Article Critique: Chi-Square TestThe readings for this week focus on the concepts of z tests, t tests, and Chi-Square tests. In this discussion we will apply those concepts to the review and critique

Original Question:

For this week's Forum, respond to the following

1. Write a one-two sentence personal definition of leadership. Base you definition on what you have encountered this week, as well as on what you have already learned about leadership.

2. Discuss the statements: "Leadership is everybody's business” and “Leadership is not an affair of the head, but rather an affair of the heart.”

3. Finally, write about the differences between leadership and management. 

This forum is reflective (No citations/references required). First person is acceptable.

Reply to the following response with *** 150 words minimum, including direct questions to the post ***. (please make response as if having a conversation, respond directly to some of the statements in below post. This is not providing an analysis of the original post. Respectfully address it and even ask clarifying or additional questions.)

** These responses are to be informative and contribute to advancing the knowledge of the topic **.

1.

My personal definition of leadership is an individual or individuals that have the ability to inspire others to see their vision; in addition to who is able to bring out the best attributes of those who follow so the objective can be achieved.  This week’s lesson also points out how it is important for leaders to be trustworthy and gain the trust of those who will chose to follow.  Leaders that are able to listen, engage, and encourage their followers, gain their followers trust and the creditability needed to implement change within the organization (Winston & Patterson, 2006).

The statement of "Leadership is everybody's business” takes into account that those responsible to lead within organizations need to instill in employees how valuable they are in creating the change the organization needs. In doing so, employees achieve a raised level of self-efficacy which increases the employee’s productivity (Blomme, Kodden, & Beasley-Suffolk, 2015).  Transformational leaders are very successful in raising the overall morale of organizations by motivating and challenging their employees to become more knowledgeable in their skills and abilities (Odumeru & Ogbonna, 2013).

The statement “Leadership is not an affair of the head, but rather an affair of the heart” could be a continuation of the above statement.   It is also necessary to add leaders should be genuine and believe in the vision they are inspiring others to stand behind.  When leaders are self-aware (Nichols & Erakovich, 2013) and committed to the mission, the team can successfully get results (DuFour, 2004).

There are many differences between leadership and management.  Overall, leaders are those who create the vision and inspire others to follow.  Managers are those who are responsible for gathering the resources, managing the day to day responsibilities, and resolving the short-term challenges that are needed to carry out the vision (Toor, 2011).

2.

Leadership is providing effective goal orientated purpose, direction, and motivation to a individual, group or society. This is achieved by individuals that take a personal belief in the goal, provide guidance through example, and place others needs before ones self.

In considering the two statements, the first statement relates to not only the leader but also the individuals that are being led. This being said, leaders affect the individuals that are to follow. Meaning, the actions that a leader takes, the principles the leader projects to the audience, and the leaders consideration for the followers play a vital role in how effective the each individual will be towards the common goal. The performance of the audience is a direct reflection of the leadership. 

The second statement relates to how a leader provides effective leadership. While being a leader takes thought in achieving a goal, the actions of a leader come from the heart of the leader. It is important that the individual leading believes in what he or she is portraying to their audience. In doing so, the audience will see the compassion for what is being portrayed and want to be a part of the process of achieving the desired affect.

As described above, a leader provides individuals with the inspiration to achieve a desired goal that is shared by others, which is quite different from what the term “manager “ consists of. A manager provides the followers with organization to achieve a goal. In essence the manager is the position or title, while a leader is the inspiration. This being said, it is suggested that mangers that just assume that followers believe and want to be a part of an organization based on the goals is problematic (Blomme, Kodden, & Beasley-Suffolk, 2015). It is important to note, being a manger does not mean an individual is a good leader. The manager should exercise good leadership skills, which enables a positive atmosphere for followers to be engaged in the overall relationship. Thus, the follower engagement produces an effective environment to achieve said goal.

3.

A leader (a coach and mentor), is  a person who earns the respect of both coworkers and peers, by standing up for them and what is right. He or she takes the initiative to go that extra mile and helps motivate others to complete the mission.

"Leadership is everybody's business” is a true statement in the fact that everyone has the potential to lead. Does everyone want to do it, no. Some are “comfortable” in their position and do not want to have any more responsibility, especially if involves the actions of others.  A person does not have to be in high authority to lead, they can be designated or volunteer to lead due to subject matter experiences or life experiences.  Follet (1933) mentions (as stated in Nienaber, 2010),

” Points out that leadership, is a personal quality, which can be exercised by many people, not only top executives. She continues by iterating that the higher the person is in the hierarchy, the more quality is required, especially in terms of the "total situation"(p. 664).

“Leadership is not an affair of the head, but rather an affair of the heart,” is a sentence that dives into the foundational characteristic of a leader.  When one talks about leaders, the main facts that are usually stated consist of their characteristics and actions that were decided upon or performed. The actions have to do with decisions made from their thought process from the head. But, overall goo leaders do their best to due what is morally right for their employees, themselves, and their business/company/organization. Empathy (putting themselves in other peoples ‘shoes’) comes from the heart and most leaders due not want to see someone fired/laid off or even physically hurt due to a decision that was made.

Although, the characteristics and responsibilities of a manager and a leader can overlap, they are ways very different. The manager and leader both use their resources (human and equipment) to get things done, enforce rules and guidelines.  The manager is a position, while a leader is a title.  A manager is more of the human resource leader and budget specialist (Toor, 2011). While, leader is more of an antagonist, a counselor, a mentor, and a voice for the voiceless.

A manager often looks out for the best of the company, rather than the employees.  The manager helps to set the budget, decide what customers and products the organization needs to focus on for profit. They often have a say when to fire or layoff employee(s). Basically, they have their nose in all the innerworkings of the company/organization. A manager is often afraid to show people the ropes since he or she is afraid to lose their job. Where as a leader wants others to succeed and gain the knowledge to move up the chain.

A leader is invested in figuring out ways to help employees achieve the goals of the company through innovative ways. As an antagonist, a leader will test the waters by going against the norm of the manager to provide a possible safer and more efficient avenue of approach for the end goal. As a counselor, the leader often sees and hears when an employee has a bad day and can do their best to motivate that person to make it through the day and in life. A leader needs to be familiar with the everyday tasks of those he or she leads. They should be one who “gets down in the trenches” when needed to help the team succeed, plus they should provide training on new actions when it is required.  They should listen more to their employee’s voice and if the leader thinks the idea is reasonable, bring it up to the manager at the next possible time or meeting (voice of the voiceless).

** Please don’t just rephrase their info, but respond to it. Remember to answer question at the end if there is one. **