Reference no: EM132372648 , Length: word count : 2000

Assessment Task : Analysis of a Leader

In this assessment you will be asked to study a current or past leader in order to enhance your understanding of their development, capabilities, achievements and communication with key stakeholders.

The focus in your analysis should particularly be on (i) the struggles your chosen leader has experienced to become a leader and (ii) how the chosen leader has been critiqued by various stakeholders. Overall, this analysis should result in a series of actionable recommendations for this leader (assuming that would be possible).

Unit learning outcomes:

1. Critically evaluate a variety of advanced leadership and stakeholder management concepts, theories and frameworks and their application to effective practice.

Course learning outcomes:

1.1. Demonstrate breadth and depth of global discipline knowledge,

1.2. Demonstrate knowledge of practice in the global environment,

1.3. Demonstrate knowledge of relevant research principles and methods; and

1.4. Integrate theory and practice.

PREPARATION

Before starting this assignment, you should read the instructions below, watch the assignment movie on Blackboard, review the marking rubric and raise any concerns with your lecturer. Please also contact your lecturer to confirm the leader that you have chosen to study (before you start actively working on your report).

ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS

The purpose of this report is to apply the concepts and theories discussed during weeks 1-6 to the analysis of leadership of a past or current leader. Select any type of leader for whom there is sufficient information to provide a good analysis of leadership processes and outcomes. Examples include political leaders, military leaders, business executives, religious leaders, sports coaches, and leaders of social movements. My advice would be to pick a leader from another country than your country of birth (as critically analysing a “national hero” can be challenging).

A minimum requirement of the assignment is to identify specific leadership behaviours and apply relevant leadership theories to explain why the behaviours were appropriate or inappropriate in the situation faced by the leader.

Even better is to identify reasons why the person’s leadership was (un)successful enough to make them (in)famous. Both the strengths and weaknesses of ‘your’ leader should be identified. Issues of ethics in their leadership should also be considered. Eventually your analysis should result in a series of actionable recommendations for the chosen leader (assuming that would be possible).

In this assignment it is essential to describe incidents involving effective or ineffective behaviour by the leader to support your analysis as well as apply theoretical tools and frameworks in your analysis. One of the most useful types of sources for this task is a biographical account of the leader’s activities and accomplishments.

Also try to use quotes and detailed descriptions of selected incidents to support conclusions about the leader’s behaviour and influence on followers. The source for any quotes or factual details should be clearly cited.

The report should include the following:

1. A title page

2. A contents page

3. An introduction

4. A brief overview of the chosen leader

5. An analysis of the leader’s development, capabilities, achievements and communication with key stakeholders, resulting in an overview of strengths and weaknesses of the leader

6. Recommendations for the leader (to improve their leadership)

7. Conclusion in which you summarise what you have learned.

8. References