Unit 9 Discussion Topic: Leader of the Ship

The history of studying leadership traits, styles, qualities, and characteristics is an extensive one. Leadership is a tool, a model, and even a trait. The tool of leadership is a powerful one that is widely revered in the field of organizational communication. A good leader can gather many for one goal, and a bad leader can mislead, waste time, and even waste funds. Leadership is sometimes looked at in terms of power, which can be problematic. A person who oversees employees, such as a manager, may think they are a leader but fail to exhibit leadership qualities. In contrast, an entry-level worker may exhibit leadership qualities. Not all leaders are managers, and not all managers are leaders.

In your discussion, respond to the following:

• Provide an example of a leader (from an organization) who you think is a great leader and explain why.
• Discuss which leadership perspective or approach this person exemplifies.
• Consider someone who you believe to be an ineffective leader (from an organization) and explain why you feel that way.
• Discuss which leadership perspective or approach the ineffective leader used and which perspective or approach would have made them more effective.
• Explain which leadership perspective or approach you think best fits you and why.