Andrew Orcutt's Blog tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2011-09-10:/orcut017/edpa_1301w//14294 2011-11-20T05:22:00Z Movable Type Enterprise 4.31-en Week 11 tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2011:/orcut017/edpa_1301w//14294.322950 2011-11-20T05:18:17Z 2011-11-20T05:22:00Z Last week's definition: Learning about the three dimensions of groups was very interesting. I completely agree that groups are formed for different purposes, that they are structured differently, and that different groups exist for different amounts of time. I also... orcut017 Last week's definition:
Learning about the three dimensions of groups was very interesting. I completely agree that groups are formed for different purposes, that they are structured differently, and that different groups exist for different amounts of time. I also agreed with the 4 stages of group progression that Komives, Lucas, and McMahon (1998) outlined and felt that it was very enlightening to explore each of them in further detail. Each of the 4 stages; forming, storming, norming, and performing plays an intergral part of group progression and are necessary for achieving success as a whole. Keeping these in mind as I move forward as a leader will better help me to effectively lead not only as a group, but a team as well.

Emerging Definition:
This week's article grabbed my attention in a different way than past articles have. It talked a lot about change and the processes that people go through in order to change and the factors that play into the changes they experience. Change is an integral part of being a leader because of the constant changes one faces in everyday life. As a leader it is important to recognize and anticipate these changes, and devise a strategy to effectively manage or lead your way through the changes successfully. I believe successful leaders must possess the ability to adapt to change and must communicate that effectively to the people or group they are leading.

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

]]> Week 10 tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2011:/orcut017/edpa_1301w//14294.321255 2011-11-09T21:26:13Z 2011-11-09T21:57:35Z Last week's definition: "Putting myself on the balcony"(Heifetz & Linsky, 2002) is something that has been very difficult for me to do in my life. I am a very strong-willed and determined person which makes it somewhat challenging to put... orcut017 Last week's definition:
"Putting myself on the balcony"(Heifetz & Linsky, 2002) is something that has been very difficult for me to do in my life. I am a very strong-willed and determined person which makes it somewhat challenging to put myself in another person's perspective or to separate myself from the situation so that I can better assess it. I think the Heifetz and Linsky(2002) article was very interesting and insightful. I completely agree with the strategies they discussed and the beneficial outcomes that can result in putting yourself on the balcony. I believe all successful leaders should be able to feel and understand what their followers are thinking and feeling and practicing this tactic will help improve my leadership skills.

Emerging Definition:
Learning about the three dimensions of groups was very interesting. I completely agree that groups are formed for different purposes, that they are structured differently, and that different groups exist for different amounts of time. I also agreed with the 4 stages of group progression that Komives, Lucas, and McMahon (1998) outlined and felt that it was very enlightening to explore each of them in further detail. Each of the 4 stages; forming, storming, norming, and performing plays an intergral part of group progression and are necessary for achieving success as a whole. Keeping these in mind as I move forward as a leader will better help me to effectively lead not only as a group, but a team as well.

Komives, S. R., Lucas, N., & McMahon, T. R. (1998). "Interacting in Teams and Groups." Exploring Leadership: For college students who want to make a difference (pp. 165 - 194). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

]]> Week 8 tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2011:/orcut017/edpa_1301w//14294.318161 2011-10-27T20:47:27Z 2011-10-27T20:53:38Z Last week's definition: The term servant leader was a new concept introduced to me through the Barbuto & Wheeler (2007) article and I was very impressed with it. I thought it was extremely well-written and included many ideas that I... orcut017 Last week's definition:
The term servant leader was a new concept introduced to me through the Barbuto & Wheeler (2007) article and I was very impressed with it. I thought it was extremely well-written and included many ideas that I strongly agreed with. Reading about the qualities of a servant leader made me think of myself and ponder if I am a servant leader or not. I came to the conclusion that I am not a true servant leader but I have and show certain servant leader qualities at times. I think if I continue to focus on improving the qualities I do have and acquiring the ones I don't I will greatly improve my overall abilities as an effective leader.

Emerging Definition:
"Putting myself on the balcony"(Heifetz & Linsky, 2002) is something that has been very difficult for me to do in my life. I am a very strong-willed and determined person which makes it somewhat challenging to put myself in another person's perspective or to separate myself from the situation so that I can better assess it. I think the Heifetz and Linsky(2002) article was very interesting and insightful. I completely agree with the strategies they discussed and the beneficial outcomes that can result in putting yourself on the balcony. I believe all successful leaders should be able to feel and understand what their followers are thinking and feeling and practicing this tactic will help improve my leadership skills.

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.

]]> Week 7 tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2011:/orcut017/edpa_1301w//14294.316052 2011-10-20T04:39:44Z 2011-10-20T04:44:46Z Last week's definition: This week's reading left my definition of leadership rather unchanged due to my understanding that corporate leadership is different than other forms of leadership. I did enjoy the many anecdotes and examples of real companies and real... orcut017 Last week's definition:
This week's reading left my definition of leadership rather unchanged due to my understanding that corporate leadership is different than other forms of leadership. I did enjoy the many anecdotes and examples of real companies and real executives employing leadership tactics to power their companies through the recession or to increase market share. The concept of adaptive leadership caught my attention and I found it very interesting to read about, even though the concept itself had previously been introduced to me. I think reading real world examples and understanding what other people have done to be successful leaders is important and will help me to grow as a leader in the future.

Emerging definition:
The term servant leader was a new concept introduced to me through the Barbuto & Wheeler (2007) article and I was very impressed with it. I thought it was extremely well-written and included many ideas that I strongly agreed with. Reading about the qualities of a servant leader made me think of myself and ponder if I am a servant leader or not. I came to the conclusion that I am not a true servant leader but I have and show certain servant leader qualities at times. I think if I continue to focus on improving the qualities I do have and acquiring the ones I don't I will greatly improve my overall abilities as an effective leader.

Barbuto, J. E., & Wheeler, D. W. (2007). "Becoming a Servant Leader: Do you have what it takes?" Retrieved from www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/live/g1481/build/g1481.pdf

]]> Week 6 tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2011:/orcut017/edpa_1301w//14294.315043 2011-10-13T21:24:12Z 2011-10-13T21:38:57Z Last Week's Definition: Making decisions as a leader can be incredibly difficult at times, especially when both sides of the decision seem to be the right choice. I think Kidder's 4 paradigms for right vs. right decisions are a very... orcut017 Last Week's Definition:
Making decisions as a leader can be incredibly difficult at times, especially when both sides of the decision seem to be the right choice. I think Kidder's 4 paradigms for right vs. right decisions are a very accurate portrayal of the types of tough decisions leaders may face. I believe the best leaders are able to distiniguish between the different types of right vs. right decisions and act on the best possible decision that produces the best outcome for the group. I want to grow as a leader by perfecting my ability to recognize right vs. right dilemmas and choose the best possible outcome.

Emerging Definition:
This week's reading left my definition of leadership rather unchanged due to my understanding that corporate leadership is different than other forms of leadership. I did enjoy the many anecdotes and examples of real companies and real executives employing leadership tactics to power their companies through the recession or to increase market share. The concept of adaptive leadership caught my attention and I found it very interesting to read about, even though the concept itself had previously been introduced to me. I think reading real world examples and understanding what other people have done to be successful leaders is important and will help me to grow as a leader in the future.

Heifetz, R., Grashow, A., & Linsky, M. (2009). "Leadership in a (permanent) crisis." Harvard Business Review, 87(7), 62-69

]]> Week 5 tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2011:/orcut017/edpa_1301w//14294.312578 2011-10-04T18:43:51Z 2011-10-04T18:51:58Z Last Week's Definition: I was very interested in the Terry reading this week, and I was especially taken by the first of eight pairs of contrasting ideas of leadership; whether leadership is born or made. I feel strongly about the... orcut017 Last Week's Definition:
I was very interested in the Terry reading this week, and I was especially taken by the first of eight pairs of contrasting ideas of leadership; whether leadership is born or made. I feel strongly about the idea that leaders are born, not made. I do believe people can learn the skills necessary to be an effective leader, however I completely agree with Terry when he states that people have certain natural gifts. I believe great leaders are born with the tools necessary to be a good leader and therefore are more effective leaders in life.

Emerging Definition:
Making decisions as a leader can be incredibly difficult at times, especially when both sides of the decision seem to be the right choice. I think Kidder's 4 paradigms for right vs. right decisions are a very accurate portrayal of the types of tough decisions leaders may face. I believe the best leaders are able to distiniguish between the different types of right vs. right decisions and act on the best possible decision that produces the best outcome for the group. I want to grow as a leader by perfecting my ability to recognize right vs. right dilemmas and choose the best possible outcome.

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

]]> Week 4 tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2011:/orcut017/edpa_1301w//14294.310282 2011-09-26T22:58:36Z 2011-09-26T23:05:05Z Last Week's Definition: My definition of leadership has changed slightly since last week. The Rath & Conchie article helped me identify the followers' four basic needs: trust, stability, compassion, and hope. I had never thought about what a follower needs... orcut017 Last Week's Definition:
My definition of leadership has changed slightly since last week. The Rath & Conchie article helped me identify the followers' four basic needs: trust, stability, compassion, and hope. I had never thought about what a follower needs before and I think taking this into account is an interesting perspective that will help me going forward.

Emerging Definition:
I was very interested in the Terry reading this week, and I was especially taken by the first of eight pairs of contrasting ideas of leadership; whether leadership is born or made. I feel strongly about the idea that leaders are born, not made. I do believe people can learn the skills necessary to be an effective leader, however I completely agree with Terry when he states that people have certain natural gifts. I believe great leaders are born with the tools necessary to be a good leader and therefore are more effective leaders in life.

• 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.

]]> Leadership tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2011:/orcut017/edpa_1301w//14294.309374 2011-09-22T04:43:36Z 2011-09-22T05:27:10Z I believe leadership can take many forms and has multiple ways of presenting itself. I have always known leadership to be an existing force or obvious presence at the head of a group giving it direction and purpose. An example... orcut017 I believe leadership can take many forms and has multiple ways of presenting itself. I have always known leadership to be an existing force or obvious presence at the head of a group giving it direction and purpose. An example would be the veteran captain of a football team; someone who has been there for quite some time, who knows the ins and outs of the business/team/group, and who knows the best way to direct the group towards success and will do whatever it takes to achieve greatness.

My definition of leadership has changed slightly since last week. The Rath & Conchie article helped me identify the followers' four basic needs: trust, stability, compassion, and hope. I had never thought about what a follower needs before and I think taking this into account is an interesting perspective that will help me going forward.

Rath, T. & Conchie, B. (2009). "Understanding why people follow." Strengths based leadership: Great leaders, teams, and why people follow. (pp. 79 - 85). New York: Gallup Press

]]> Initial Definition of Leadership tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2011:/orcut017/edpa_1301w//14294.307305 2011-09-11T03:58:59Z 2011-09-11T04:10:21Z I believe leadership can take many forms and has multiple ways of presenting itself. I have always known leadership to be an existing force or obvious presence at the head of a group giving it direction and purpose. An example... orcut017 I believe leadership can take many forms and has multiple ways of presenting itself. I have always known leadership to be an existing force or obvious presence at the head of a group giving it direction and purpose. An example would be the veteran captain of a football team; someone who has been there for quite some time, who knows the ins and outs of the business/team/group, and who knows the best way to direct the group towards success and will do whatever it takes to achieve greatness.

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