Reference no: EM132342851

1. leadership style essay

Leadership

When reference is made to leaders, many people think of managers. However, there is a difference between a leader and a manager. A manager's job is to plan, organize, and control; a leader's job is to inspire and guide. Although some individuals are formally managers, every employee has the potential to be a leader and should display leadership. Leadership is a process of a person guiding one or more individuals toward a specific goal. A leader does not require a title to lead. Leaders motivate others through relationships. At work, these relationships are based on vision, trust, and mutual respect. A leader is one who guides and motivates others. In other words, a leader will help others want to accomplish a job successfully. There are three primary leadership styles: autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire leadership. Autocratic leaders are authoritarian, meaning they make decisions on their own and tell others what to do. Democratic leaders make decisions based on input from others. People are encouraged to share ideas. The democratic leader will evaluate the ideas and come to a decision that reflects the collective ideas. Laissez-faire leaders allow team members to make their own decisions without input from the leader. Employees have complete freedom in making decisions concerning their work. At first glance, most would think a laissez-faire leader is using the best leadership style, but there is no best leadership style. The appropriate leadership style is dependent on the situation, employee skill level, and several other variables. There are some situations that require one individual to tell others exactly what to do, and there are other situations where individuals work best without specific instruction. Historically, leaders used a "command and control" leadership style where they told others what to do without guiding and motivating. Today's leaders collaborate whenever possible to increase employee participation, accountability, and creativity.

After reading write a one page essay including the following:

Write a paragraph or more describing your style, using the styles listed in the text.

Write a paragraph telling why you like to use this style. And finally...

Write at least one paragraph telling what you might do to improve your leadership skills.

2. Google yourself assignment

More and more employers are searching online to get information during the hiring process. What will they learn about you? Make sure you are branding yourself well.

Spend 20-30 minutes or so searching for your name online, using search engines like Google and Yahoo. Use your first and last name as well as all your email addresses and usernames for any site, IM, or chat room you use (or have ever used). It might help to put your name in quotes ("John Smith" instead of John Smith).

Also use a reverse phone number lookup like whitepages.com, and search your phone numbers.

Use a map site (Google Earth or mapquest) to locate your house.

Write a one-page essay about what you find, addressing the following questions. Make sure your work is edited, as always.

What did you search for?

What did you find?

What did you think about what you found? Were you surprised etc.

How do you feel about what you found and who else could find this information?

How do you think an employer would view this information?