute with the onslaught of the Civil War" (Lewis 2009). Of course, Lincoln had the advantage of having a single crisis to deal with -- Obama has many, spanning from healthcare, to the environment, to the financial crisis, to two wars. Creating a coherent philosophy to unite his ambitious, compassionate social objectives and the need for strong action on terror is no easy feat.
As a leader, Obama's greatest strength is his ability…...

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References

Finn, Christine & Sarah Baxter. (2008, November 23). Long-range love of Obama's absent mother. The Times. Retrieved July 11, 2010 at  http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article5213328.ece 

Lebovitch, Marge. (2010, February 29). Missing element in Obama's ties with GOP leaders.

Retrieved July 11, 2010 at  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/us/politics/25chemistry.html?scp=1&sq=Obama%20personality&st=cse 

Lander, Mark. (2010, June 24). Short, tense deliberation, then a general is gone.

Most conclusions on this approach were vague or indecisive in terms of social, psychological or mental significance (ice, 1978, 1981; Graen et al., 1972; Ashour, 1973).
Furthermore, over the years, many scholars have come to the realization that leadership is situational and hence there are many realistic settings like the environment, the employees, the resources, etc. that determine the characteristics needed in a leader as well as his/her business approach (Hershey and Blanchard, 1977, 1984). This is why it is important to first understand the different types of scenarios that a leader can face and then use those scenarios as the foundation on which most leadership techniques and approaches are built. This idea of leadership being situational is very helpful in outlining the methods through which leadership can be developed and has taken up a good part of the last three-decade of research (Mckenna, Boyd and Yost, 2007).

There were many…...

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References

Adler, a. (1946). Understanding human nature. New York: Permabooks.

Ashour, a.S. (1973). The Contingency Model of Leadership Effectiveness: An Evaluation. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 9: 335-76.

Bandura, a. (1997). Self-efficacy. The Exercise of Control. New York: W.H. Freeman. (Bass, B.M. 1985). Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectations. New York: The Free Press.

Bennis, W., and B. Nanus. (1985). Leaders. New York: Harper and Row.

Leadership Qualifications in the orkplace
Quintessential Leader

Proposed Leadership Model

For eras there have been people and leaders have discussed what the qualifications that make a great leader are. Leadership travels all the way back to the period of the ancient Greeks. In the 1500's, there was an Italian statesman named Niccolo Machiavelli, who wrote The Prince, and in this book he talked about the different methods for leaders to use in obtaining power (Leadership 2003). This all led to the current events dating to the early 1900's and what has been used and developed in today's society. There are a lot of theories of what a leader in the workplace should have and the idea that leaders during history have been people who were seen or looked up to as leaders and deeply appreciated. As people say "There are those that lead and those that follow." An individual with excellent leadership skills…...

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Works Cited

Akinboye, J., 2005. Executive behaviour battery. Ibadan: Stirling-Horden Publishers.

Borman, W., 2004. The concept of organizational citizenship. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13(6), p. 238 -- 241.

Cameron, J.D.E.K.R. & R.R., 2001. Extrinsic rewards and intrinsic: Reconsidered once again.. Review of Educational Research, pp. 30-54.

Charlton, G., 2000. Human Habits of Highly Effective Organisations.. Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers.

Leadership
At the core of leadership is the interaction between the leader and the follower. Much of leadership theory can be understood in terms of how leaders and followers interact and what the underlying assumptions are with respect to the roles and nature of leadership. Because of the many different types of leaders, and successful examples thereof, leadership scholarship has developed multiple branches that seek to explain leadership, but no one branch has yet proved definitive. Instead of understanding leadership through a single paradigm, and it better to understand it in terms of multiple paradigms, and different leadership theories can be applied to the same situation, and any given leader might apply multiple leadership styles at the same time.

Part of the appeal of leadership scholarship is that it encompasses so many unique academic disciplines. Leadership scholarship began life as in business schools but has been studied in the psychological and sociological…...

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References

Avolio, B., Walumbwa, F. & Weber, T. (2009). Leadership: Current theories, research and future directions. Annual Review of Psychology. Vol. 60 (2009) 421-449.

Boyatzis, R., Smith, M., & Blaize, N. (2006). Developing sustainable leaders through coaching and compassion. Academy of Management Learning & Education. Vol. 5 (1) 8-24.

Falk, S. & Rogers, S. (2011). Junior military officer retention: Challenges & opportunities. Harvard University. In possession of the author.

Kocolowski, M. (2010). Shared leadership: Is it time for a change? Emerging Leadership Journeys. Vol. 3 (1) 22-32.

y providing 'Role clarity' formalization eliminates the confusion pertaining to 'who does what' in an organization. Formalization also results in 'specialization of tasks'. Formalization is a process by which organizations try to standardize employee behavior. Larger organizations are generally more formalized due to greater manageability.
The downside of formalizing is well-known. If an organization wants to implement formalization it would be met with resistance. Managing employee resistance will be a big problem for managers who attempt to standardize work procedures. Employees in a formalized organization strictly perform the duties allotted to them and not more which causes a serious effect on the productivity. The lack of initiative by workers and the consequent loss of productivity and increased operating costs imply a loss of competitive advantage. Also, the one sided bureaucracy witnessed in a formal organization may in some instances lead to opportunistic behaviors by leaders resulting in misuse of power.…...

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Bibliography

1) Anita Hall, (March 2007), 'Influence: The Essence of Leadership', Retrieved Aug 17th 2009, from,  http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/live/g1695/build/g1695.pdf 

2) California State University, 'Influence Tactics', Retrieved Aug 17th 2009, from, [HIDDEN]

tactics are most likely to change followers' attitude?

3) Kotterman, James, (July 2006), 'Leadership vs. Management: What's the Difference?', Journal for Quality and Participation,

By the same token, by not having any specific policy implications, servant leadership theory does not expressly reject the transformational, situational or results-focused ideas of leadership. It is merely an adjunct to these theories, and is mostly useful for deciding on whether or not somebody should become a leader in the first place.
Situational Leadership and Results-Focused Leadership

These two leadership theories are opposed to one another, but they share the same philosophical underpinnings. The underlying theory of each of these leadership styles is that the leadership style is flexible, and the best leaders have the ability to utilize different styles and techniques depending on the needs of the day. here the two differ is in the understanding of the most important determinant of leadership style. Situational leadership theory argues that leaders need to adapt to the different circumstances, changing their style to suit the challenges with which they are faced.…...

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Works Cited:

The transformational leader- N.M. Tichy and M.A. Devanna ( 1990)

Servant Leadership- Robert Greenleaf

Leadership in organization - G. Yuki (2006)

According to Blass, et al., writing in Human Resources Management, the best way to acquire political skills, is through the mentoring process. The inexperienced individual who has a desire to become a leader in the HR field must have a mentor who is "…armed with organizational experience" that is borne of "vicarious and firsthand experience" and is willing to share "insights and cues with proteges on what it takes to be successful in the organization" (Blass, et al., 2007, p. 6). Mentors must be able to have an "adaptive capacity" to teach the political skills necessary to lead, Blass continues.
Politically skilled individuals generally possess "greater adaptive capacity," Blass continues, which can result in "positive and strong leader reputation" (p. 6). Moreover, Blass argues that individuals with well-honed political skills gain "influence" because they are socially astute, have learned adaptability, and adjust behaviors "to meet situational demands" (p. 11).

A third…...

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Works Cited

Blass, Fred R. And Ferris, Gerald R. (2007). Leader Reputation: The Role of Mentoring, Political

Skill, Contextual Learning, and Adaptation. Human Resource Management, 46(1), 5-19.

Choo, Ho Geok. (2007). Leadership and the Workforce in Singapore: Evaluations by the Singapore Human Resources Institute. Research and Practice in Human Resource

Management, 15(2), 104-114.

Though there has been a strong correlation shown between the possession of certain key traits and effective leadership, no trait (or combination of traits) guarantees good leadership. More importantly, effective leadership does not really depend upon specific character traits so much as specific choices. The personality traits that can lead to good leadership tend to be those that allow for decisive and informed decisions based on the needs of the group or organization being led; charisma is certainly not among these, and the traits themselves are secondary to the decisions they lead to, regardless (Kirkpatrick & Locke 1991). Charisma no more makes a leader than attractiveness or another physical attribute.
Going back to charisma specifically, some have questioned whether the use of charisma as an enhancement to leadership -- or at least a tool of persuasion used by one in authority -- is even an ethical way to lead. In…...

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References

Elliott, M. (2009). "No charisma? Don't worry, you can still be a leader." Time. Accessed 29 January 2010.  http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1909616-3,00.html 

Howell, J. & Avolio, B. (1992). "The ethics of charismatic leadership." Academy of management executive 6(2), pp. 43-54.

Kirkpatrick, S. & Locke, E. (1991). "Leadership: Do Traits Matter?" The Executive 5(2), pp. 48-60

Nye, J. (2008). "Charisma and leadership." Accessed 29 January 2010,  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joseph-nye/charisma-and-leadership_b_99466.html