Leadership Style Essay

Effective leadership is contingent on matching a leader’s style to a setting that fits (Northouse, 2007). According to Fiedler’s Contingency Theory, leadership styles are operationalized primarily on two ends of a spectrum, they are characterized as task motivated, or relationship motivated (Northouse, 2007). I believe in the adage that practice makes perfect. In this paper, I will look into an alternative way for leaders to lead when they find themselves situated in an unfavorable situation. In the case of leadership; an administrator, manager, or supervisor should use a reflective mindful praxis to improve their ability to make decisions that will achieve optimal outcomes from the organizations they lead in all situations, especially unfavorable ones. Fiedler’s research demonstrates, in essence, if you don’t fit the team mold, you are unfit to lead the team. The contingency model asserts that leadership styles can be gauged by the Least Preferred Coworker (LPC) scale. This model posits leadership styles on a spectrum ranging from task motivated, low LPC, or relationship motivated, high LPC. The contingency aspect ties the leadership styles to situational variables of the organization. The situational variables include leader-member relations, task structure and positional power (Northouse, 2007). Leader-member relations are characterized as good or poor depending on feelings found in the group atmosphere, relationships and trust. Although there is no scale for the task structure, the situational variable in the model, there is a clear definition of the term. The variable is operationalized by high structure and low structure. Position power is characterized by the authority a leader has to deliver the proverbial carrot or the stick, i. e. rewards and punishments (Northouse, 2007). Fiedler has an understanding of why leaders in the wrong setting are ineffective (Northouse, 2007). The correlation between the leader’s LPC score and the group or organization’s performance depended (or was contingent) on the degree to which the leadership situation was â€Å"favorable†(Fiedler, 1995). A leader in an uncomfortable and unfitting situation experiences stress and anxiety (Northouse, 2007). A leader under stress is likely to exhibit inappropriate behaviors and revert to less mature ways of coping that were learned in early development (Northouse, 2007). The leader’s less appropriate behaviors and decisions result in negative work outcomes (Northouse, 2007). This may be true in most situations; however, with our proposed alternative model, the M Model (M2), leaders can be taught how to transform their leadership style so that it transforms poor situations into good situations with successful outcomes. Hackman and Wagemann (2007) believe it is essential that we understand how to help leaders learn. Leaders can become even more effective if they are able to learn from their experience, both successes and failures without assigning cause to something or someone out of their control (Hackman and Wagemann, 2007). The M2 posits a leader learning strategy grounded in metacognition and mindfulness. Cognitive psychologists use the term metacognition to describe our ability to assess our own skills, knowledge, or learning (Lang, 2012). Chew describes metacognition as a person’s awareness of his or her own level of knowledge and thought processes (Lang, 2012). As stated by Kruger and Dunning, â€Å"those with limited knowledge in a domain suffer a dual burden: Not only do they reach mistaken conclusions and make regrettable errors, but their incompetence robs them of the ability to realize it† (Krugger, Dunning, 1999). The M2 way is to practice metacognition as it relates to leadership skills and behaviors. M2 practitioners develop a practical understanding of their leadership abilities in various settings and they use their metacognitive awareness to improve their leadership skills in various situations. The other half of the M2 way is for the leader to be fully aware of their actions and the likely outcomes. This strategy is met by improving one’s mindfulness. Put simply, mindfulness practice is being aware of what is, what is happening now in the present moment (Bing, 2012). Goldman (2010) uses a definition of mindfulness from Rinchen in 2001. Rinchen’s definition of mindfulness situated in the leadership context is: â€Å"ridding ourselves of negative mental states and fostering and developing constructive ones† (Goldman, 2010). Mindfulness has shown to be effective in improving one’s performance in stressful situations (Kabat-Zinn, 1990). Therefore, the M2 strategy is to teach the leader to be aware of their actions in the moment and this is accomplished vis a vis a practice of mindfulness. We postulate this mindful awareness will allow the M2 leader to make better choices in whatever situation they find themselves in. The keystone of the M Model (M2) is reflective leadership praxis. Praxis is the practice of an art or craft, such as leading (Bing Dictionary, 2012). Through reflection leaders analyze various leadership concepts, evaluate their experiences, and develop their personal leadership theory (Astin, 2000). Reflection provides leaders with the opportunity to examine and question and develop beliefs and values. It involves observation, questioning, and putting facts, ideas, and experiences together to construct new meaning and wisdom (UNK). Yukl (2008) finds that effective leaders are flexible and adaptive. We expect the M2 method combining metacognition, mindfulness and reflective practice will develop effective leaders. The proper place to begin is often at the beginning. The M2 solution posits that the leader must not only know themselves, but also their organization. With that knowledge of themselves and their organization applied to the contingency theory we can propose a solution to Fiedler’s catch 22 that a leader in a poor situation is doomed. The M2 solution begins at the point when a leader finds herself in a poor situation. The M2 leader knows her strengths, LPC score and other relevant situational and organizational information. She is taught to assess the organization thoroughly based on the situational variables. The assessment leads to the realization she is in the wrong situation and with M2 skills this discovery is made sooner than later. Knowing she is in the wrong situation the leader can take action to alleviate the stress that, Fiedler suggested, leads to poor decision making. Upon realizing she is in the poor and stressed situation the M2 leader will apply her reflective leadership practices for optimal outcomes. This is a set of practices that include development of the weekly or daily habit of reflecting upon actions taken and the results of those actions. The reflection will include a commitment to ongoing and summative written reflection and regular discussion with their M2 coach (Mabry, 1998). This reflection will lead the M2 leader to be more aware of her actions in the moment. This awareness will allow for a clearer understanding of a predictable result. Awareness in the moment will allow the M2 leader to choose a more appropriate action for the situation. This fits with the situational approached developed by Hersey and Blanchard. The premise of situational leadership is that an effective leader will be flexible and adapt to the situation (Northouse, 2007). The M2 hypothesizes that reflective praxis and mindful action will lead to improved organizational outcomes. Although Fiedler’s contingency theory has not always been collaborated by other research, it works. Our preliminary analysis predicts that the reflective leadership praxis of M2 will enhance the skills of the leader that finds herself in a favorable or unfavorable situation. The M2 practitioner in an unfavorable situation will not suffer the consequences of stress related poor decision-making. The M2 practitioner will be able to make choices that result in optimal outcomes not only for the organization but also for the people she leads.

Qin Shi Huang, First Emperor of China Essay

Qin Shi Huang (or Shi Huangdi) was the First Emperor of a unified China, who ruled from 246 BCE to 210 BCE. In his 35-year reign, he managed to create magnificent and enormous construction projects. He also caused both incredible cultural and intellectual growth, and much destruction within China. Whether he should be remembered more for his creations or his tyranny is a matter of dispute, but everyone agrees that Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, was one of the most important rulers in Chinese history. Connect with over 120,000 suppliers from Hong Kong, China and Taiwan Fall of Rome London Family History Chinese Warriors Terracotta Army Dynasty Early Life: According to legend, a rich merchant named Lu Buwei befriended a prince of the Qin State during the latter years of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770-256 BCE). The merchant’s lovely wife Zhao Ji had just gotten pregnant, so he arranged for the prince to meet and fall in love with her. She became the prince’s concubine, and then gave birth to Lu Buwei’s child in 259 BCE. The baby, born in Hanan, was named Ying Zheng. The prince believed the baby was his own. Ying Zheng became king of the Qin state in 246 BCE, upon the death of his supposed father. He ruled as Qin Shi Huang, and unified China for the first time. Early Reign: The young king was only 13 years old when he took the throne, so his prime minister (and probable real father) Lu Buwei acted as regent for the first eight years. This was a difficult time for any ruler in China, with seven warring states vying for control of the land. The leaders of the Qi, Yan, Zhao, Han, Wei, Chu and Qin states were former dukes under the Zhou Dynasty, but had each proclaimed themselves king as the Zhou fell apart. In this unstable environment, warfare flourished, as did books like Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. Lu Buwei had another problem, as well; he feared that the king would discover his true identity. Lao Ai’s Revolt: According to the Shiji, or â€Å"Records of the Grand Historian,† Lu Buwei hatched a new scheme to depose Qin Shi Huang in 240 BCE. He introduced Zhao Ji to Lao Ai, a man famed for his large penis. The queen dowager and Lao Ai had two sons, and in 238 BCE, Lao and Lu Buwei decided to launch a coup. Lao raised an army, aided by the king of nearby Wei, and tried to seize control while Qin Shi Huang was traveling outside of the area. The young king cracked down hard on the rebellion; Lao was executed in a grisly fashion, along with his family. The queen dowager was spared, but spent the rest of her days under house arrest. Consolidation of Power: Lu Buwei was banished after the Lao Ai incident, but did not lose all of his influence in Qin. However, he lived in constant fear of execution by the mercurial young king. In 235 BCE, Lu committed suicide by drinking poison. With his death, the 24-year-old king assumed full command over the kingdom of Qin. Qin Shi Huang grew increasingly paranoid (not without reason), and banished all foreign scholars from his court as spies. The king’s fears were well-founded; in 227, the Yan state sent two assassins to his court, but he fought them off with his sword. A musician also tried to kill him by bludgeoning him with a lead-weighted lute. Battles with Neighboring States: The assassination attempts arose in part because of desperation in neighboring kingdoms. The Qin king had the most powerful army, and neighboring rulers trembled at the thought of a Qin invasion. The Han kingdom fell in 230 BCE. In 229, a devastating earthquake rocked another powerful state, Zhao, leaving it weakened. Qin Shi Huang took advantage of the disaster, and invaded the region. Wei fell in 225, followed by the powerful Chu in 223. The Qin army conquered Yan and Zhao in 222 (despite another assassination attempt on Qin Shi Huang by a Yan agent). The final independent kingdom, Qi, fell to the Qin in 221 BCE. China Unified: With the defeat of the other six warring states, Qin Shi Huang had unified northern China. His army would continue to expand the Qin Empire’s southern boundaries throughout his lifetime, driving as far south as what is now  Vietnam. The king of Qin became the Emperor of Qin China. As emperor, Qin Shi Huang reorganized the bureaucracy, abolishing the existing nobility and replacing them with his appointed officials. He also built a network of roads, with the capital of Xianyang at the hub. In addition, the emperor simplified the written Chinese script, standardized weights and measures, and minted new copper coins. The Great Wall and Ling Canal: Despite its military might, the newly unified Qin Empire faced a recurring threat from the north: raids by the nomadic Xiongnu (the ancestors of Attila’s Huns). In order to fend off the Xiongnu, Qin Shi Huang ordered the construction of an enormous defensive wall. The work was carried out by hundreds of thousands of slaves and criminals between 220 and 206 BCE; untold thousands of them died at the task. This northern fortification formed the first section of what would become the Great Wall of China. In 214, the Emperor also ordered construction of a canal, the Lingqu, which linked the Yangtze and Pearl River systems. The Confucian Purge: The Warring States Period was dangerous, but the lack of central authority allowed intellectuals to flourish. Confucianism and a number of other philosophies blossomed prior to China’s unification. However, Qin Shi Huang viewed these schools of thought as threats to his authority, so he ordered all books not related to his reign burned in 213 BCE. The Emperor also had approximately 460 scholars buried alive in 212 for daring to disagree with him, and 700 more stoned to death. From then on, the only approved school of thought was legalism: follow the emperor’s laws, or face the consequences. Qin Shi Huang’s Quest for Immortality: As he entered middle age, the First Emperor grew more and more afraid of death. He became obsessed with finding the elixir of life, which would allow him to live forever. The court doctors and alchemists concocted a number of potions, many of them containing â€Å"quicksilver† (mercury), which probably had the ironic effect of hastening the emperor’s death rather than preventing it. Just in case the elixirs did not work, in 215 BCE the Emperor also  ordered the construction of a gargantuan tomb for himself. Plans for the tomb included flowing rivers of mercury, cross-bow booby traps to thwart would-be plunderers, and replicas of the Emperor’s earthly palaces. The Terracotta Army: To guard Qin Shi Huang in the afterworld, and perhaps allow him to conquer heaven as he had the earth, the emperor had a terracotta army of at least 8,000 clay soldiers placed in the tomb. The army also included terracotta horses, along with real chariots and weapons. Each soldier was an individual, with unique facial features (although the bodies and limbs were mass-produced from molds). The Death of Qin Shi Huang: A large meteor fell in Dongjun in 211 BCE – an ominous sign for the Emperor. To make matters worse, someone etched the words â€Å"The First Emperor will die and his land will be divided† onto the stone. Some saw this as a sign that the Emperor had lost the Mandate of Heaven. Since nobody would fess up to this crime, the Emperor had everyone in the vicinity executed. The meteor itself was burned and then pounded into powder. Nevertheless, the Emperor died less than a year later, while touring eastern China in 210 BCE. The cause of death most likely was mercury poisoning, due to his immortality treatments. Fall of the Qin Empire Qin Shi Huang’s Empire did not outlast him long. His second son and Prime Minister tricked the heir, Fusu, into committing suicide. The second son, Huhai, seized power. However, widespread unrest (led by the remnants of the Warring States nobility) threw the empire into disarray. In 207 BCE, the Qin army was defeated by Chu-lead rebels at the Battle of Julu. This defeat signaled the end of the Qin Dynasty. Sources: Mark Edward Lewis, The Early Chinese Empires: Qin and Han. Cambridge: Harvard University Press (2007). Lu Buwei, The Annals of Lu Buwei, trans. John Knoblock and Jeffrey Riegel. Stanford: Stanford University Press (2000). Sima Qian, Records of the Grand Historian, trans. Burton Watson. New York: Columbia University Press (1993).

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

Psychology - Essay Example Despite this fact, many schools have made efforts to maintain prayer as a school-sponsored practice. These have been driven by understanding that the cited place from the First Amendment is controversial (Vile, 2003, p. 194). Based on this controversy, school prayer cannot be banned unless it disrupts the order. Plus, it can be practiced but should not be supported officially. This means that John may pray at school on his own or with his friends, but as a private practice. Prayer cannot be made a part of curriculum so that all students attend it, so Mary should be satisfied. While John is praying, Mary could do her own things – repeat the material she is going to present at class, for example. 4-You work hard in your office; overtime, weekends, and early mornings. You get paid well, but you realize your coworkers get paid the same as you do, though they do not put in the effort you do. Some have even been promoted ahead of you. Identify which of the responses below is the bes t one to adopt, and explain your answer in approximately 100 words or more. †¢ Continue to work hard and hope it is recognized †¢ Begin slacking off †¢ Roll your eyes at the other employees and make them feel guilty †¢ Look for another job I think a combination of some of the approaches should be adopted. Besides, life circumstances need to be considered. First of all, if this is a small town with little job opportunity, a person will be more likely to stick to the current job. If he/she works in a city, more job opportunities will allow act more freely in this situation. To specify, in the first case I will go on working hard and hope it is recognized, because I still believe in fair judgment. I will also be promoted but need to wait. However, if I begin to spot I no – longer can work so hard since it is harmful for my health, I will then take less responsibility and fewer tasks. Of course, if I find myself working in a city, I will start looking for anot her position if I see no changes in the given period. Under no circumstances, will I roll my eyes at other people and make them feel guilty since no one made me put effort into my job the way I did. References Vile, J. (2003) Encyclopedia of Constitutional Amendments, Proposed Amendments, and Amending Issues, 1789-2002. ABC-CLIO. Perry, M. (1998) Religion in Politics: Constitutional and Moral Perspectives. Oxford University Press. 5-Advocates of the death penalty recognize that no system is perfect and that applying the death penalty runs a small risk of executing someone who is innocent. Is this a price society should be willing to pay? According to the â€Å"Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Encyclopedia†, the United States remains the only industrialized nation among the Western states that allows capital punishment. Despite the fact, death penalty is barred in 12 states and the District of Columbia, all other states recognize it legal (Merriam-Webster, 2000, p. 282). Th ere are many advocates of death penalty in the States who claim that the risk of innocent people execution is small but that life imprisonment is not effective. Others seem furious at the fact they have to pay taxes to provide for the needs of imprisoned criminals. From the perspective of ethics and

The Founding and the Constitution Research Paper

The Founding and the Constitution - Research Paper Example s required given the absolute nature of laws written into the Constitution, so the document is laying out a requirement that seeks a high standard of judgment. Also, the Constitution requires super majority votes from both the Senate as well as the House because, in theory, the two parts of the legislature were meant to represent different interests and different people (the Senate representing more of the small, rural states, which get to send two Senators in all cases whereas the House representing more of the populous states, which get to send representatives on the basis of population) (Alder). The second procedure (the â€Å"informal method†) for proposing amendments to the Constitution provides protection for states to an unresponsive Congress. If two-thirds of states agree to call for a convention, the Congress is obliged to call a convention. This method has neither constitutional instruction for how to complete the convention nor precedent to be relied upon. It is not clear whether the states would be represented equally or by population. With that said, all amendments to the Constitution have been carried out through the first procedure described. The Founders may have wanted this second procedure as a way of empowering the states and protecting against an intrusive, federal government (Mount). 2. â€Å"Loose construction† refers to a loose or liberal interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, thus expanding federal powers beyond those explicitly mentioned in the document. In contrast, â€Å"strict construction† refers to the opposite: it is a legal philosophy that requires the interpreter of the Constitution to apply the text only as it is written. In other words, powers not enumerated in the Constitution are invalid (Welch). As was described previously, the formal method of amendment has a clear process described in the Constitution, which maps onto the normal procedure for business of the Congress in creating laws. Therefore, the formal method of

Overview of the conflicts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Overview of the conflicts - Essay Example s necessary to have a clear understanding of both of their arguments and the possible solutions they put forward, to recognize the actual reason of the conflict. Chua begins her essay by explaining how Aunt Leona, her father’s twin sister who was murdered by her driver in Philippines and how no action was taken by the Philippines police because her aunt was Chinese. This was nothing shocking for the people as hundreds of Chinese in Philippines were kidnapped every year and brutally murdered by the Ethnic Filipinos. . The minority Chinese dominated the whole of industry and commerce in the country whereas all menial jobs were done by the Filipinos. Chua cites this example to show how the market-dominated minority of Chinese are despised and taken revenge by the majority of Filipinos and how the government supports it. For Chua, the conflict lies in the relationship among three factors- markets, democracy and ethnic hatred. She believes that Americans today are perceived as the world’s market- dominant minority and this has obviously resulted in the September 11 World Trade Center episode. According to her, the global spread of m arkets and democracy is the major reason for group hatred and ethnic violence throughout the Non- Western world. This results in three kinds of violence: a) violence against markets that target the market dominant minorities’ wealth, b) attack against democracy by forces favorable to the market dominant minority, and c) violence directed against the market dominant minority itself .Thus she considers the working of market dominant minority against the wishes of the impoverished majority as the major factor behind the conflict and possible changes in the prevalent system can bring about a difference. Huntington, on the other hand, believes that the fundamental source of conflict is not primarily ideological or economic but cultural. Clashes occur when people divide themselves based on their common cultural identity such as language,

Legal systems in Western countries recognize Essay

Legal systems in Western countries recognize - Essay Example Draft Introduction: Legal systems in Western countries recognize equal protection of the law. Therefore equality is not an issue.1 However, equality in practice cannot always be achieved as the equal rights of one group can conflict with the equal rights of another. (Discuss the purpose of equality laws and the tensions that can arise between sex-based rights and faith based rights). The UK recognized sexual orientation as a new sex-based right worthy of equal protection of the law.2 The expansion of sex-based equalities under the Equality Act 2010 is flawed however. Identify the purpose of the essay. Hypothesis: the Equality Act 2010, is a reminder of the tensions between the recognition and protection of equal rights in favour of one group against another.3 Faith-based and Sexuality-based Equality Laws The most common tensions between faith-based and sexuality-based equality laws is the rights of gays to the equal protection of the law and freedom of religion which generally includ es the right to discriminate against gays particularly the right to oppose same-sex unions and adoptions.

Report discussing Spotify's strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Report discussing Spotify's strategy - Essay Example Spotify should use current technology to be stable and compete with the other companies. Introduction Spotify is a Swedish online streaming company offering online music service to the user that they can stream up to 15 million tracks on demand by using unique technology. It still lags behind after Pandora as a market leader. Spotify also introduced lightweight software, which allows an instant listening to albums and tracks without buffering delay. Consumers subscribe monthly premium to access the service. Spotify paid free subscriptions to everyone in order to expand the rate of service (Gammons, 2012). The company offered free accounts and opened free registration in United Kingdom. Spotify closed opened registration when Spotify mobile service was released. Technology is a growing necessity in all types of businesses. As time goes, people learn the importance of technology one by one. This make it impossible to separate technology from the people as it is necessary in day-to-day activities. Technology in Spotify has brought tremendous growth in the company through advertising. Sporty can post their new services online to create new revenue streams and new markets. Technology is also important in decision-making process leading business managers and chief executive officers to focus on innovation in business (Marshall, 2012). Spotify has divided the digital music industry into two submarkets; digital download market consisting of Amazon and iTunes and streaming market which has many competitors. According to the study conducted in 2011, the revenue of digital music industry has grown by 8%. The growth rate of streaming market is greater than that of the download market. Streaming market generates 10% of the revenue of digital music industry (Marshall, 2012). Many companies with similar business models operate in streaming industry leading to strong competition in the market. Companies can only be differentiated from each other by; features regions of operati ons, variations in packaging and licensing of music libraries. The costs of switching from one streaming service to another are very high. This has created a limited compatibility and transfer between the streaming services. The streaming companies are trying to include network effects in their services by introducing social components. Users are granted permissions to create collaborative playlists, they can follow what other people, and friends are listening on the network (Daft, 2011). Network effect adds value to the services leading to attraction of more clients. Streaming companies has essential partners and record labels are natural which creates ready market with strong indirect network effects. Availability of content is important to attraction of customers. When there is large music in the library, the streaming service will be much popular. The streaming industry is a two-sided market where companies should create virtuous circle between customers and record labels. When the subscribers and users are more in a service, there should be more labels having their music recorded on the services. This will lead to attraction of more customers to the larger library available. On the other hand, it is expensive to obtain streaming rights to a large library for successful streaming of services. The primary tactic on how to gain market share is