PA 1961W Blog tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2011-06-18:/pojma002/pa1961wblog//13972 2011-08-19T21:53:36Z Movable Type Enterprise 4.31-en Emerging Definition of Leadership: Week Ten tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2011:/pojma002/pa1961wblog//13972.305144 2011-08-19T21:39:50Z 2011-08-19T21:53:36Z Last week's final definition: Leadership is the ability to maintain a vision while motivating and inspiring both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an inclusive, effective, empathetic, and... pojma002 Last week's final definition: Leadership is the ability to maintain a vision while motivating and inspiring both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an inclusive, effective, empathetic, and cohesive manner. Solid leadership also includes an element of transparency and openness with regards to communication and task accomplishment.


This week's definition: Leadership is the ability to maintain a vision while motivating and inspiring both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an inclusive, effective, empathetic, and cohesive manner based on the knowledge of group dynamics. Solid leadership also includes an element of transparency and openness with regards to communication and task accomplishment.


Analysis of the differences in the definition: This week, I added the phrase "based on the knowledge of group dynamics" in order to encompass the ideas put forth by Komives, Lucas, & McMahon (1998). Specifically, I agreed with Komives et al that a good leader should have an understanding of group dynamics and roles because "it is useful to know which roles the group needs and ask someone to engage in them" in order to boost the group's efficiency and productivity (pg. 174). On a broader note, I largely agreed with this week's readings and found them very informational, especially in the context of trying to understand group functionality in this online course. Each article raised points that I found myself agreeing with and I feel as though much of the messages are already incorporated in my definition with phrases such as "openness with regards to communication" and "effective". For this reason, I chose only to add "based on the knowledge of group dynamics" to my definition in order to better communicate the need for a leader to have an understanding of leadership and group functions. Other than that concept, I felt as though the articles expanded on ideas previously captured in my definition or otherwise provided background knowledge on leadership. I did enjoy, however, that Yoon & Johnson (2008) were able to provide a more scientific viewpoint and exploration of leadership and I felt that this helped me to broaden my understanding of the course material in the context of an actual, rather than theoretical, situation.


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.

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

]]> Emerging Definition of Leadership: Week Nine tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2011:/pojma002/pa1961wblog//13972.304642 2011-08-13T22:08:43Z 2011-08-13T22:15:34Z Last week's final definition: Leadership is the ability to maintain a vision while motivating and inspiring both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an inclusive, effective, empathetic, and... pojma002 Last week's final definition: Leadership is the ability to maintain a vision while motivating and inspiring both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an inclusive, effective, empathetic, and cohesive manner. Solid leadership also includes an element of transparency and openness with regards to communication and task accomplishment.


This week's definition: Leadership is the ability to maintain a vision while motivating and inspiring both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an inclusive, effective, empathetic, and cohesive manner. Solid leadership also includes an element of transparency and openness with regards to communication and task accomplishment.


Analysis of the differences in the definition: I decided not to add anything to my definition based on this week's readings. They way I interpreted the readings, they struck me as more informative on the topic of racism and the risks of flash judgments. Although I agreed with the points made in this week's readings and I enjoyed learning different viewpoints about topics familiar to me, I did not feel that it was necessary to add any of the messages to my current definition. One thing I found especially interesting was Gladwell's (2005) concept that "we make connections much more quickly between pairs of ideas that are already related in our minds than we do between pairs" that are less familiar (pg. 77). The concept of pair familiarity was something that I used to center my analysis of the other articles as I read. I found myself analyzing each article and the extent that I agreed with it based on how predisposed I already was to believe assertions on racism. All in all, I enjoyed the articles and agreed with their broad ideas but I decided not to incorporate them into my definition of leadership.

Gladwell, M. (2005). "The Warren Harding Error: Why we fall for tall, dark, and handsome men." Blink: The power of thinking without thinking (pp. 72-98). New York: Pushkin Enterprises.

]]> Emerging Definition of Leadership: Week Eight tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2011:/pojma002/pa1961wblog//13972.301229 2011-08-06T00:33:23Z 2011-08-06T00:44:56Z Last week's final definition: Leadership is the ability to maintain a vision while motivating and inspiring both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an inclusive, effective, empathetic, and... pojma002 Last week's final definition: Leadership is the ability to maintain a vision while motivating and inspiring both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an inclusive, effective, empathetic, and cohesive manner. Solid leadership also includes an element of transparency and openness with regards to communication and task accomplishment.


This week's definition: Leadership is the ability to maintain a vision while motivating and inspiring both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an inclusive, effective, empathetic, and cohesive manner. Solid leadership also includes an element of transparency and openness with regards to communication and task accomplishment.


Analysis of the differences in the definition: Once again this week, I decided not to add anything to my definition as I feel the major concepts from this week's readings are already incorporated into my definition. For example, Saphiere, Mikk, and Devries (2005) idea that effective communication involves complexity and complex revision is encompassed in my definition by the words "inclusive, effective...and openness with regards to communication" (pg. 48). Furthermore, Palloff and Pratt (2005) claim that "collaboration enhances learning outcomes and reduces the potential for learner isolation" which can be seen in the "inclusive" portion of my definition (pg. 1). I noticed that this echoed Saphiere et al's idea that "each performer is crucial to the overall success of the act" (pg. 49). Once again, I feel as though this major idea is well conveyed by my current definition. Although I enjoyed furthering my knowledge on effective communication and working well with others, I did not feel as though any novel ideas were introduced in this week's readings that needed to be incorporated into my definition. It was interesting to see the various metaphors and comparisons between communication and an online context and I found myself largely agreeing with the articles this week. Just as I did last week, I agreed with the authors of this week's readings due in part to the fact that my definition of leadership echoed much of what they had to say.


Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2005). "Learning together in community: Collaboration online." Paper presented at the 20th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning,1-5.

Saphiere, D. H., Mikk, B. K., & Devries, B. I. (2005). "Factors Affecting Communication Style: Starring acts in the circus." Communication Highwire: Leveraging the Power of Diverse Communication Styles. Youthmouth: Intercultural Press, 47-82.


]]> Emerging Definition of Leadership: Week Seven tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2011:/pojma002/pa1961wblog//13972.300461 2011-07-31T01:00:18Z 2011-07-31T01:09:35Z Last week's final definition: Leadership is the ability to maintain a vision while motivating and inspiring both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an inclusive, effective, empathetic, and... pojma002 Last week's final definition: Leadership is the ability to maintain a vision while motivating and inspiring both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an inclusive, effective, empathetic, and cohesive manner. Solid leadership also includes an element of transparency and openness with regards to communication and task accomplishment.


This week's definition: Leadership is the ability to maintain a vision while motivating and inspiring both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an inclusive, effective, empathetic, and cohesive manner. Solid leadership also includes an element of transparency and openness with regards to communication and task accomplishment.


Analysis of the differences in the definition: This week, I decided not to add anything to my definition because I felt as though it already encompassed the big idea's from this week's readings. Specifically, I feel as though my decision to add the word "inclusive" to my definition was covered thoroughly in Kegan and Lahey's (2009) idea that "finding a way to appropriately and effectively engage the personal and the private in the public life of work" (pg. 68). Although this idea addresses a more personal inclusiveness, I still think it is covered in my definition. I also feel as though both of this week's readings discussed a kind of inclusiveness in the sense that a good leader needs to have open communication and also stay true to themselves. While I really enjoyed reading about the various leadership strategies and success stories in this week's readings, I did not feel as though I should incorporate anything separate into my definition. It became clear to me that I am in agreement with both articles as I found myself noticing phrases and words from my definition, such as "openness with regards to communication" and "inclusive", being summarized with the words of both articles. For these reasons, I chose to leave my definition as is for this week.

Kegan, R., & Lahey, L. L. (2009). "Uncovering the Hidden Dynamic in the Challenge of Change." Immunity to Change: How to overcome it and unlock the potential in yourself and your organization (pp. 61-84). Boston: Harvard Business Press.



]]> Emerging Definition of Leadership: Week Six tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2011:/pojma002/pa1961wblog//13972.299952 2011-07-23T18:56:57Z 2011-07-23T19:19:24Z Last week's final definition: Leadership is the ability to maintain a vision while motivating and inspiring both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an effective, empathetic, and cohesive... pojma002 Last week's final definition: Leadership is the ability to maintain a vision while motivating and inspiring both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an effective, empathetic, and cohesive manner. Solid leadership also includes an element of transparency and openness with regards to communication and task accomplishment.


This week's definition: Leadership is the ability to maintain a vision while motivating and inspiring both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an inclusive, effective, empathetic, and cohesive manner. Solid leadership also includes an element of transparency and openness with regards to communication and task accomplishment.


Analysis of the differences in the definition: This week, I decided to add the phrase "inclusive" to my definition. After reading Astin & Astin's (1996) article, I found myself struck by their idea that leaders should work "to enhance the development of leadership qualities in all participants" (pg. 18). The idea of leadership throughout a group is very important to me and I constantly strive to encourage leadership in those I lead. Since the leadership in my sorority changes hands annually, it is important to me as a leader to make sure each member starts exploring their leadership qualities well before they assume a "traditional" leadership role. Astin & Astin's idea of an inclusive leadership model really aligned well with my own views and as a result, I found myself agreeing with their article as well as the other two articles from this week. Furthermore, I enjoyed the readings for this week because they helped provide a leadership-centered insight on topics I am already familiar with. For example, Goleman's (2006) description of optimal functioning is similar to the idea of flow, which I have learned about as a psychology major (pgs. 270-271). Although I furthered my knowledge of how best to lead, I only felt the need to incorporate the Astin & Astin article into this week's definition.


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.

Goleman, D. (2006). "The Sweet Spot for Achievement." Social Intelligence: The new science of human relationships (pp. 267-284). New York: Bantam Books.

]]> Emerging Definition of Leadership: Week Five tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2011:/pojma002/pa1961wblog//13972.299533 2011-07-17T02:16:42Z 2011-07-17T02:35:31Z Last week's final definition: Leadership is the ability to maintain a vision while motivating and inspiring both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an effective, empathetic, and cohesive... pojma002 Last week's final definition: Leadership is the ability to maintain a vision while motivating and inspiring both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an effective, empathetic, and cohesive manner. Solid leadership also includes an element of transparency and openness with regards to communication and task accomplishment.


This week's definition: Leadership is the ability to maintain a vision while motivating and inspiring both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an effective, empathetic, and cohesive manner. Solid leadership also includes an element of transparency and openness with regards to communication and task accomplishment.


Analysis of the differences in the definition: This week, I did not change anything about my definition for several reasons. First, I thought that the readings largely played into ideas I already encompass within my definition and second, I was not significantly impacted by anything I read this week, although I largely agreed with all of it. To illustrate, Heifitz, Grashow, & Linsky (2009) mention the fact that a good, adaptive leader is one who can "use leadership to generate more leadership deep in the organization" (pg. 66). This statement was the only statement that struck me this week other than Heifitz & Linsky's (2002) general idea of constantly monitoring leadership situations (pgs. 51-74). Although not explicitly stated, I feel as though my definition of leadership alludes to a lot of constant action and analysis, as referenced by the readings this week and evident in the words "effective" and "action or change" in my definition. Furthermore, the word "inspiring" within my definition speaks to the idea of cultivating leadership throughout the team and this week's readings helped to remind me of the value of encouraging leadership everywhere (Heifitz et al, pg. 66). Despite not altering my definition at all, I did enjoy this week's readings, because they did a great job explaining the importance of "the need to get perspective in the midst of action" throughout the leadership process (Heifitz & Linsky, pg. 51). I honestly agree with the whole involvement idea, even during hard times, that both Heifitz et al articles discussed but I did not feel the need to further incorporate any of their ideas directly into my leadership definition.

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

Heifitz, 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 Four tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2011:/pojma002/pa1961wblog//13972.298854 2011-07-08T02:30:58Z 2011-07-08T02:47:56Z Last week's final definition: Leadership is the ability to motivate and inspire both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an effective, empathetic, and cohesive manner. Solid leadership also... pojma002 Last week's final definition: Leadership is the ability to motivate and inspire both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an effective, empathetic, and cohesive manner. Solid leadership also includes an element of transparency and openness with regards to communication and task accomplishment.


This week's definition: Leadership is the ability to maintain a vision while motivating and inspiring both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an effective, empathetic, and cohesive manner. Solid leadership also includes an element of transparency and openness with regards to communication and task accomplishment.


Analysis of the differences in the definition: This week, I added the phrase "maintain a vision" to my definition because I was really influenced by the assertion made by Lee and King (2001) that "effectiveness in leadership begins with vision" (pg. 31). The more I read their article, the more I began to analyze how my current leadership style incorporates my own core values and goals. I never thought about leadership as being something that comes from a person's essence but it makes a lot of sense. During my reflection, I realized that the times I "feel a positive self-image" as a leader are when I am most aligned with my own goals and visions for the future (Lee & King, pg. 41). I really enjoyed this week's readings, especially because they seemed to all tie together the idea brought up by Lee and King that core values, manifested in leadership, truly guide our actions and decisions. The Paul and Elder (2006) article helped to introduce the gray area of ethical decision making while the Kidder (2003) article really pulled personal values into ethics and got me to think about those tough choices "that pit one "right" value against another" (pg. 16). I enjoyed the linearity between the readings and I was prompted many time to analyze my own values and judgments in the outlined examples. I profoundly agree with the vast majority of this week's readings since I have always been the kind of person that leads with their heart and values. The readings this week helped me to tie the important values-based part of myself into my own leadership style and I can truthfully say that my ideas of leadership are evolving due in large part to this week's readings.


Lee, R. J., & King, S. N. (2001). "Ground your leadership vision in a personal vision." Discovering the Leader in You: A guide to realizing your personal leadership potential (pp. 31-54). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, Inc.

Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2006). "The Function of Ethics--and Its Main Impediement." Understanding the Foundation 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 Three tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2011:/pojma002/pa1961wblog//13972.298625 2011-07-04T13:32:22Z 2011-07-05T18:53:29Z Last week's final definition: Leadership is the ability to motivate and inspire both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an effective and cohesive manner. Solid leadership also includes... pojma002 Last week's final definition: Leadership is the ability to motivate and inspire both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an effective and cohesive manner. Solid leadership also includes an element of transparency and openness with regards to communication and task accomplishment.


This week's definition: Leadership is the ability to motivate and inspire both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an effective, empathetic, and cohesive manner. Solid leadership also includes an element of transparency and openness with regards to communication and task accomplishment.


Analysis of the differences in the definition: This week, I added the word "empathetic" to my definition because relating to others and keeping a personal, upbeat attitude was something that really struck me from the reading. Specifically, Goleman and Boyatzis (2008) made me think about how much I have been able "to be demanding but in ways that foster a positive mood in" those that I lead (pg. 75). I realized that being able to keep people positive is really important if you expect them to be productive and follow your lead. I mostly enjoyed this week's readings and I feel like they brought up a good analysis of the potential dangers of leadership, such as stress (Goleman et al, pg. 78) and the darker side of our leadership personalities (Kyle 1998, pgs. 174-181). Both articles got me to think about taking my environment and emotions more into account with my own leadership. I would not say that I disagree with any of the readings from this week or last week because most of the content dealt with exploring scientific and theoretical explanations of internal activities. Personally, I side somewhere in between a biological and theoretical perspective. I enjoyed this week's readings because they allowed me to be more honest with myself about why I lead the way I do and examine how in tune I am with all of my leadership dimensions.


Goleman, D., & Boyatzis, R. (2008). "Social intelligence and the biology of leadership." Harvard Business Review, 86(9), 74-81.

Kyle, D. T. (1998). "The sovereign: The power of presence." The Four Powers of Leadership: Presence, intention, wisdom, compassion (pp. 159-191). Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications Inc.

]]> Emerging Definition of Leadership: Week Two tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2011:/pojma002/pa1961wblog//13972.298036 2011-06-25T21:20:51Z 2011-07-02T19:40:30Z Last week's final definition: Leadership is the ability to motivate both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an effective and cohesive manner. In my opinion, solid leadership also... pojma002 Last week's final definition: Leadership is the ability to motivate both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an effective and cohesive manner. In my opinion, solid leadership also includes an element of fluidity and openness with regards to communication and task accomplishment.

This week's definition: Leadership is the ability to motivate and inspire both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an effective and cohesive manner. Solid leadership also includes an element of transparency and openness with regards to communication and task accomplishment.

Analysis of the differences in the definition: This week, I added the word "inspire" to my definition because inspiring people was one of the major themes I took from this week's readings as well as last week's reading with regards to effective leadership. Although technically from week one's reading, Rath and Conchie's (2009) idea of "the ultimate test of a leader" being "not what you are able to do in the here and now--but instead what continues to grow long after you're gone" really resonated with me (p. 95). I realized I believe that a true leader--and thus the essence of leadership--really involves the ability to inspire people to continue impacting the world long after you stop leading. I also replaced "fluidity" with "transparency" because I felt as though it communicated my thoughts more accurately. I thoroughly enjoyed this week's readings because they helped me to bring my own leadership style under scrutiny and figure out exactly what I stand for as well as what kind of leadership I exercise. The readings really got me to think about how I operate as a leader as well as how I could make my leadership more effective by focusing on my style and becoming versatile in other styles. I would not say that I disagree with any of the readings from this week or last week because most of the content dealt with exploring a wide spectrum of ideas and opinions. I think it was a very good idea to explore these readings because I found myself mentally analyzing which parts of each article I identified with more in order to identify my leadership styles.

]]> Initial Definition of Leadership tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2011:/pojma002/pa1961wblog//13972.297538 2011-06-18T22:17:02Z 2011-06-18T22:24:59Z My initial definition of leadership is the ability to motivate both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an effective and cohesive manner. In my opinion, solid leadership also... pojma002 My initial definition of leadership is the ability to motivate both yourself and a group of people in order to put plans into action or bring about change in an effective and cohesive manner. In my opinion, solid leadership also includes an element of fluidity and openness with regards to communication and task accomplishment.

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