Introduction
Otto von Bismark, a renowned statesman and political leader, once stated, “Only a fool learns from his own mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others.” As developing leaders in a rapidly changing world, it is crucial we not only strive to learn from our own experiences but also the experiences of others. Every leader approaches leadership differently, with the most effective taking into account themselves, their followers, and the given context (Daft, 5). The best leaders adopt a proactive approach, striving continually to develop and grow both their abilities and that of their subordinates. As aspiring organizational leaders, we will use this essay to discuss the positive and negative leadership styles and principles emulated by various leaders from cinema, literature, and real-life.
Cinematic Leader
To begin with, much can be learned from the leadership and communication style of Miranda Priestly, the protagonist of the film The Devil Wears Prada. Priestly, who acts as the Chief Executive Officer of the popular fashion magazine Runway, utilizes a largely Machiavellian style of leadership. Under
Unfortunately, this is not a trait in which any leader should try to imitate: “Steve Jobs was a known bully and would often fly off the handle at those under him. He would publicly question the intelligence of anyone he found fault with” (Bob Sanders). Like Priestly, Steve was well known for being rude and condescending, and at many times he would publicly humiliate Apple staff. It created a culture in which many out groups formed and riffs could be seen within the company. As we discussed in class, the way in which a manager handles conflicting ideas and their subordinates can have a massive effect on an organization. In this case, Steve did not act in the way you would associate with a good
provides very important approaches to leadership and ways of dealing with dilemmas, negative feedback, and other management issues. Although it has a few minor short comings, the book is well-written and properly structured, making it easy for the target readers to understand its content.
Heroes and leaders have long had a popular following in literature and in our own imaginations. From Odysseus in ancient Grecian times to May Parker in Spider-man Two, who states, “We need a hero, courageous sacrificing people, setting examples for all of us. I believe there’s a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble” (Raimi, 2004). Organizations need heroes, too. We call them organizational leaders. The study of organizational leadership, then, is really the study of what makes a person a successful hero. Or, what processes, constructs, traits, and dynamics embody the image of a successful leader.
The idea of what makes an individual a good leader; a manager or a worker is generally based on what are his/her perceived strengths. In Clifton and Nelson (2010) book “Soar With Your Strengths”, the reader is encouraged to focus on their strengths rather than their weakness to excel in school, in business, or in the workplace (p.19). In an organizational leadership role, management must understand the strengths and weakness of their subordinates. Successful organizations identify and improve upon their strengths. Simultaneously, effective leadership also acknowledges the existence of weakness while effectively isolating it. More often than not, unsuccessful organizations fail to achieve success because they focus on their faults rather than their strong suits.
The idea of what’s morally right and wrong changes within each culture whether an organizational culture or between individuals. However, the best leaders are the ones who do what’s right and best for the organization. During this research paper I will attempt to define the term leadership style and its concept. Moreover, I will attempt to describe three leadership styles, the development and the process one would follow to modify their leadership style. When pertaining to myself, I never saw myself as a leader but I will attempt to describe my leadership style and the advantages and disadvantage I would have in a business environment.
In this document I will share how I was influenced to believe in my own ability. I will also share how my view about management and leadership was changed in one conversation and how that conversation boosted my confidence. I will also share the manager that influenced my learning the most and how through not just words but also actions he showed me that being a leader is not being the person sitting in an office barking instructions, but being the leader is someone who keeps motivating his team to want to accomplish more and be more through actions. I will also share my learning through this assignment, and recommendations on fixing
The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner (2007) is the result of twenty years of research on the factors that influence and create great leadership. Through studies and stories from leaders with various backgrounds throughout the world, the practices and characteristics that create great leadership are delineated. Leadership is viewed not as a group of inherent characteristics, but as learned behavior that anyone can achieve. The goal of Kouzes and Posner’s book is to inspire and educate leaders through transformational leadership. As such, leadership is about mobilizing others to become and do extraordinary things.
Leaders is an effective tool for summarizing and inspiring leadership, not in that it teaches tough strategies and manipulations, but that when looking at an overview of its content, Bennis and Nanus are essentially teaching human relations and human decency. All in all, this book highlights strategies for us all to be better in our lives and our everyday interactions.
My first lessons on leadership were taken during my childhood days. I grew up observing my best friend’s mother effortlessly multi task her role of a CEO, a wife, a daughter-in-law and a mother - with a smile that ceased to leave her face and a personality that earned respect. I looked for nuances that set her apart and in the process, I learned many valuable lessons.
As I have developed in my job, school, and as a person, I found that I enjoyed helping others and want to become a leader. This paper will further describe how my experiences and background have shaped the leader I am today.
Although there are many outstanding, albeit necessary qualities of a good leader, it is the leader’s beliefs in which greatness is given its first breath, fostered by action, and spread throughout the institution. A great leader believes in encouraging, not destroying; in setting the precedence instead of yielding to prominence ; in collaboration, not division; in giving, not taking; and in having high standards and volunteering to be the first of many to be held to them. A great leader does not take advantage of the people being lead, but instead, creates an advantage for the people by giving them the opportunities to lead. Only when people take ownership of an institution will passion be cultivated, action be taken, and greatness be achieved.
In this paper I will reflect on my person leadership style and practices. To get the ball rolling, I completed the “Seven Habits Profile” to get a better idea of what kind of leader I am. The first category is my “Emotional Bank Account.” This was eye opening for me because it is so easy to pick up on bad habits in this category.
It is often said that art will imitate life, and this showing of The Devil Wears Prada is a perfect example of just that. While some may look at this movie as purely entertainment, we can learn a massive amount of information on effective and ineffective leadership alike. While there is no one style that works best for every organization, there are styles that are effective and important to
This book emphasizes on theories of becoming a leader, it is not a “how to” book by any means. Bennis states how leaders contribute to society and how crucial they are, along with the characteristics that come along with being a leader. He provides intriguing insight about leaders and emphasizes the integrity and authenticity that such people carry. In this reading, Bennis (the author) recognizes an immense amount of traits/characteristics a leader possesses which are: maturity, curiosity, trust, passion, guiding vision, candor, self knowledge, and daring. Bennis claims that people are not born with these traits, and that people gain these traits by pushing themselves to exceed others.
For this study, we were to examine the organization and individual employees of Runway in The Devil Wears Prada. Andy Sachs, a recent college graduate from Northwestern University, lands a job at a high fashion magazine as the assistant to Miranda Priestly, an arduous boss that expects above and beyond from every individual.
In this paper I will look at the four major leadership styles, their characteristics, advantages, disadvantages, and in what situations a particular leadership style is desired. Additionally, I will look at my leadership style and how I acquired this style throughout my career.