What Kind of Leader Is Ms. Condoleezza Rice?

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Dr. Condoleezza Rice was sworn in as Secretary of State on January 25, 2005. She is a clear example of a leader, which possesses certain traits that have led her to where she is today. In order to evaluate her as a leader, it is necessary to look at different aspects of her leadership. It is important to examine her personality traits and values, ethical challenges she will face, her candidacy, her leadership style, and her dark-side traits.

The first way to evaluate her as a leader is to look at a detail description of what her personality and values are. Condoleezza Rice was born into a family that was disciplined in life and in religion. Generations of her family extend from college-educated teachers, preachers, and lawyers. Her parents were very well-respected in their communities. Her father was a Presbyterian Minister and her mother was a teacher of music and science. Condoleezza was born in Birmingham during a time when African-Americans struggled to receive a college education. Since Condoleezza Rice worked hard and excelled during her adolescence, she had the opportunity to attend college. The Rice family was known for “dedicating themselves to nurturing a strong, self-confident child by exposing her to all the elements of western culture including: music, ballet, foreign languages, and athletics” (Strobel, 2005, p.1-2). Rice’s grandmother stated, “Condoleezza has always been very focused, ever since she was very, very young” (Strobel, 2005, p.1-2). Condoleezza’s mother taught her at home to make her lessons more enlightening. This was very different compared to public schooling. Another value that Condoleezza Rice would proclaim to be her strongest is her faith. Condoleezza Rice, who is known to speak publicl...

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