415 WK 5

Vision and Mission Statements

To prepare for this discussion, read the assigned textbook chapters. Complete the “Leader's Self-Insight 13.1. My Personal Vision,” the “Leader's Self-Insight 13.2. Visionary Leadership,” and the “Leader's Self-Insight 13.3. Your Strategy Style” activities in the textbook. Reflect on what the results suggest about you as a leader and what observations others might make of you that are in your blind spot. You are not required to share your specific result when discussing these activities, but are welcome to, if you are comfortable doing so.

To successfully complete this discussion, your post should minimally include the following:

· Begin by explaining the relationship among vision, mission, strategy, and mechanisms for execution.

· Take the role of a leader in an organization, business, or group of interest to you. Create drafts of your own unique vision and mission statements and brief summaries of strategies and mechanisms for execution for that organization, business, or group based on your vision and mission statements.

· Create an image (diagram, photographs, chart, drawing, or collage of images) to illustrate your vision and share it in your post. If you are not sure how to upload a picture, check out the  Adding Images to Your Discussions   Download Adding Images to Your Discussionsinstructional guide.

· Contrast strategic vision and strategic action and summarize why both are needed for effective leadership.

· Based on the information in the text, describe the four basic approaches leaders take in framing an organizational purpose that can tap into people's desire to contribute and feel that their work is worthwhile.

· Integrate information based on the “Leader's Self-Insight 13.1. My Personal Vision”, the “Leader's Self-Insight 13.2. Visionary Leadership”, and the “Leader's Self-Insight 13.3. Your Strategy Style” activities in an overview of how you would create and implement your personal leadership vision.

· Support ideas you share in your post with a minimum of three credible  scholarly and peer-reviewed sources (Links to an external site.)  published within the last ten years and document your sources by including APA-formatted  citations  (Links to an external site.) and  references (Links to an external site.) .

Post your initial response of 500 words or more by Day 3 (Thursday). 

Leader's Self-Insight 13.1. My Personal Vision

Instructions: How much do you think about the positive outcomes you want in your future? Do you have a personal vision for your life? Indicate whether each of the following items is Mostly False or Mostly True for you.

	MostlyFalse		MostlyTrue
1.		I can describe a compelling image of my future.
2.		Life to me seems more exciting than routine.
3.		I have created very clear life goals and aims.
4.		I feel that my personal existence is very meaningful.
5.		In my life, I see a reason for being here.
6.		I have discovered a satisfying “calling” in life.
7.		I feel that I have a unique life purpose to fulfill.
8.		I will know when I have achieved my purpose.
9.		I talk to people about my personal vision.
10.		I know how to harness my creativity and use my talents.

Leader's Self-Insight 13.2. Visionary Leadership

Instructions: Think about a situation in which you either assumed or were given a leadership role in a group. Imagine your own behavior as aleader. To what extent do the following statements characterize your leadership? Indicate whether each of the following items is Mostly False orMostly True for you.

	MostlyFalse		MostlyTrue
1.		I have a clear understanding of where we are going.
2.		I work to get others committed to our desired future.
3.		I initiate discussion with others about the kind of future I would like us to create together.
4.		I show others how their interests can be realized by working toward a common vision.
5.		I look ahead and forecast what I expect in the future.
6.		I make certain that the activities I manage are broken down into manageable chunks.
7.		I seek future challenges for the group.
8.		I spend time and effort making certain that people adhere to the values and outcomes thathave been agreed on.
9.		I inspire others with my ideas for the future.
10.		I give special recognition when others' work is consistent with the vision.

Scoring and Interpretation

The odd-numbered questions pertain to creating a vision for the group. The even-numbered questions pertain to implementing the vision. Calculate your score for each set of questions. Which score is higher? Compare your scores with those of other students.

This questionnaire pertains to two dimensions of visionary leadership. Creating the vision has to do with whether you think about the future, whether you are excited about the future, and whether you engage others in the future. Implementing the vision is about the extent to which youcommunicate, allocate the work, and provide rewards for activities that achieve the vision. Which of the two dimensions is easier for you? Areyour scores consistent with your understanding of your own strengths and weaknesses? What might you do to improve your scores?

Good visions clarify and connect to the core values and ideals of the organization and thus set a standard of integrity for employees. A good visionbrings out the best in people by illuminating important values, speaking to people's hearts, and letting them be part of something bigger than themselves.

Leader's Self-Insight 13.3. Your Strategy Style

Instructions : Think about how you handle challenges and issues in your current or a recent job. Then circle A or B for each of the followingitems, depending on which is generally more descriptive of your behavior. There are no right or wrong answers. Respond to each item as it bestdescribes how you respond to work situations.

1. When keeping records, I tend to

A. be very careful about documentation.

B. be more haphazard about documentation.

2. If I run a group or a project, I

A. have the general idea and let others figure out how to do the tasks.

B. try to figure out specific goals, timelines, and expected outcomes.

3. My thinking style could be more accurately described as

A. linear thinker, going from A to B to C.

B. thinking like a grasshopper, hopping from one idea to another.

4. In my office or home, things are

A. here and there in various piles.

B. laid out neatly or at least in reasonable order.

5. I take pride in developing

A. ways to overcome a barrier to a solution.

B. new hypotheses about the underlying cause of a problem.

6. I can best help strategy by making sure there is

A. openness to a wide range of assumptions and ideas.

B. thoroughness when implementing new ideas.

7. One of my strengths is

A. commitment to making things work.

B. commitment to a dream for the future.

8. For me to work at my best, it is more important to have

A. autonomy.

B. certainty.

9. I work best when

A. I plan my work ahead of time.

B. I am free to respond to unplanned situations.

10. I am most effective when I emphasize

A. inventing original solutions.

B. making practical improvements.

Scoring and Interpretation

For Strategic Innovator style, score one point for each A answer circled for questions 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 and for each B answer circled forquestions 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9. For Strategic Adaptor style, score one point for each B answer circled for questions 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10, and for each Aanswer circled for questions 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9. Which of your two scores is higher and by how much? The higher score indicates your strategystyle.

Strategic Innovator and Strategic Adaptor are two important ways leaders bring creativity to strategic management. Leaders with an adaptorstyle tend to work within the situation as it is given and improve it by making it more efficient and reliable. They succeed by building on whatthey know is true and proven. Leaders with the innovator style push toward a new paradigm and want to find a new way to do something.Innovators like to explore uncharted territory, seek dramatic breakthroughs, and may have difficulty accepting an ongoing strategy. Bothinnovator and adaptor styles are essential to strategic management, but with different approaches. The Strategic Adaptor asks, “How can I makethis better?” The Strategic Innovator asks, “How can I make this different?” Strategic Innovators often use their skills in the formulation ofwhole new strategies, and Strategic Adaptors are often associated with strategic improvements and strategy execution.

If the difference between the two scores is 2 or less, you have a mid-adaptor/innovator style, and work well in both areas. If the difference is 4–6, you have a moderately strong style and probably work best in the area of your strength. And if the difference is 8–10, you have a strong styleand almost certainly would want to work in the area of your strength rather than in the opposite domain.

Sources: Adapted from Dorothy Marcic and Joe Seltzer, Organizational Behavior: Experiences and Cases (Cincinnati: South-Western, 1998), pp. 284–287; andWilliam Miller, Innovation Styles (Dallas, TX: Global Creativity Corporation, 1997). The adaptor/innovator concepts are from Michael J. Kirton, “Adaptors andInnovators: A Description and Measure,” Journal of Applied Psychology 61, no. 5 (1976), p. 623.

Required Resources

Text

Daft, R.L. (2018).  The leadership experience  (7th ed.). https://content.uagc.edu/

· Chapter 13: Creating Vision and Strategic Direction

· Chapter 14: Shaping Culture and Values

· Chapter 15: Leading Change           

Articles

Ebersole, G. (2007). The Critical Importance of Business Ethics for Effective Leadership (Links to an external site.) . http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Critical-Importance-of-Business-Ethics-For-Effective-Leadership&id=450816.

Rosenberg, M. (2009). How Leadership Affects Culture and Culture Affects Leadership (Links to an external site.) . http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Leadership-Affects-Culture-and-Culture-Affects-Leadership&id=1971055