Cit 1

Increasingly each of us--regardless of where we reside in a city, country, region, or continent--is bombarded by movies, advertisements, song lyrics, political discourse, books, work programs, and education courses that make the claim that leaders are fundamental to organizational success and social civility.

Journalists, educators, and politicians around the world extol the virtues of leaders--and the dearth of leadership in many contexts. In 2017, a key word search on the word “leadership” results in a list of more than 30,000 books distributed through Amazon alone. Further, likely each of us has a personal perception of the definition, role, and purpose of leadership.

With much attention on leadership (even amid a lack of leadership standards), managers and scholars are wise to grasp their own leadership philosophies, assumptions, and biases.

1. To launch our discussion this week, begin by identifying a leadership approach with which you are personally familiar. (See Western, 2013, Chapter 2 [required reading] and Page II of this week’s lecture for examples of leadership approaches.)
2. In an original post, describe a scenario in which you witnessed or experienced a particular leadership approach. Then, choose one of Western’s (2013) [required reading] four frames of critical inquiry to explore the leadership approach, to explain your analytic process, and to provide a description of your findings.
   • The original post should be no more than three to four paragraphs written in clear, concise form.
   • Support your writing with at least two scholarly sources that are in addition to required readings.