Week -5

Vision & Cognitive Leadership In this essay the author explains about the vision and cognitive leadership with reference to John Folse vision and strengths in his leadership skills. First the author explains about the vision of John Folse and then he discusses about his strength in leadership and explains how it is an example of transformational leadership. John Folse, an entrepreneur from Louisiana who developed his organization by the name of John Folse & company. He always had a passion for food and culture of Louisiana. And he opened his first restaurant in 1978 and he went on and opened his chain of restaurants throughout the world (Harringon & Herzog,2009). He had a very innovative business model to maintain the sustainability. His main vision was to put his company and cuisine of Louisiana on world map. He followed a business model which always reflected a culinary identity of Louisiana. He made his company and taste of Louisiana so famous worldwide that he officially became the ambassador of Louisiana cuisine in 1980 (Harringon & Herzog,2009). Now the author explains the strengths of his model as transformational leadership as the chef john always backed himself up as he gives more importance to food and culture and his family. He predominantly used his culinary identity of Louisiana to attract his customers worldwide. The chef was one of the few entrepreneurs who believed that if he gets into this sector he might have financial risks but he will ultimately get success (Harringon & Herzog, 2009). The author concludes that chef John model shows that he always had individual consideration, as one of his priorities. Intellectual stimulation, inspirational motivation and idealized influence were some of the characteristics of his business model. The chef always encouraged the division not only to fulfil the demand of the market but to sustain the vision of the company as well. REFERENCE: 1. Harringon, R. and Herzog, C., (2009).,"Chef John Folse: A Case Study Of Vision, Leadership And Sustainability",Journal of Hospitality And Tourism Education, Vol.19, Iss.3,pp.5-10.

Week 6 Servant Leadership an effective tool for establishing trust with followers This essay of 300 words explains how servant leadership can affect the process of building trust between the leaders and followers. The author explains this implementation of leadership by giving few examples and empirically comparing the concept of servant leadership given by many scholars. It is an observation from the past and consideration of many scholars that leadership is an inventive quality with a vision and principle, If possessed by an individual will make him a source of inspiration for people (Parker & Stone, 2003). Trust is explained as the ethical, logical and reasonable confidence exercised by one individual on another. It is the most common variable and is experienced in different cultures from ages in servant leadership (Joseph & Windston, 2004). The author further advocates the concept that the pillar which influences the servant leadership is the relationship which is built on trust. The type of leadership in which the welfare of people is first preference can be classified as servant leadership (Russell and Stone, 2002). It has a shared vision of evolution and empowerment of the followers (Field et al, 2006). The primary stimulation for servant leadership is the efficient service and interpersonal trust which should be given to their disciples for achieving common objectives (Washington et al, 2006). Hence the trust and service motive is the important parameters for effective leadership. The author advocates that driving factor for servant leadership is the desire to serve efficiently and effectively in order to prioritize the requirements. And at the end the author concludes that interpersonal trust and service motive makes the servant leadership an effective tool for establishing trust between leaders and followers.

Week 7

The longer I study effective leaders, the more I am convinced of the under appreciated importance of effective followers. In this essay the author first discusses about concept of Warren Bennis that the longer study effective leaders, the more i am convinced of the under-appreciated importance of effective followers then the author describes the followership. At last the author concludes by discussing the necessary qualities of effective followers. The author agrees with Warren Bennis and supports his statement as he suggests that even a follower is an individual who shadow s the actions of his leader and works hard to achieve a common goal of the organisation. Followers have a common motive and they obediently follow the instructions given to them by their leaders (Gill, 2006). Some of the characteristic features of effective followers are, enthusiastic, intelligent and they predominantly have an ability to participate by their autonomy. Effective followers always have commitment to the mission of the organisation that they will set a benchmark so that they achieve their objectively influentially and can evolve from them (Lesage et al, 2011). The author advocates the concept that efficient leadership always attracts positive criticism from the followers (ESRC, 2011). Followership is one the modified and evolved processes which has helped in effective leadership. It has also helped in the evolution of followers as future leaders. The author further concludes that the necessary qualities required for effective followers are:- they should be liable, honest and they should have a common motive. It is very important for effective followers to have a common motive as it keeps them connected directed towards one particular goal. At the end the author says that the ability to offer a constructive criticism is one of the most important parameter for followers to be effective.

REFERENCE: 1. ESRC, (2011)., "Leading the Followers ", online [available] from

http://www.restore.ac.uk/mrp/services/ldc/mrp/resources/leaders/leadfol.shtml #8, Accessed on [26.4.11]. 2. Gill, R., (2006)., Theory and Practice of Leadership , UK: The Cromwell Press Ltd, p.91. 3. Lesage, P., Dyar, J.T. and Evans, B., (2011)., Crew Resource Management Principles and Practice , 1stEdn, USA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, LLC, p.105.

Week 8 One of the most important components in the personality of a leader is his charisma (Sankar, 2003). Heroic leadership means that the leaders are trusted with their abilities to conquer all the important achievements and the crisis situation only on the basis of their personality (Paul et al, 2002). Instead of the encouragement by the institution and the intermediteries heroic leaders are offered with letters, appreciation, votes and at times with a shake of hand. Charisma is a crucial factor that has to present in a leader, it is a feature that every one working for the leader looks up to. The personality features such as the image, style, inspiration, dynamism, emotional intelligence and symbolic behaviours are focussed when looking for charisma ( House, R. 1993). However character also plays an important role in leadership as it influences the team to follow a leader and to inculcate the morals of the leader. A leader with a good character also becomes an image that is necessary for a leader that is leading an organisation. Character and charisma have to be together in order to attain the goals that are set by the organisation. It becomes a necessity of life to develop both the charisma and the character to achieve the greatness in one s life. An individual should always check for himself about the area in which an individual can excel and the areas where the individual lacks in performing so that it can be worked upon. If power and strength of the potential and ability are to be pursued upon then here is little time that is left for the development of the inner qualities which might result in the leader to become less efficient.

REFERENCE: 1. Paul, J., Costley, D. L., howell, J.P. and Dorfman, P.W., (2002)., "The mutability of charisma in leadership research", Journal of management history,Vol.40, Iss.1,pp.192-200. 2. Sankar, Y., (2003)., "Character not charisma is the critical measures of leadership excellence", Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, Vol.9, Iss.4, pp.45-55.

Week 10 Strength based leadership

In this essay the author discusses two different perceptions about the strength based leadership. In the first the author describes the concept according to Gallup s vision and advocates the concept. In the second the author tries to define what Kaiser and Kaplan suggested about strength based leadership. And at the end the author concludes with key messages from both the writers. The author supports the concept that every human being has their own unique strengths and weaknesses and the biggest possibility for their evolution is by supporting them in their area of strengths. And if the organization backs their people in their area of strength it can bring beneficial results to the organization as well. The author backs the concept as the biggest drivers for engagement are fairness and accuracy of unofficial feedback, internal communication and self-sufficiency. Further the author advocates and tries to limit the process of the backing the strengths. Kaiser and Kaplan suggest that it can be detrimental to the performance of people if they try to take their strengths to an extreme level. It can sometime become their weakness as well. The author tries to explain with the evidence that if you being a little too forceful to your team there is a possibility that the team s performance can improve but ultimately their vivacity will get affected and there is possibility that they can sometime lose their productivity. Also being too enabling might shore up the liveliness but it will eventually erode the morale. At the end the author concludes with the key message from Gallup that if the organization focuses on strengths it can reduce the disengagement and can lead to beneficial results and According to Kaiser and Kaplan, if the process of backing the strengths is overdone it can be transform the strength to your weakness.