Leadership Style Essay Example for Free

Leadership Style Essay Leadership is a role that not all can partake but that many have excelled at. When asked who I admire as a leader I had to think quite a while. I had to decide what category of leader I could relate to the most. Would it be a political leader, a spiritual leader, a business leader or even a military leader? Ultimately I decided that I want someone who is multi-faceted in that they can lead in many situations and scenarios. Further it seems that leading in unfamiliar and new situations can allow a leader more freedom in his direction without being swayed by observations of others in similar situations. This led me to choose George Washington as my admirable leader since â€Å"George Washington can be used as an example of strong and ethical leadership in virtually any walk of life.† (Rees 2007, p. preface) Growing up we all learned of George Washington and his role as the first president of the United Sates. We hear of his honesty as told through the story of the cherry tree and so on. His leadership is what gave him this large mark in our history books and it was not only displayed through his presidency. He was first a great military leader. In this role he displayed leader characteristics such as toughness, persistence, bravery and organization. These characteristics earned him the respect of his troops and the ongoing admiration of an entire country. His time as a political leader is what he is remembered most for. He was able to use his charismatic presence and moral strength to maneuver through a turbulent political environment. The leadership traits of foresight and strategic planning allowed him to hold at bay the continental army from a brittle and new civilian government. Through his, and with the help of other great leaders, efforts the path was paved for the United Sates to become the world’s leading super power. Though other leaders have achieved similar feats throughout history this one stands out for me as I have directly benefited from George Washington’s leadership.  Lastly a notable leadership trait that I admire of George Washington’s is his moral leadership. This helps distinguish him from other leaders of world powers before and after his time. It was not uncommon for leaders like Hitler, Stalin, and the Caesar’s or Persian Empire leaders who accomplished similar â€Å"world power† feats to rule by an iron fist and without morality to reach their goals. George Washington used his moral compass to create what may be a much longer lasting arena in which to lead, one that could be passed on to other worthy leaders. Many would like to think that they have the characteristics of a great leader. The reality is that if I, or anyone else, had the perfect mesh of traits for a leader then we would in fact be leading. While I do manage staff, departments and facilities I see myself as a professional and only an aspiring leader. It is my hope that through this course and the others I with be involved in throughout my time at University of Phoenix I will come closer to actually leading. Currently I have some leadership characteristics. There are some that seemed to come naturally and others that have taken time, effort and education. I’ve always seemed to have a knack at argument, or for our scholarly purposes, excellent persuasion ability. I can think clearly during exchanges and use opposing thinkers own examples and analogies to further substantiate my position. I treat people with respect regardless of their status. I strive to have a perfect balance on confidence and humility. I do not fear collaboration and tend to communicate well. If I were to list all the things I would need to do in order to become a better leader this paper would never end. In order to avoid this I will talk only about the traits I feel are the most important and in need of further understanding and practice from myself. Leveraging team strength’s needs some attention from me. I tend to look at people in their roles and corner them there. If I open my eyes a bit more as to their aptitude in other areas I could find that shining stars are sitting right in front of me. I need to be more fearless and take more risks. I have a tendency to play things safe seeking acceptable outcomes when I could take risks and seek excellent outcomes. If I were to take on a little more compassion for things going on with the people around me I may be able to find ways to create more dedicated followers. Followers that know I believe in them and care for their own well-being as opposed to simply the desired outcome of my leadership. Ultimately I wish to lead by example. I want to  lead follower’s development and act as a resource for their advice and assistance (Daft 2008). The greatest satisfaction I can achieve as a leader would be not only for my own desired success in life to be experienced but also to carve a path for those around me to thrive as well. Good leadership in my opinion will always result in an accumulative good, not and individual good. References Daft, R. (2008). The Leadership Experience. Mason: Thompson Learning, Inc. . James Rees, Stephen J. Spignesi (2007). George Washingtons Leadership Lessons. Hoboken: John Wiley Sons, Inc.

Driven to Distraction by Technology :: Pros and Cons of Technology

The past two decades have overwhelmed the human experience with technology, along with all its distractions. The direct relationship between the mind and the body’s ability to adjust from these distractions can be extremely difficult .Further research has shown that it has become an addiction for many. Technology has significantly improved our lives as a whole through experiences such as Global Positioning System (GPS), cell phones and social networking allowing us to communicate with different people around the world. These technologies make our daily lives easier and more efficient. However, this also discusses the effects of technology on various aspects of our everyday personal experiences both with each other and with the world around us. On the other hand technologies such as cell phones have become a problem in getting students to focus in class and distracting drivers and thus, resulting in vehicle accidents. Technology is beneficial, but can also become an inescapable distraction in our lives. It is important to view technology as having the ability to make our lives better or worse, yet also as having the ability to change our personal lives and behavioral patterns. The use of technology makes our daily tasks easier, such as a better sense of direction while driving via a GPS, safety features in our cars such as Auto Drive and Auto Park. These technologies have made driving an easier and enjoyable experience as well as reducing our chances of getting into accidents. The research presented in the following article â€Å"Driven to Distraction [in car technology]† provided surprising conclusions. Professor John D Lee from the University of Iowa states the following issue: â€Å"Technology is changing very quickly. Many of these things coming into the car were not designed to be used in it.†(Edwards 8). He proves that there are a lot of in car technologies in today’s society that can demand our full attention without us even knowing, and can lead to tremendous consequences that can become dangerous distractions on the road. Satellite navigation (GPS) makes our lives easier because it can give us the correct directions to a desir ed address. This is unlike the past where the navigationally challenged would consider it a nightmare to drive to a new location. Furthermore, there are many upsides that technology brings upon students by presenting new ways of learning where technology is being used in the classroom. Within the article â€Å"Cell phones in schools pros and cons† presented by Rujuta Borkar, the advantages of having a cellular phone device in school are through emergency contact, and having a cell phone for security purposes.

Marketing Recommendations for Tesco Essay

Tesco, the third largest retailer in the world, underwent a change of leadership in March of 2011. Sir Terry Leahy stepped down after a highly successful 14 year run with the company that saw the retailer reach 30% control of the British market (Anonymous, 2012). However, the last year and a half has seen declining market share and stock prices. Additionally, the long-term growth strategy of penetrating the US and Chinese markets has not gone as well as anticipated (Anonymous, 2012). This fact, combined with the declining British market share and corporate stock price has created a sense of urgency and has brought about the need for Tesco to rethink their current marketing management strategy. When looking at Tesco’s base business model, the majority of their revenues come from the British market. They saw net income of 2.8bn last year (2011), versus 800m when Sir Terry Leahy took over the company in 2002. However, income is expected to drop to 2.6bn in 2012 (Oliver & Armstrong, 2012). This lost market share and drop in revenue is directly attributed to Tesco’s failure to maintain its focus on its core business at home in Great Britain. Instead, the focus of the company was, arguably, too forward focused on global growth in both the US market with its Fresh & Easy stores and the Chinese market (Oliver & Armstrong, 2012). This global growth strategy not only took focus from the British market, it also took valuable capital dollars from the British stores. The myopic view of global growth over existing British business has brought about a need for Tesco to change  its marketing orientation and bring its attention back to its core British business (Finch, 2012). This will be vital to the long-term success of Tesco, as its competitors have been doing everything to capitalize on Tesco’s lapse of attention. Tesco’s idea of becoming a global competitor is not a mistake. It is a great plan, especially with the growth that many companies have experienced with the opening of the Chinese market and the explosive growth of Chinese spending power and lack of growth in the British market. However, Tesco is guilty of being overly aggressive in their desire to become a global player. They have been very successful in diversifying their business endeavors within their home market. They have expanded into soft drinks and banking, very successfully. Their positioning as a global player could be likened to an army attempting to fight a war on three different fronts (Britain, US, and China). They lack the resources to handle such an ambitious endeavor. I was pleased to read that Philip Clark, Tesco’s CEO, finally ended the Fresh & Easy experiment, and is pulling out of the US market. While this may be interpreted as an admission of failure, I think it shows that Tesco is ready to refocus on their core business. I am not the only one to feel this way, as Tesco shares climbed three percent following the announcement (Oliver & Armstrong, 2012). Tesco is still involved in the Chinese market, which has the greatest upside when compared to the US market. This move allows Tesco to focus on a two front fight – attempting to recapture lost British market share while successfully growing share and revenues in the Chinese market by using a well thought out market focused strategy. The withdrawal from the US market should allow Tesco to refocus on the product quality that has been neglected over the past five years. Even though the British market is not growing, Tesco needs to maintain its market dominance and can only do this by investing in its existing product (Oliver & Armstrong, 2012). The departure from the US market means that capital expenditures and operating capital should be diminished, allowing those funds to be reallocated to the British stores. This will help support the refocus on product quality announced by Mr. Clark, with a promise to invest 1 billion pounds to revitalize the British operations. With properly spent  funds, Tesco should be able to recapture lost market share, consequently shoring up its core business. When considering the four factors of marketing (price, product, placement, and promotion) Mr. Clark needs to continue with the differentiation strategy they have employed with Tesco’s forays into soft drinks and banking. Utilizing Britain’s largest distribution chain, Tesco could capitalize on the strategy utilized by the US retailer Wal-Mart, and differentiate their stores by offering a variety of businesses (fast food, optical, banking, hair and nail care) under one roof. These moves, if effective, would also provide additional foot traffic to their core retail operations, further increasing market share, and revenues. Tesco must carefully consider the market mix and pricing decisions needed with a strategy such as this. If properly implemented, they could secure Tesco’s market dominance for years to come. Tesco is the largest retailer in Britain, and the third largest retailer in the world. However, being big does not guarantee success, and being a key player in Britain does not mean that you can be a key player in the rest of the world. Tesco has effectively demonstrated these facts over the past four years while trying to break into the US and Chinese markets while ignoring their core British business. Philip Clark, the CEO of Tesco, has realized that the company does not have enough resources to continue to attempt to penetrate the US and Chinese markets and keep their market share in Britain. Mr. Clark has withdrawn from the US market and is refocusing the company’s marketing orientation back to its core business and China. Tesco is refocusing on its product quality by taking the funds that had been allocated for US expansion and reinvesting in their existing store British product. Mr. Clark should consider further differentiation of their British product by following the highly successful model employed by US retailer Wal-Mart of putting multiple businesses under the same roof. Mr. Clark should also continue to focus on succeeding in the Chinese marketplace, the fastest growing market in the world in 2012. If Tesco is able to recapture lost British market share, and can grow at a profitable rate in China, the company will be well positioned for 2013 and the future. References Anonymous (2012, April 21). Supermarket sweep; Tesco’s travails. The Economist, 403, 33-33. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1008901971?accountid=32521 Finch, J. (2012). Managerial Marketing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Oliver, R. & Armstrong, R. (2012). Tesco – trouble at home. FT.Com, Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1239077344?accountid=32521

Comparing Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau and...

Comparing Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr. Any one can say that a law is unfair and unjust. However, who is really willing to accept the consequences for going against an unjust law? Is breaking this law really worth the punishment? The government is the one to decide whether a law is reasonable, but what if a member of the public believes that a law is not? Should he rebel against this law? Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr. answered yes to this question and believed that one should speak out against an injustice. They both believed that government had many flaws. Even though they shared many beliefs in many of the same subjects concerning Civil Disobedience, they had many different†¦show more content†¦Thoreau was arrested for not paying a tax, a tax that put a fee on voting. Thoreau also peacefully served his time. Both men knew the consequences for their actions, yet went along and committed the crime. Their crimes were not vengeful or harmful against a living soul. However, their crimes were sta tements stating that the government cannot make anyone goes against his or her beliefs. Martin Luther King and Henry David Thoreau both believed that one should stand up for what he believes in, as wells as accepting the consequences for his actions. Even though they also had different views about what makes law just or unjust. First of all, Martin Luther King believed that a law that is just should be square with the moral law or the law of God. This basically means a law should pertain to the Ten Commandments according to the bible. He also thought an unjust law was one that was inflicted on to a minority who did not even have the right to vote for this law in the first place. Thoreau is basically rallying for the absence of government in the lives of the citizens. He believed that everyone should govern himself. He also believed that no one should have to ride on the shoulders of the government, but instead rely on himself. He thought people should treat other people the way they wanted to be treated, and follow the natural laws of society. Martin Luther King Jr. believed there should be laws or it would be total anarchy. Thoreau believed that without theShow MoreRelatedCivil Disobedience By Henry David Thoreaus Letter From A Birmingham Jail1605 Words   |  7 PagesToday I will be comparing Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau and The Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and taking a closer look at their rhetorical devices and strategy’s. In Civil disobedience by Henry David Thoreau shows us the need to prioritize some one’s wellbeing over what the law says. American laws are criticized mostly over slavery and th e Mexican-American war. In Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail† was written in response to a letterRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr. And Henry David Thoreau1311 Words   |  6 Pageseverything the general will†, however, it was not always the case, according to influential American authors and civil rights activists Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Henry David Thoreau. Although both of their works were written over a century apart, one cannot deny the fact that both of them successfully and nonviolently converted their ideology into action using different methods of civil disobedience. Their goal was to fight for a better just system of law and restore faith in humanity. Despite their differentRead MoreThoreaus Theory Of Civil Disobedience882 Words   |  4 PagesHenry David Thoreau made a practice of conscientiously and willfully disobeying laws that he believed to be unjust. He was arrested and put in jail for doing so on numerous oc casions. Thoreau described this as passive resistance, or nonviolent opposition to authority, especially in cases with refusal to cooperate legally. Passive resistance, also known as civil disobedience, influenced people such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and even John F. Kennedy. Civil Disobedience in the sameRead More Comparing Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience and Kings Letter From a Birmingham Jail1043 Words   |  5 PagesComparing Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience and Martin Luther Kings Letter From a Birmingham Jail The two essays, Civil Disobedience, by Henry David Thoreau, and Letter From a Birmingham Jail, by Martin Luther King, Jr., effectively illustrate the authors opinions of justice. Each author has his main point; Thoreau, in dealing with justice as it relates to government, asks for not at once no government, but at once a better government. King contends that injustice anywhere is a threatRead MoreComparison of Civil Disobedience Essay3692 Words   |  15 PagesComparing the Civil Disobedience of Martin Luther King Jr., Henry David Thoreau, and Mohandas Gandhi   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From the onset of man fighting for freedom or his beliefs, the question has always been whether one person can make a difference using words rather than wars. Philosophically, the concept of civil disobedience would appear to be an ineffective weapon against political injustice; history however has proven it to repeatedly be one of the most powerful weapons of the common man. Martin LutherRead MoreHenry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King, Jr.s Justification of Defying Unjust Laws1820 Words   |  8 PagesHenry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King, Jr.s Justification of Defying Unjust Laws In his famous essay, â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,’’ Martin Luther King, Jr. cites conscience as a guide to obeying just laws and defying unjust laws. In the same way, Henry David Thoreau wrote in his famous essay, â€Å"Civil Disobedience,† that people should do what their conscience tells them and not obey unjust laws. The positions of the two writers are very close; they use a common theme of conscience, andRead MoreThoreau And King s Ideas On Civil Disobedience1267 Words   |  6 PagesComparing and Contrasting: Thoreau and King’s Ideas on Civil Disobedience Henry David Thoreau was born in 1817, a time where slavery was legal. In 1849 Thoreau published an essay â€Å"Civil Disobedience† which explains his idea that the government is much more harmful than helpful and that man has the right to disobey the government when he feels it is being unjust, in his case it was slavery, American Imperialism, and the Mexican-American War. Martin Luther King Jr. was born in 1929, 64 years afterRead MoreComparing the Beliefs of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X Essay1782 Words   |  8 PagesComparing the Beliefs of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X By April 1968, two of the worlds most remembered civil rights leaders, who fought for a difference in black America, had been assassinated. Despite their different beliefs and their different ways of promoting this message, they both had the same goal in mind; to promote black respect and pride. The visionary and angry voices of Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X together transformed theological thinking in Read MoreCivil Disobedience : Effective And Non Violent Government976 Words   |  4 Pagespresident. Civil disobedience, the fourth branch of government, is an integral part of the law creation process in the United States. Recently we have witnessed an increased frequency of civil disobedience, and it is crucial that citizens understand what it entails and how they can use it responsibly. When is civil disobedience the right course to follow in order to change laws? Bree Newsome’s act of civil disobedience flawlessly demonstrates the correct etiquette and action of civil disobedience. IfRead MoreHenry David Thoreau s Civil Disobedience And Ralph Waldo Emerson s Self Reliance2846 Words   |  12 Pagestranscendentalist movement is still alive in the modern day: as seen in our societies focus on individualism, nature and sensibility. This paper will discuss the ideas of transcendentalism through the work of Henry David Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience and Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Self Reliance by comparing both works finding similarities and differences between them. To truly understand the most important members of the transcendentalist movement, it is first important to understand the basic foundations Comparing Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau and... quot;...A little rebellion now and then is a good thing...It is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government.quot; Thomas JeffersonThoreau, a transcendentalist from the mid 19th century and Martin Luther King Jr., the Civil Rights movement leader of a century later both believed the necessity of medicine for government. Although they showed disagreement of opinion on issues regarding voting, both writers agreed on the necessity to reform the government and the means of accomplishing it. In Kings Letter from Birmingham Jail and Thoreaus Civil Disobedience, both agreed on injustice of majority to rule over minority, both resisted the government passively, and both wanted a better government immediately.The majority is not†¦show more content†¦Once a law is broken, the person must be willing to accept the consequences, which may be the penalty of imprisonment.Although laws may be unjust, but it must be respected regardless. King fears that anarchy will result if laws are not respected; Thoreau describes that rebellion will be the consequence if laws are not given respect. Consequently, both chooses to passively resist the laws they believed that are against their morals, and are prepared to accept imprisonment . The exercise of passive resistance is the basis of the title of Thoreaus work, and King presents several examples of quot;civil disobediencequot; in his letter, including the Boston Tea Party. King not only exercises passive resistance, he also provides the procedure to be followed for any nonviolent campaign. They are: collection of the facts to determine whether injustice exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action (2:471). He points out that he has gone through all the steps, and direct action is what brought him to the Birmingham Jail.Recognition of injustice and passive resistance described by both authors is to point out the need of government reformation. Thoreau calls for a better government, immediately, and points out that the fastest way to improve government is to quot;let every man make know what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step toward obtainingShow MoreRelated Comparing Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience and Kings Letter From a Birmingham Jail1043 Words   |  5 PagesComparing Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience and Martin Luther Kings Letter From a Birmingham Jail The two essays, Civil Disobedience, by Henry David Thoreau, and Letter From a Birmingham Jail, by Martin Luther King, Jr., effectively illustrate the authors opinions of justice. Each author has his main point; Thoreau, in dealing with justice as it relates to government, asks for not at once no government, but at once a better government. King contends that injustice anywhere is a threatRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr. And Henry David Thoreau1311 Words   |  6 Pageseverything the general will†, however, it was not always the case, according to influential American authors and civil rights activists Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Henry David Thoreau. Although both of their works were written over a century apart, one cannot deny the fact that both of them successfully and nonviolently converted their ideology into action using different methods of civil disobedience. Their goal was to fight for a better just system of law and restore faith in humanity. Despite their different Read MoreCivil Disobedience By Henry David Thoreaus Letter From A Birmingham Jail1605 Words   |  7 Pageswill be comparing Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau and The Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and taking a closer look at their rhetorical devices and strategy’s. In Civil disobedience by Henry David Thoreau shows us the need to prioritize some one’s wellbeing over what the law says. American laws are criticized mostly over slavery and the Mexican-American war. In Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail† was written in response to a letter writtenRead MoreHenry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King, Jr.s Justification of Defying Unjust Laws1820 Words   |  8 PagesHenry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King, Jr.s Justification of Defying Unjust Laws In his famous essay, â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,’’ Martin Luther King, Jr. cites conscience as a guide to obeying just laws and defying unjust laws. In the same way, Henry David Thoreau wrote in his famous essay, â€Å"Civil Disobedience,† that people should do what their conscience tells them and not obey unjust laws. The positions of the two writers are very close; they use a common theme of conscience, and