For this blog I decided to discuss Sojourner Truth as an unelected leader. Although, she is no longer living and the context of this blog is from past history, I do believe it is very relevant to some of our class theories. For a brief biography of Sojourner please follow this link: http://www.sojournertruth.org/Library/Archive/LegacyOfFaith.htm. Sojourner Truth was an African American woman living in New York City as a slave and as a free woman when it was later emancipated. Sojourner was not a very intelligent individual and she had no experience in public speaking or politics. Yet, she found the courage to join feminist and abolitionist movements to speak on issues like slavery, equal rights for blacks and women. Sojourner found herself speaking to crowds of people who highly opposed her as much as they opposed the issues she wanted to bring justice to. Despite her adversity and lack of "professional" knowledge she still was able to change the way people looked at women's rights in the seventeenth century. One of her most infamous speeches was "aint I a woman". In this speech Sojourner highlighted why women and men should be treated equally. I believe Sojourner is an unelected leader because no one formally elected her as a leader of these movements and she was highly opposed by majority of women and men. These groups of people opposed her because they either didn't think she was capable of being in such a position or they didn't agree with what she had to say. Again despite the situation and circumstances Sojourner was able to press through the barriers of adversity and become a highly publicized and respected abolitionist for women's rights. My question for the group is how do you think Sojouner's experience as a Woman and a leader in the seventeenth century is similar and dissimilar to leaders today? Do you think she is a credible leader? if so according to which theory?
Quasheena Ellis
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Experienced Authentic Leaders
http://www.lougehrig.com/about/als.htm
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/167924-lou-gehrig-remembering-the-quiet-forgotten-leader-of-murderers-row
The name Lou Gehrig is more than a legendary Hall of Fame baseball player. The name means more than a former Yankee Captain and World Series Champion. It means more than his tough persona and nickname ("The Iron Horse") indicates. Lou Gehrig is a disease, a disease that is incurable and leads inevitably to death to those who have it. Throughout the semester, I have become interested in those who have leadership placed upon them. Leaders who have no choice but to embrace a cause purely through association are typically the most authentic leaders of all. Could Martin Luther King Jr have led the Civil Rights movement if he hadn't faced the hate and bigotry of the South? Could Lance Armstrong become a symbol of hope to those who have Cancer if he didn't experience the disease? Could Magic Johnson discuss the fear he faced when diagnosed with HIV if he didn't experience it? Simply put, Authentic leaders whom experience their cause, often leads to the best authentic leadership.
Leaders who experience the causes they represent have unbelievable support from their followers. These leaders are able to create a sense of trust and honesty that others can't be replicate. This high level of trust ensures followers that they are following a noble cause. The leaders themselves are the cause the followers support. An outsider trying to replicate this behavior is often viewed as phony and selfish.
Authentic leaders like Lou Gehrig are able to leverage all of the authentic leadership characteristics. They are so closely linked to their cause that followers will go beyond the basic call of duty in order to complete a task. Examining the Authentic Action Wheel, one notices that a leader who experiences his cause first hand is able to create high levels of meaning, existence, and power. These three concepts can motivate followers to fully embrace the mission and structure more closely than they would with an outside leader.
As one can see, obviously leaders who experience their causes are able to embrace their message and gain support from their followers better than outside leaders. The question remains, does this relationship exist in business? The answer: Absolutely. Take a look at any business, and somewhere in their history you will find a leader who first hand experienced the cause they are supporting. Take for instance the Ford Motor Company, Henry Ford embraced the causes his business supported and his employees followed due to his first hand experience with creating Ford Motor Company from nothing to the top car company it once was. Henry Ford benefited from creating the company himself. This experience shows commitment to the company that other leaders cannot replicate. Although he had a choice to start a business or not, his first hand experience with the struggles any start up business experiences can be used to motivate his employees. Anybody who starts their own company can use authentic leadership to enhance their relationship with their employees. To sum up, when someone has experienced the cause they support first hand, they are better suited for authentic leadership than an outsider. These leaders can motivate their followers in a unique way that emotionally affects those involved. And we all know people will fight for a cause they believe in.
Dan Becker
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/167924-lou-gehrig-remembering-the-quiet-forgotten-leader-of-murderers-row
The name Lou Gehrig is more than a legendary Hall of Fame baseball player. The name means more than a former Yankee Captain and World Series Champion. It means more than his tough persona and nickname ("The Iron Horse") indicates. Lou Gehrig is a disease, a disease that is incurable and leads inevitably to death to those who have it. Throughout the semester, I have become interested in those who have leadership placed upon them. Leaders who have no choice but to embrace a cause purely through association are typically the most authentic leaders of all. Could Martin Luther King Jr have led the Civil Rights movement if he hadn't faced the hate and bigotry of the South? Could Lance Armstrong become a symbol of hope to those who have Cancer if he didn't experience the disease? Could Magic Johnson discuss the fear he faced when diagnosed with HIV if he didn't experience it? Simply put, Authentic leaders whom experience their cause, often leads to the best authentic leadership.
Leaders who experience the causes they represent have unbelievable support from their followers. These leaders are able to create a sense of trust and honesty that others can't be replicate. This high level of trust ensures followers that they are following a noble cause. The leaders themselves are the cause the followers support. An outsider trying to replicate this behavior is often viewed as phony and selfish.
Authentic leaders like Lou Gehrig are able to leverage all of the authentic leadership characteristics. They are so closely linked to their cause that followers will go beyond the basic call of duty in order to complete a task. Examining the Authentic Action Wheel, one notices that a leader who experiences his cause first hand is able to create high levels of meaning, existence, and power. These three concepts can motivate followers to fully embrace the mission and structure more closely than they would with an outside leader.
As one can see, obviously leaders who experience their causes are able to embrace their message and gain support from their followers better than outside leaders. The question remains, does this relationship exist in business? The answer: Absolutely. Take a look at any business, and somewhere in their history you will find a leader who first hand experienced the cause they are supporting. Take for instance the Ford Motor Company, Henry Ford embraced the causes his business supported and his employees followed due to his first hand experience with creating Ford Motor Company from nothing to the top car company it once was. Henry Ford benefited from creating the company himself. This experience shows commitment to the company that other leaders cannot replicate. Although he had a choice to start a business or not, his first hand experience with the struggles any start up business experiences can be used to motivate his employees. Anybody who starts their own company can use authentic leadership to enhance their relationship with their employees. To sum up, when someone has experienced the cause they support first hand, they are better suited for authentic leadership than an outsider. These leaders can motivate their followers in a unique way that emotionally affects those involved. And we all know people will fight for a cause they believe in.
Dan Becker
Friday, October 21, 2011
The Power of O
I think after spending most of last week talking about authentic leadership it would be a mistake not to mention Oprah Winfrey. I have never followed Oprah that closely or watched any of her shows but to the women in my family she is an idol. Oprah has become a leader for people who have grown up through struggle or have been devastated in some way. I have seen interviews on her show where she talks to guests who have survived some sort of tragedy. It is easy to tell through her body language that she genuinely cares for these people and wants to help them. She is kind, understanding, and attentive. She has used this passion for people to start charities, improve school conditions in the troubled cities, and entertain millions with her T.V. show and network. Her impact was noticed most when she endorsed Barack Obama for U.S. President three years ago. Her backing helped Obama to start a campaign with the slogan “Yes We Can” that helped foster belief in Obama and his ideas. In my opinion, Winfrey is an authentic leader because she fits into the Four Components of Authentic Leadership. First-off, Oprah is extremely self-aware. She knows that her words carry weight and that is why she endorses President Obama, why she dedicates entire shows to raise awareness for troubled people, and why she speaks publicly about different causes she is involved in. Winfrey had one of the top, daytime television shows of all time so obviously people showed up to hear what she had to say (or maybe to get free stuff). Oprah has shared her experience about her rough upbringing and that is what shapes her into the person she is today. Her experiences have given her an internalized moral compass that guides her to do whats right and reach out to others. As I flip through old videos of Oprah's show it seems to me that she hears a lot of diverse view points. She hosts a lot of guests that challenge her way of thinking or that others may view as morally bad so these people have a chance to have their voice heard. This shows that Oprah is balanced in analyzing information and opposing viewpoints. I will post a link at the end of this article which has several Youtube clips of Oprah talking about her new show and what she learned in past shows. If you look at clips such as the one where Oprah interview “Skinheads” or clips about her new life-class. In some of these clips you can even see Oprah well-up and cry. This relational transparency allows Oprah to show her true feelings and form a relationship with viewers and guests. So my question to my group members is this; do you believe Oprah Winfrey is actually authentic? Do you believe that she actually cares about people? How can you tell? I encourage everyone to visit this website and comment on if you think it shows Oprah as an authentic leader. http://www.youtube.com/user/OWN?v=AfRLA10MivI&ppc=Google_OWN_Campaign={campaignName}_keyword=oprah#p/u/12/Q0V4G0z5JuY Also, what other attributes does Oprah have that make her an authentic leader? I realize that Oprah may not be very popular amongst college guys but when it comes to someone caring and authentic I believe Oprah is a great example and an unelected leader.
Posted by: Tyler Hubert
Posted by: Tyler Hubert
A Path Less Traveled
Given the normally serious subject matter we cover in class, I have decided to mix it up a bit and blog about Americas past time, baseball, and a player who has emerged as a leader in the 2011 season. An emergent leader is defined as an, “individual who rises to a position of leadership as a result of the group’s perception of his or her leadership potential.” This definition is a perfect description of Jason Motte and his path to being an integral part of the St. Louis Cardinals quest to the 2011 World Series.
Early in Jason Motte’s career, he was on the other end of the pitch as a catcher in the Cardinals organization. After a couple years Motte had become known for his great arm and offensive struggles and had came close to being released from the squad. However the team knew that Motte possessed a special arm and thus was approached by coaches and asked to become a pitcher. This came as a surprise to Motte, but as any struggling minor league baseball player about to be released would do, he accepted the challenge. The basic idea behind path-goal theory is that leaders provide support and define goals to clarify the path of a subordinate in order to reach goals and increase productivity more efficiently. This situation is a great depiction of that belief; Motte’s goal was to reach the major leagues and the clarification provided by leaders that aided Motte was that he would now be pitching instead of catching along the path to his ultimate goal.
As trait theory states, a leaders success is predicated upon a set of traits that s/he possesses and how they are utilized. In Motte’s journey he exhibited intelligence, in accepting the challenge to pitch, self-confidence, by believing in his abilities to become a professional pitcher with relatively zero experience, and determination, by being persistent in the face of adversity to finally get a second chance and capitalize upon it. These traits have allowed for Jason to get his chance to be a major league pitcher, and ultimately emerge as the unlikely leader of the Cardinals bullpen in the memorable 2011 season. What identifiers does this article identify to lable Jason Motte as an unelected leader? How does Mottes story relate to one (or more) of the leadership theories that we have studied thus far in class?
By: Ty Wiesemeyer
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Ron Paul's Unique Youth Support
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/15/ron-paul-fringe-candidate-shaping-2012-race_n_926947.html
Ron Paul has been re elected to the House of Representatives time and time again by those who live within the 14th district of Texas. He serves those within his district similar to any American Congressman who lives in Washington DC: reading legislation, responding to constituents, seeking votes etc. Despite this commonality, Ron Paul has been able to become an iconic figure to college students throughout the country who support his libertarian viewpoint.
Ron Paul certainly doesn’t have the charismatic appeal that Obama was able to leverage to harness college student votes. And at 76 years old, he surely can’t relate to musical artists like Lady Gaga, Jay Z, or Taylor Swift all whom are considered cultural icons of a generation. Despite these differences, Ron Paul has been able to use his libertarian views to become the unelected leader of the Young American’s for Liberty movement, which has chapters at many colleges across the United States. Ron Paul’s libertarian viewpoint struck accord with college students who are discontent with those in Washington, and feel that the founders’ views for the country have been forgotten. Paul travels around the country holding rallies at college campuses and students flock to offer their support. His support has become such a force for change that he has been able to run for president and usually is able to put a small dent on elections. He does this without any solid backing from Republicans or Democrats who both think his views are too radical to be taken seriously. He is able to make a dent in these major elections by solely utilizing the support college students have offered him and the work they put in coordinating his movement.
Post made by:
Dan Becker
Ron Paul has been re elected to the House of Representatives time and time again by those who live within the 14th district of Texas. He serves those within his district similar to any American Congressman who lives in Washington DC: reading legislation, responding to constituents, seeking votes etc. Despite this commonality, Ron Paul has been able to become an iconic figure to college students throughout the country who support his libertarian viewpoint.
Ron Paul certainly doesn’t have the charismatic appeal that Obama was able to leverage to harness college student votes. And at 76 years old, he surely can’t relate to musical artists like Lady Gaga, Jay Z, or Taylor Swift all whom are considered cultural icons of a generation. Despite these differences, Ron Paul has been able to use his libertarian views to become the unelected leader of the Young American’s for Liberty movement, which has chapters at many colleges across the United States. Ron Paul’s libertarian viewpoint struck accord with college students who are discontent with those in Washington, and feel that the founders’ views for the country have been forgotten. Paul travels around the country holding rallies at college campuses and students flock to offer their support. His support has become such a force for change that he has been able to run for president and usually is able to put a small dent on elections. He does this without any solid backing from Republicans or Democrats who both think his views are too radical to be taken seriously. He is able to make a dent in these major elections by solely utilizing the support college students have offered him and the work they put in coordinating his movement.
Post made by:
Dan Becker
Michael Moore
After reading this article: http://www.npr.org/2011/09/14/140471057/michael-moore-on-his-penchant-for-trouble I chose Michael Moore as an unelected leader. Michael Moore studied journalism at the University of Michigan-Flint,and after dropping out of college briefly worked as editor for "Mother Jones." Not until his second film Bowling for Columbine did he earn a reputation and an Oscar. Michael Moore has personal power because he has gained followers by simply being himself. His followers feel he's knowledgeable and likeable and Michael is simply doing and talking about things he would normally do. Because people agree with Michael's message and support his cause they have made Michael an emergent leader. When it comes to Michael's leadership style, in my opinion, I would say he is a middle of the road manager because he wants to get informative messages out about society that he hopes will build/strengthen relationships. He's not looking to just direct people with his information but to also move them to change as you can see by the content of his movies. According to the contingency Model Michael would probably have a low LPC because of his Leader Member Relations(if we take the entire country into account), Task Structure(talking about controversial subjects and getting people to move for change),and Position Power. And according to this model Michael would need to work on building relationships. Since Michael does not have any real legitimate power I think its okay for him to have a Low LPC because he doesn't need to build relationships for his profession. He has already established a brand and his followers have already decided that they like him as a leader or else they wouldn't follow him. If Micheal wanted to increase his fan base and get the support of majority of America I would advice him to work on his relationship skills. For more information about Michael Moore follow this link: http://www.michaelmoore.com/
Quasheena Ellis
Team 6
Quasheena Ellis
Team 6
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