Assignment
2: 21st Century Leadership
Due
Week 8 and worth 300 points
The
20th and 21st centuries have produced many business leaders, such as corporate
giants like Jack Welch of GE, Daymond John of FUBU, Steve Jobs of Apple, and
Herb Kelleher of Southwest. In addition, many hip-hop moguls have risen to
prominence, such as Sean Combs, aka P Diddy, of Bad Boy Records; Russell
Simmons, founder of Def Jam; and Sean Carter, aka Jay Z, of Rock Nation.
Regardless of their business models and
industries, organizational leaders are expected to create realistic visions for
their companies and the people that they guide. However, such visions often
result in vastly different leadership styles. Therefore, experts have concluded
that there is no one best leadership style geared towards guiding employees and
companies to accomplishing organizational goals.
Using the Internet and Strayer databases,
research your favorite senior executive (CEO, CFO, COO, Director, President,
Founder, etc.) from any organization that has made a strong impact on his or
her industry (fashion, music, food, banking, technology, automotive, etc.).
Write
a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you:
1.
Describe the overall leadership style(s) of your chosen senior executive.
2.
Analyze the organizational structure and culture of the company your chosen
executive has led, or is currently leading, and determine the company’s approach
to human capital management and employee development. Next, explain whether or
not you believe your chosen senior executive’s leadership approach has enhanced
workplace productivity and the shared vision of the organization. Provide one
to two (1-2) examples of your chosen senior executive’s actions to support your
response.
3.
Evaluate the effectiveness of your selected leader’s performance, based on his
or her ethical conduct and effective communication. Next, determine whether the
chosen leader was successful in motivating and empowering his or her employees
and gaining customer loyalty.
4.
Determine three (3) best practices that other organizational leaders can use in
order to motivate employees and transform their company, based on practices
that you believe made your chosen leader successful at his or her company and
within his or her industry. Support your rationale with an explanation of the
potential benefits that other business leaders may reap from your chosen best
practices.
5.
Use at least five (5) quality references. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites
do not qualify as academic resources.
Your
assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
6.
Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch
margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or
school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional
instructions.
7.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s
name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and
the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.
The
specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
8.
Explain the multiple aspects of the managerial planning process and the
application of various business- and corporate-level strategies.
9.
Analyze the importance of ethical behavior to an organization’s culture and the
new ethical dilemmas created by globalization.
10.
Determine viable organizational structures by addressing the key considerations
in organizational structure, applying the process of division of labor, and
adapting basic structural formats.
11.
Explain the principal theories of leadership and motivation, and describe the
fundamental considerations in managing and motivating individual and group
behavior.
12.
Describe actions to improve communications, manage conflict, develop strong
organizational culture, and improve the ethical behavior in organizations.
