LDR 600 Discussion Question with Responses Week 1 to 8

LDR 600 Leadership Styles and Development

LDR 600 Week 1 Discussion 1

The concept of leadership as a “vocation” greatly distinguishes leadership from a job, career, or what one simply does for a living. A vocation can be thought of as one’s calling. Vocation is often associated with the clergy or missionaries who feel called by a higher power to fulfill a specific purpose. Vocation is also a concept associated with careers like teachers, emergency responders, doctors, or other health care professionals who feel strongly compelled to dedicate their own lives to improving the lives of those whom they serve. Consider your own view of leadership. How does understanding leadership as a vocation inform your understanding of the personal and moral commitments required of leaders? If leadership is not a job, but a calling, what responsibilities do leaders have towards their position, their organization, and their followers?

LDR 600 Week 1 Discussion 2

Leadership is a complex process that requires leaders to critically appraise the circumstances in which they find themselves to best determine how to lead and influence those around them. There are multiple tactics a leader can employ in any given circumstance to influence a situation or their followers. Compare two leaders you have dealt with in the past. What different tactics did these leaders employ to influence situations or people? Which tactics were successful? Which tactics were not successful? As a leader, how can you critically appraise situations to make sure you select appropriate tactics for influencing a given situation?

LDR 600 Week 2 Discussion 1

Review “Case 3.1: A Strained Research Team,” located in Chapter 3 of the textbook, Leadership: Theory and Practice. Post a 250-300 word response to the questions located at the end of the case. In your response, be sure to address the strengths and weaknesses of the three-skill approach in this situation.

LDR 600 Week 2 Discussion 2

Review “Case 4.1: A Drill Sergeant at First,” located in Chapter 4 of the textbook, Leadership: Theory and Practice. Post a 250-300 word response to the questions located at the end of case. In your response, be sure to address the strengths and weaknesses of the behavioral approach to leadership in this situation.

LDR 600 Week 3 Discussion 1

As discussed in Topic 1, effective leaders apply various leadership tactics depending upon the contexts in which they find themselves. Consider the leadership tactics, traits, or models you find yourself drawn to as a leader. Why are you drawn to these particular tactics, traits, or models? How do they interconnect with your own personal, moral, ethical, or religious beliefs? Do you think the personal, moral, ethical, or religious beliefs of leaders can interfere with their ability to effectively lead? Why or why not?

LDR 600 Week 3 Discussion 2

Select a leader you believe successfully led an organization through a crisis or challenge (e.g., public relations crisis, marketing mishap, shift in market demand, reorganization). Identify the leader and the company with which the leader is affiliated. Provide brief context for the crisis or challenge. Identify the leadership models and approaches that were employed in the handling of the situation. Finally, explain why you think the leadership was particularly effective in this context.

LDR 600 Week 4 Discussion 1

What are the strengths and weakness of transformational leadership theory and leader-member theory (LMX)? How might your knowledge of the LMX theory help you to become a better leader?

LDR 600 Week 4 Discussion 2

How would you apply the transformational theory leader-member theory (LMX) to improve an organization’s performance? Discuss in the context of your own organization, an organization you have belonged to in the past, or another existing organization that would benefit from significant organizational improvement.

LDR 600 Week 5 Discussion 1

Select an individual that you believe exhibits authentic leadership. This individual can be historical or contemporary. Provide specific examples that support how this person exhibits authentic leadership. What is the role of authentic leadership in creating trust and followership in this example, and how can it improve organizations?

LDR 600 Week 5 Discussion 2

Christian servant leaders profess to serve those whom they lead through love and the moral obligation to promote the greater good of others. What leadership behaviors would you expect from a Christian servant leader and how might those behaviors differ from someone who is not a servant leader. Also, although servant leadership is often associated with the Bible and the teachings of Jesus Christ, do you believe servant leadership is compatible with other religions or worldviews? Why or why not?

LDR 600 Week 6 Discussion 1

What are the strengths and weakness of adaptive leadership? What particular challenges might an adaptive leader encounter in encouraging their followers to solve their own problems and challenges?

LDR 600 Week 6 Discussion 2

How do you think individuals’ preconceived notions, prejudices, and their own interpretations of other cultures impact the workplace? How might you employ the psychodynamic approach to help the employees get along with each other and work better together?

LDR 600 Week 7 Discussion 1

Today’s complex organizations often require the smooth, integrated functioning of teams across several functional areas. Leading of a team of diverse individuals is quite a challenge. Encouraging the effective collaboration of multiple teams of diverse individuals is even more challenging and requires skilled leaders who can understand and impart organizational vision to team members. Skilled leaders must also foster leadership skills in others to achieve collaboration and organizational success.

Imagine yourself in the complex situation of ensuring the integrated functioning of multiple teams. How prepared are you for such a challenge? What knowledge and skills will you need to acquire on your own leadership development journey to successfully prepare for such a challenge?

LDR 600 Week 7 Discussion 2

Leadership positions within teams can often be fluid and dynamic. Circumstances may require an individual to step forward and lead in some situations and then adopt the role of follower in others. As a leader, how do you know when it is appropriate to lead and when it is appropriate to follow? How can you foster leadership skills in your team members so they too feel confident enough to lead when the situation calls for it?

LDR 600 Week 8 Discussion 1

Select a female leader that faced challenges based on gender and whose circumstances would be different if the leader had been male. What challenges did this female leader face in the business world? How did the female leader you selected overcome those challenges?

LDR 600 Week 8 Discussion 2

What characteristics result in toxic leadership? What are possible repercussions of toxic leadership? Provide a personal experience (do not disclose specific names) or public example of toxic leadership.