solved In need of (2) substantive replies of 100 words each

In need of (2) substantive replies of 100 words each to (2) different post. E01322CE01NCOL: Fundamental Leadership Dynamics Topic: Lesson 1 – What is Leadership? Peer replies to further the conversation Student replied to at least two (2) classmates’ posts and each reply includes at least three (3) to four (4) sentences relating the classmate’s post to at least one (1) question/point of the Discussion Prompt. Responses are substantive and encourage discussion by proposing a different point of view supported by an attribution to a source, personal example, or personal application. All responses include related follow up questions to promote continued discussion. Topic: Lesson 1 – What is Leadership? LESSON 1 ISSUE FOR DISCUSSION #1: What is your definition of leadership and is being a leader simply a matter of positional rank or authority? Forum Post 1: Re: Lesson 1, IFD #1 I’ve heard it often stated that leadership is influence or as they say in different parts of the world; juice, wasta, chutzpah, charisma. When I think of leaders, I think of the people that have the ability to greatly influence others, generally this occurs both inside their organization and outside of it. This is echoed during the great speech by Simon Sinek (11:25) “People at the top of organizations are not necessarily leaders, they have authority. There are loads of people are the bottom of organization that are leaders but have no authority”. He also holds on to another key point, to be more than simply an authoritative figure, you must have a emotional relationship with others. His profound example of a Medal of Honor recipient kissing the forehead of a wounded soldier is quite visceral. I would offer that leaders could achieve that emotional relationship through their words (inspirational and authentic), actions (selfless and goal oriented) or persona (setting the example). Leadership is not transactional. A difficult paradox to overcome for many people derives from the Leadership By Walking Around concept of the 1980s and also the ductus exemplo (leadership by example) Marines are taught-the paradox of leading from the front while still being strategic. This paradox is alluded to in the Harvard Business Review article where they talk about being on the “balcony”, a metaphor for taking a step back from the tactical and seeing the entire picture. I would add this to my second key attribute of being a leader, having the ability to be both a tactical executor and a strategic thinker. I think we’ve all had a “big blue arrow” leader in our careers that sits back and watches the action. It’s slightly rarer to see the authoritative figure simply throw their hands in the air and start executing. It’s the rarest of all leaders that know when to be a visionary and when to get their hands dirty. Forum Post 2: Re: Lesson 1, IFD #1 I define leadership as maximizing the potential of others towards the achievement of a common goal. In my opinion, a leader needs to be able to recognize and seek out the talents and expertise of those he/she may be trying to lead, and connect those talents and expertise to a common goal. There are, of course, many different methods that me be employed to achieve this, and no one particular theory of leadership is necessarily the definitively correct method. However, from the reading the theory of servant-leadership and transformational leadership stuck out the most. Servant-leadership focuses on being a servant first, and this means ensuring that the needs of others are elevated to the highest priority (A Review of Leadership Theory and Competency Framework). The Marine Corps’s practice of waiting for the most junior ranking of the group to eat first, as was mentioned in the video, serves as a perfect example. In this way, our leaders are expected to be more than just authority figures. Likewise, transformational leadership gives the leader an opportunity to elevate the moral and ethical qualities of others that can in turn shape the follower into a leader (A Review of Leadership Theory and Competency Framework). Regularly scheduled and continuous counselings are critical in carrying out transformational leadership. In the video, Simon Sinek mentioned a New York company called NextJump and their policy of lifetime employment. They would rather help their people succeed and improve rather than fire them or lay them off. This results in higher moral and overall higher achievement for their company. It also provides an opportunity to communicate standards and expectations on a regular basis, as well as track progress on previously established goals. This not only allows for constructive and meaningful improvement on the part of the recipient, but it also reminds them that they are indeed apart of a larger group that provides them with purpose and meaning. I think it is unfortunate how some treat leadership as rank or just as a matter of authority. This denigrates the purpose of leadership altogether. When one finds oneself in the capacity to lead, there is a very real opportunity to have a positive impact on those whom you may lead, and to even create something good. Making improvements on what is broken is always a nice bonus, but when people have a chance to build something meaningful together, this gives everyone purpose. Whoever is able to facilitate that process is someone I would consider a leader. In this way, I prefer to think of rank as connoting a persons level of responsibility when attempting to achieve a common goal. There must always be accountability of tasks and duties, and that is where rank comes into play. In other words, the proportion of the problems faced will determine the level of rank you must go to in order to solve those problems. Rank is merely a connotation of ones willingness to take responsibility. Rank complements a persons already proven ability to lead rather than permit it.