Steffen Beck's Blog tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012-02-01:/beckx381/steffenbecksblog//15780 2012-04-22T06:28:24Z Movable Type Enterprise 4.31-en Emerging definition of leadership week 14 tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/beckx381/steffenbecksblog//15780.352371 2012-04-22T06:23:58Z 2012-04-22T06:28:24Z Last weeks definition: When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. Leaders will look at both short term and long term objectives to determine their course of... beckx381 Last weeks definition: When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. Leaders will look at both short term and long term objectives to determine their course of action, which will almost always be deliberate and planned out. A leader will also collaborate with other people and can use many different forms of communication to achieve a groups goal.

This week's: When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. Leaders will look at both short term and long term objectives to determine their course of action, which will almost always be deliberate and planned out. A leader will also collaborate with other people and can use many different forms of communication to achieve a groups goal.


Changes: After reading this week's article on communication in the virtual world and communicating face to face, I realized how important the internet and online interaction has become. However, when looking at my definition of leadership, I have been including this in the last part for many week's now. this is why I have decided not to change it. Leadership communication is an ever-evolving process as we can see from the increase in usage of the internet for broadcasting information as well as maintaining relationships. Communication can be maintained and created on many different levels.


Saphiere, D. H., Mikk, B. K., & Devries, B. I. (2005). "Factors Affecting Communication Style: Starring acts in the circus." 47 - 82. Retrieved from http://www.download-it.org/free_files/Pages%20from%20Chapter%2003%20-%20Factors%20Affecting%20Communication%20Style-c2c273a32b32ce590fe42518fa48db05.pdf.


Sessions, L. F. (2010). How offline gatherings affect online communities: When virtual community members 'meet up'. Information, Communication & Society, 13(3), 375-395. doi:10.1080/13691180903468954

]]> Emerging definition of leadership week 13 tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/beckx381/steffenbecksblog//15780.350896 2012-04-12T22:19:27Z 2012-04-12T22:28:35Z Last week's: When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. Leaders will look at both short term and long term objectives to determine their course of action.... beckx381 Last week's: When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. Leaders will look at both short term and long term objectives to determine their course of action. A leader will also collaborate with other people and can use many different forms of communication to achieve a groups goal.

This week's: When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. Leaders will look at both short term and long term objectives to determine their course of action, which will almost always be deliberate and planned out. A leader will also collaborate with other people and can use many different forms of communication to achieve a groups goal.

Changes: After reading this weeks article in ICT, I added a part to my definition that includes acting upon a course of action deliberately. Leaders plan their course of action out, and then act upon it. These changes, based on short or long term goals, are planned and then executed with a final goal in mind. This includes a "desirable, sustainable change."


Boyatzis, R. E. (2006). "An Overview of Intentional Change from a Leadership Perspective." Journal of Management Development, 25(7), 607-623. doi:10.1108/02621710610678445

]]> Emerging definition of leadership week 12 tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/beckx381/steffenbecksblog//15780.349944 2012-04-07T22:18:17Z 2012-04-07T22:24:39Z Last week's definition: When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. Leaders will look at both short term and long term objectives to determine their course of... beckx381 Last week's definition: When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. Leaders will look at both short term and long term objectives to determine their course of action. A leader will also collaborate with other people to share ideas and bring out the best ideas from everyone.

This weeks: When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. Leaders will look at both short term and long term objectives to determine their course of action. A leader will also collaborate with other people and can use many different forms of communication to achieve a groups goal.

Changes: After reading Yoon and Johnson's article on virtual group work it made me realize that virtual technologies have influenced group work so much, especially in this day and age. I changed the definition to include a part on collaborating via virtual means or on a face to face basis. There are obviously many pros and cons to using each of these methods, however they have both proved to be efficient means of achieving a common goal.

Yoon, S., & Johnson, S. (2008). Phases and patterns of group development in virtual learning teams. Educational Technology Research & Development, 56(5), 595-618. doi:10.1007/s11423-007-9078-x (in online sections folder of reading packet)

]]> Emerging definition of leadership week 11 tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/beckx381/steffenbecksblog//15780.348607 2012-03-31T17:33:20Z 2012-03-31T17:35:54Z Last weeks definition: When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. Leaders will look at both short term and long term objectives to determine their course of... beckx381 Last weeks definition: When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. Leaders will look at both short term and long term objectives to determine their course of action. A leader will also collaborate with other people to share ideas and bring out the best ideas from everyone.

This weeks definition: When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. Leaders will look at both short term and long term objectives to determine their course of action. A leader will also collaborate with other people to share ideas and bring out the best ideas from everyone.

Changes: Again, I have decided not to change my definition. I do not feel that the readings offered any information that I would like to put in my definition of leadership. This does not mean that the readings did not have anything valuable to take away. Gladwell's article about the Warren Harding error is quite interesting as is Kezar's when he is talking about women and leadership.

]]> Emerging definition of leadership week 8 tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/beckx381/steffenbecksblog//15780.343234 2012-03-06T21:28:46Z 2012-03-06T21:33:50Z Last week's definition: When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. Leaders will look at both short term and long term objectives to determine their course of... beckx381 Last week's definition: When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. Leaders will look at both short term and long term objectives to determine their course of action. A leader will also collaborate with other people to share ideas and bring out the best ideas from everyone.

This week's definition: When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. Leaders will look at both short term and long term objectives to determine their course of action. A leader will also collaborate with other people to share ideas and bring out the best ideas from everyone.

Changes: I did not want to change my definition from last week to this week. I feel that my three sentence definition accurately demonstrate three very important aspects of leading. Leaders guide others while looking at all aspects of their goal and taking each person's ideas to form a plan which they then will execute. One of this week's readings talks about distancing yourself for a short period of time to look at everything around you that is happening. I feel that this is important, however in order to collaborate properly, a leader must sit back and listen and watch anyhow. I feel that this is already included in my definition.

Heifetz, R. A., & Linsky, M. (2002). "Get on the balcony." Leadership on the Line: Staying alive through the dangers of leading (pp. 51 - 74). Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

]]> Emerging definition of leadership week 7 tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/beckx381/steffenbecksblog//15780.342359 2012-03-02T16:38:38Z 2012-03-02T17:17:17Z Last week's definition: When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. Leaders will also look at both short term and long term objectives to determine their course... beckx381 Last week's definition: When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. Leaders will also look at both short term and long term objectives to determine their course of action.

This week's definition: When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. Leaders will look at both short term and long term objectives to determine their course of action. A leader will also collaborate with other people to share ideas and bring out the best ideas from everyone.

Changes: I took out the middle sentence from the previous week's definition because I wanted to add something about collaborating from this week's readings. I felt that the ideas about collaborating to produce a cohesive leadership environment are very important. Collaborating allows everyone to have input on the matter at hand.

Astin, H. S., & Astin, A. W. (1996). A social change model of leadership development: Guidebook (version III) (pp. 4 - 27). Los Angeles: University of California Los Angeles Higher Education Research Institute.

]]> Emerging definition of leadership week 6 tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/beckx381/steffenbecksblog//15780.340209 2012-02-24T23:57:12Z 2012-02-25T00:13:24Z Last week's definition: When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. It is important for a leader to look at his or her own values, and decide... beckx381 Last week's definition: When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. It is important for a leader to look at his or her own values, and decide which strategies they are going to employ. These strategies will be different with respect to ethics, reasoning, values, and course of action.

This week's definition: When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. It is important for a leader to look at his or her own values, and decide which strategies they are going to employ. Leaders will also look at both short term and long term objectives to determine their course of action.

Changes: I left this weeks definition the same besides the last sentence. The article for this week talked some about the problem of leaders only looking at short term fixes. A good leader will look at both short and long term visions and figure out a plan that will achieve both of these. It is hard to do this, but maintaining a good balance of goals will make sure it happens.

Heifetz, R., Grashow, A., & Linsky, M. (2009). "Leadership in a (permanent) crisis." Harvard Business Review, 87(7), 62-69. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=keh&AN=41997981&site=ehost-live

]]> Emerging Definition of Leadership Week 5. tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/beckx381/steffenbecksblog//15780.339007 2012-02-17T18:40:58Z 2012-02-24T23:15:17Z Last Week's Definition: When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. There are many different ways leaders go about this, certain ways working better in certain situations.... beckx381 Last Week's Definition: When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. There are many different ways leaders go about this, certain ways working better in certain situations.

This week's new definition: When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. It is important for a leader to look at his or her own values, and decide which strategies they are going to employ. These strategies will be different with respect to ethics, reasoning, values, and course of action.

Changes: I left the first sentence the same because i feel that it is a very accurate description of the goal of leadership. I changed the second sentence to include more specific information about what leaders need to think about when leading, as last week and this week's reading indicate. Values are the foundation for leaders, and it is important for a leader to know how and why they are leading. "To reason well through an ethical question or issue requires that we identify and apply the
ethical concept relevant to it." (Paul & Elder, 2006). I like this quote because it says that one must think through things before acting upon it, which is a quality that a good leader must have.

Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2006). "The Function of Ethics -- and Its Main Impediement." Understanding the Foundations of Ethical Reasoning (pp. 4 - 36). Dillon Beach, CA: Foundation for Critical Thinking.

Kidder, R. M. (2003). "Overview: The ethics of right vs. right." How Good People Make Tough Choices (pp. 13 - 29). New York: Simon & Schuster.

]]> Emerging Definition of Leadership Week 4 tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/beckx381/steffenbecksblog//15780.337982 2012-02-10T22:08:34Z 2012-02-10T22:33:26Z Last week's Final Definition: When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. There can be many different styles of leaders, however all show an example that others... beckx381 Last week's Final Definition: When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. There can be many different styles of leaders, however all show an example that others can learn from and follow.

This week's Definition: When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. There are many different ways leaders go about this, certain ways working better in certain situations.

Changes: I changed my definition slightly after reading about different views of leadership. I also found the nine questions in Terry's article very interesting because they bring up questions that many people do not think about. The Born or Made part of Terry's article is interesting to me because it gives two very different perspectives on what makes a leader. I feel that it is always going to be a combination of both, because natural leaders will always become better with experience. One quote i really like is "Many organizations go under because they are led by positional
fakes who do not have any idea what they're doing. These people are
the opposite of the leaders we really need"(Terry, 2001). I cannot agree more with this statement because i feel that especially in today's society, people automatically assume that someone in a position of power is someone who can lead and set examples.

Terry, R. (2001). "Deciding what you believe." Seven zones for leadership: Acting authentically in stability and chaos (pp. 20 - 40). Mountain View, CA: Davies-Black Publishing, Inc.

]]> Emerging Definition of Leadership Week 3 tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/beckx381/steffenbecksblog//15780.336252 2012-02-01T17:25:22Z 2012-02-01T17:39:15Z Last week's final definition: - When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. Leaders show an example of something that others can replicate or create new ideas... beckx381 Last week's final definition:
- When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. Leaders show an example of something that others can replicate or create new ideas from.

This week's definition:
- When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. There can be many different styles of leaders, however all show an example that others can learn from and follow.

Change in definitions:
- I realized that there can be numerous types of leaders. Also, leaders can have strengths and often times weaknesses, which all come into play in their style of leadership. However, i still feel that leaders are people or groups who pave the way for others and are examples. Some leaders may do this very differently, however in the end a leader always gives people something to model themselves after. I thought that the coaching type of leading was interesting because it incorporated constructive actions into teaching someone, instead of coercive measures.


Goleman, D. (2000). Leadership that gets results. Informally published manuscript, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachussetts. , Available from Business Source Premier. Retrieved from https://moodle2.umn.edu/pluginfile.php/166453/mod_label/intro/Goleman.pdf

]]> Meaning of Leadership tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/beckx381/steffenbecksblog//15780.336240 2012-02-01T17:18:10Z 2012-02-01T17:19:15Z When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. Leaders show an example of something that others can replicate or create new ideas from.... beckx381 When a single person or a group of people guides others to better themselves, they are exhibiting qualities of a leader. Leaders show an example of something that others can replicate or create new ideas from.

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