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).

SHOW LESS

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

• Competency 1: Evaluate the purpose and relevance of leadership.
  • Develop a definition of leadership.
  • Explain how leadership can positively impact an organization.
• Competency 2: Evaluate how leadership strengths apply in the workplace and within the community.
  • Explain a strategy to develop leadership skills.
  • Develop a definition of management.
  • Explain the differences between leadership and management.

References

Manning, G., & Curtis, K. (2012). The art of leadership (4th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Northouse, G. (2007). Leadership theory and practice (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

Suggested Resources

The resources provided here are optional. You may use other resources of your choice to prepare for this assessment; however, you will need to ensure that they are appropriate, credible, and valid. The BUS-FP3012 – Fundamentals of Leadership Library Guide can help direct your research, and the Supplemental Resources and Research Resources, both linked from the left navigation menu in your courseroom, provide additional resources to help support you.

Multimedia

Click Three Circles of Effective Leadership | Transcript to watch a presentation based on Blanchard and Zigarmi’s Leadership and the One-Minute Manager.

Capella University Library Resources

NBC Learn Video

• NBC News. (2009, September 2). Portraits of leadership [Video]. NBC Learn.
  • This production assembles a collage of iconic leaders, such as Martin Luther King Jr., to illustrate concepts of everyday leadership.

Bookstore Resources

These resources are available from the Capella University Bookstore: 

• Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2017). The leadership challenge: How to make extraordinary things happen in organizations (6th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. 
  • Introduction, “Making Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations.”
  • Chapter 1, “When Leaders Are at Their Best.”
  • Chapter 3, “Clarify Values.”
  • Chapter 4, “Set the Example.”
• Rath, T., & Conchie, B. (2008). Strengths based leadership: Great leaders, teams, and why people follow. New York, NY: Gallup Press.
  • “Introduction.”
  • “Part One: Investing in Your Strengths.”

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.

Academic Integrity and APA Formatting

As a reminder related to using APA rules to ensure academic honesty:

1. When using a direct quote (using exact or nearly exact wording), you must enclose the quoted wording in quotation marks, immediately followed by an in-text citation. The source must then be listed in your references page.
2. When paraphrasing (using your own words to describe a non-original idea), the paraphrased idea must be immediately followed by an in-text citation and the source must be listed in your references page.

PLEASE VIEW THE SCORING GUIDE. PROFICIENT-DISTINGUISHED PAPERS ACCEPTED.