The authors use their own single sentence definition of ‘Federations are pairs or groups of schools with close bonds’ Ford and McCue (2008) (pg. 4) to introduce what the term federation is defined as, enabling the reader to engage in the study from the outset. Similar to the work of Bell, (2010) the authors use sub headings allowing a clear, logical research process to be followed, including an introduction, methodology, literature review and findings. The title itself is somewhat unclear and ambiguous, with the opinion that the term ‘stars’ may perhaps refer to students, staff, or both. Parahoo, (2006) supports this arguing that titles that are too short can be confusing or misleading. However, the use of open, rhetorical questions within …show more content…
Throughout the study, the authors take an empirical stance admitting that they already know the answer to their hypothesis, a methodical approach noted by (Davies, 2007). Comments made by the authors support this particular argument, with quotes such as; ‘promoting the sharing and celebrating of good practice’ and ‘successful federation’ (pg.4) dismissing any possible limitations that federations may have. Taking the above into consideration, and the degree of neutrality, the confirmability of the research, in particular the findings are questioned by the reader. Ford and McCue (2008) use interpretative research paradigms, notably a qualitative approach, by means of interviews, questionnaires and case studies, using the theory of triangulation; an approach referred to the use of a variety of methods in one project aiming to explore the research from different angles (Davies, 2007). With limited evidence of wider reading within the methodology, it is evident that the authors have chosen this practical method as appose to a theoretical approach, in order to gain different perspectives and to interpret their results.
Themes/Key Questions
Throughout the study, a key theme of discovering the true impact of hard federations on leadership development is evident. Ford and McCue (2008) convey the origin of federations, outlining the standards that can be improved from their existence. However, with aspects of better
Leadership is, and always has been, a vital aspect of social and economic constructs. It is essential to the survival of societies, industries, organizations, and virtually any group of individuals that come together for a common purpose. However, leadership is difficult to define in a single, definitive sense. As such, theories of leadership, what constitutes a great leader, and how leaders are made have evolved constantly throughout history, and still continue to change today in hopes of improving upon our understanding of leadership, its importance, and how it can be most effective in modern organizational cultures.
Before going through this journey of self-discovery, my view of leadership was accurately described by John C. Maxwell “ Leadership is influence.” (Maxwell, para. 25, 2012). I believed, before taking this class and Northouse’s (2013) assessments, leaders were defined by the extent to which they could influence others to achieve company goals. I thought that, when discussing leadership, the leader was the most important aspect of the leader-member dyad and that it was the leader who had the greatest influence over how successful the organization was. Leaders themselves, in my view, should have been the focus of leadership studies and it should have been up to the leader to develop his/her skills in
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader” (John Quincy Adams). Growing up under a founding father, John Quincy Adams perceived leadership as a responsibility to inspire others rather than a position in which one simply has power over others. John Quincy Adams observed his father John Adams, who took upon a great responsibility to inspire an entire nation; a nation that is now known for freedom and opportunity. John Adam’s inspiration has come a long way, as he had the ability to lead a nation into success rather than tarnish the beauty of it. Collaborative leadership in an authoritative manner, which was seen in John Adams, is what drives one to success, as a leader should be open-minded
Leadership is the elaboration of group inspiration. One person entrusted as leader can implore the aid, and support of supporters in the accomplishment of a common mission. According to Gurdjian, Halbeisen, and Lane “Becoming a more effective leader often requires changing behavior. But although most companies recognize that this also means adjusting underlying mind-sets, too often these organizations are reluctant to address the root causes of why leaders act the way they do” (Gurdjian, Halbeisen, and Lane, 2014) However, today abundant businesses engross importance on the improvement of leaders. Some of the ultimate leaders were formerly followers, such as in instructive businesses. One aspect as leaders many have to contemplate in striving
Joseph Raelin (2016), a Northeastern University professor of management and organization development, recently published the article “Rethinking Leadership.” He said, “Leadership is really not about the leaders themselves. It’s about the collective practice among people who work together— accomplishing the choices we make together in our mutual work” (Raelin,
Throughout this entire course we have learned many concepts and strategies to synthesize and use leadership as a means of working in a group setting. These concepts allowed us to learn not only how to lead other
Leaders are responsible for providing direction, implementing plans, and motivating people. Their main focus is to create relationships based on trust, thus making employees feel a part of the plan, not just hired as indentured servants. Therefore, collaborative goals are developed to foster mutual respect and dignity for all. In chapter eight, the authors, Kouzes, and Posner both believe Leaders should take the initiative to foster collaboration, and encourage others. The authors state, “Leaders nurture self-esteem in others. They make others feel strong, capable, and confident to take both initiative and responsibility (Kouzes, and Posner, 2012). This is something I have never received from my leaders. Therefore, I have never thought it was
In the Leadership Challenge, 4th edition, it is Kouzes & Posner (2007) intention to present a road map for individuals to follow on their leadership journey. The authors stress that “leadership is not a gene and it’s not an inheritance.” Leadership they assert is “an identifiable set of skills and abilities that are available to all of us” (p. 23). They make clear that the “great person” theory of leadership is “plain wrong.” Leaders are our everyday heroes who do extraordinary things on a regular basis (p. 23).
Businesses also have a variety of different leaders controlling the organization. Some executives attain a high-level position, placing them in a leadership role. However, there are many leadership positions that do not actually “lead” a team. A leader does not decide to be a leader overnight. A leader possesses a particular set of qualities and
The FPS Leadership Development Program defines leader development as the delib-erate, continuous, and progressive process that grows employees into competent, committed professional leaders. Leader develop is achieved through synthesis of train-ing, duration, and experiences acquired through opportunities at the institutional, oper-ational, and self-development arenas, supported by peer and development relation-ships. FPS leaders must be able to understand the conditions of the modern security environment, analyze them in terms of the problems they face and re-frame them in protection centered terms. Our leaders must be able to apply problem solving and de-cision-making skills to protect the continuity of the American way from ongoing criminal
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task”...
We all know federation was the best thing to happen to Australia. Can you imagine living in Australia without the freedom we have today? Improved defence, tight immigration laws and free trade are some of the reasons that caused the Federation of Australia, which was the best thing to ever happen.
Kouzes and Posner remark that leadership experiences are ?voyages of discovery and adventures of a lifetime?[and] they are challenging explorations under rigorous conditions? (174). While
The word ‘leadership’ often times triggers a preconceived image of an ideal leader—typically accompanied by the aura that the effective leader should be at the top of the hierarchy, ready to produce the solutions to complex problems. However, this is not true of leadership, given that effective leadership is not achieved by position but rather through style and situational awareness. Examining leadership requires the consideration of the catalysts for different types of leaders. Popular leader development theories tend to focus on the natural servitude of the leader, his or her capability to manage, and leader behavior.
For decade’s individuals, companies, and organizations have spent an unprecedented amount of money on researching, molding, modeling and working to define what a leader is and what characteristics make successful leaders. Despite all the research, there is not a quick answer or even full agreement as to what makes an individual an effective leader. The definition of a leader is “someone who can influence others and who has managerial authority.” (Robbins, Decenzo, Coulter, 2015. P.370)