Leadership Studies Commons^™

The Soul Of Our Work (Speech), C. William Pollard

C. William Pollard Papers

In this edited version of a speech delivered at the Faith at Work Summit, Pollard speaks of how Christians can be "ambassadors for Christ" in their work by adopting people-focused leadership strategies.

Leadership - We Know It When We See It But It's Hard To Define, Jim Kunk

Leadership Hour at Otterbein University

Come listen to Jim's philosophy and definition of leadership.

Effective leaders are able to consistently capture, hold and focus the attention of people on the mission and their individual part in achieving it.

Aerospace Renaissance – Ripe For Research To Impact The Industry, Constantine M. Koursaris, Brig. Gen. Robert E. Mansfield Jr. (Ret.)

Aviation / Aeronautics / Aerospace International Research Conference

The Center for Aviation and Aerospace Leadership (CAAL) was founded in 2008 to capture, create, and share relevant information on leadership in the aviation and aerospace industry.

The AIR is developed and published in collaboration with the Aerospace Industries Association and includes:

• Information on the status of aerospace manufacturing in the United States and state of the economy

• An in-depth review of sales across the various sectors of the industry, employment trends, key international trade statistics, financial information on the industry & major aerospace firms, trends to watch, and a forecast for the future based on a review …

Organizational Leaders’ Experience With Fear-Related Emotions: A Critical Incident Study, Al Barkouli

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study used the Critical Incident Technique (CIT) to better understand how organizational leaders experienced fear-related emotions. Through semi-structured interviews, fifteen executive leaders, mainly chief executive officers (CEOs), shared their experiences in response to threatening, risky, or dangerous incidents. In addition to a phenomenological understanding of the experience, participants illuminated the role that fear-related emotions play in leader decisions, how these emotions influence leader-follower relationships, the impacts of fear-related emotions on leaders’ health and well-being, and the ways leaders managed their experience with fear-related emotions including the role courage played. Leaders often faced threats, risks, or dangers (stimuli) from within …

A Mixed Methods Study: Dimensions Of Cross-Cultural Professional Success: Experiences Of Western Women Living And Working In Eastern Cultures, Tami J. France

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In this world of global interconnectedness women continue to develop cross-cultural careers and their experiences impact and influence global scholarship and practice. Through this study, the relationships, resources, and characteristics that support female expatriate success were explored, with additional focus on the role of mentor and coach relationships. The mixed-methods study was conducted using a sequential approach to research that began with one-on-one semi structured interviews with ten professional women from the United States and Canada working or formerly working in China and Hong Kong. A survey was designed based on the interview findings. Professional women from western countries working …

A Mixed Methods Perspective: How Integral Leaders Can Contribute To The Growth Of Emerging Leaders, Susan M. Hayes

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Given that organizational complexity continues to increase, leaders are looking for credible information, and a process that helps them become a better leader. Emerging leaders are faced with trying to be the best leader they can be while leading teams of people who think and act differently from them. To assist emerging leaders with their leadership, this study explores the literature and looks to highly respected and admired leaders for how they became the leader they are today. The purpose of this study was fourfold: first, to identify and describe first and second tier integral theory leaders from a sample …

“Just” Business And Often Personal: An Exploration Into The Incidents Social Entrepreneurs Identify As Critical To Leading Their Enterprises, Jerrid P. Kalakay

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

As the number of social issues around the world increases, the need for well-prepared social entrepreneurs to solve and improve those issues also increases. Social entrepreneurs with determination and courage may very well succeed in bringing sustainable social change where others have previously failed. The entrepreneurs who choose to lead social enterprises are distinctly committed to improving society through the creation of social value in addition to wealth creation. The purpose of this study was to explore the incidents social entrepreneurs identify as critical to leading their enterprises. Nineteen United States Ashoka Fellows were interviewed. Participants reflected on the most …

The Tides Of Life (Chicago), C. William Pollard

C. William Pollard Papers

This speech was originally delivered at a Moody Business Network Luncheon, part of a series of such luncheons organized by The Moody Church in Chicago. In it Pollard posits that servant leadership -- while not always explicitly Christian -- is oftentimes the primary way one actualizes Christian values in the workplace.

Living And Leading Abundantly, Doug Smith

Leadership Hour at Otterbein University

Understand what leads to truly joyful, meaningful living - in other words, what leads to happiness. Discover that what gives you the perspective of confidence and happiness is a set of skills that you need to consistently, even if subconsciously, practice.

An Inquiry Into The Aviation Management Education Paradigm Shift, Matthew P. Earnhardt, Jason M. Newcomer, Daryl V. Watkins, James W. Marion

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Working adults with four-year degrees from accredited colleges or universities earn, on average, almost three times more than individuals without a degree. This pay gap led Newcomer and his colleagues to study attitudes of aviation and aerospace managers towards education. That study found that managers valued education in new hires, even though they did not deem it critical to their own positions. That finding indicated a potential paradigm shift towards the perceived value of education in the industry.

In the current qualitative, phenomenological research, we interviewed 14 managers from various capacities within the aviation and aerospace industries to determine the …

Ethical Leadership: Creating Ethical Organizations, Alexander C. Heckman

Learning Showcase 2014

Many scholars examine this issue primarily from an individual perspective and in abstract or stylistic manner in which the leader serves as sort of an ethical judge making a ruling.

This poster examines the issue of ethical leadership from an organizational and practical perspective where a leader must think systemically about how to create an ethical organization. In doing so, the leader has to think like an engineer who takes action to design organizational structures that shape and direct action systematically in order to help create an ethical environment. The author applies systems thinking and uses the McKinsey 7-S to …

Value Based Leadership, Dwight Smith

Leadership Hour at Otterbein University

Values guide your decision making process and how you feel about those you lead (and also how those you lead feel about you). Make certain that your values truly align with who you are as a person and as a leader.

To Lead Like Jesus - An Awesome Responsibility, C. William Pollard

C. William Pollard Papers

In this address at the Lead Like Jesus Summit (Four Seasons at Las Colinas - Dallas, TX), Pollard reflects on how he worked to apply the way of Jesus while leading a Fortune 500 company.

Women Directors On Public Company Boards: Does A Critical Mass Affect Leverage?, Cindy K. Harris

Business and Economics Faculty Publications

This study examines the relationship between corporate leverage (the ratio of total debt to total assets) and gender diversity on US public company boards, with particular focus on boards that have at least 25% women directors. Using this critical mass of women eliminates from consideration boards with lesser female representation, whose female directors may be marginalized in their contributions to board functioning and decision-making. I hypothesize that when boards have this minimum threshold of gender diversity, the influence of risk-averse female directors will impact board decisions related to financing, resulting in lower debt ratios when compared to boards with no …

The Quest For The Entrepreneurial Spirit, C. William Pollard

C. William Pollard Papers

Drawing from his years of experience leading The ServiceMaster Company, Pollard outlines for the Entrepreneurial Leader's Organization (ELO) Conference (Vancouver, B.C.) the main tenets of what he considers the entrepreneurial spirit.

Leadership Isn't Easy, Clarke Price

Leadership Hour at Otterbein University

How often have you heard "leaders are made not born," but what goes into "making" a leader? Leadership isn't easy, but with a personal commitment & perseverance, you can start down the road to being an effective leader. This session will present ideas to help you improve as a leader or begin the journey toward developing effective leadership skills.

Leading Happiness: Leadership And Happiness At Work In Certified B Corporations, A Qualitative Study Of Leaders And Employees To Understand The Influence Of Shared Leadership On Worker Happiness Within Certified Benefit Corporations, Travis Hellstrom

Capstone Collection

The Certified B Corps movement is setting a new standard for businesses, committing to a multiple stakeholder orientation focused on community, environment and the workplace in addition to financial profit. More than 1,000 companies, including well-known companies like Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, King Arthur Flour, and Etsy, have joined the ranks of Certified B Corps in over 30 countries.

The B Corps certification is understood to promote a set of organizational practices, which envision improved employee performance and well-being. An important element of that well-being is employee happiness. Previous research has shown that improved business leadership practices can have significant …

The Magic Of (A)Ffective Management, Ryan Weir

Charleston Library Conference

(A)ffective management is a people-first approach to managing employees. After all, employees and supervisors are people first. No matter how hard any individual may try, inevitably the stress and strain of life outside of work can and will bleed through into the work environment. The (A)ffective and effective manager understands this and incorporates this understanding into how he/she interacts with superiors and subordinates in the work environment on a daily basis. This article offers strategies on how to be an (A)ffective manager.

Business As A Calling / Profit As A Virtue, C. William Pollard

C. William Pollard Papers

This speech was delivered at a Symposium on Corporations, Capitalism, and Christianity sponsored by The Center for Lifelong Learning at Windsor Park Retirement Community in Carol Stream, IL. In it Pollard considers the integration of business and faith, focusing primarily on how leaders must cultivate the humanity of their employees while simultaneously maximizing profit.

An Interpretivist Case Study Of Leadership Transition In The Context Of A Southern Baptist Church, Ronald Tuck

Dissertations

This ethnographic study examined the experiences of key individuals involved in a senior leadership transition in the context of the church. Leader transition constitutes a significant aspect of organizational leadership theory, yet succession planning is often neglected in the context of churches. This study revealed that leadership transition is not a single event in the history of a church organization, but rather an evolution of events involving a multiplicity of factors and individuals. Narratives from five individuals directly involved in the pastoral leadership transition process informed the study: the search committee chair, the outgoing and incoming pastors, and two differently-located …

An Investigation Of Business Transformation Disruptors At The Military Strategic Command Level, Thomas Bock

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation contributes an empirical research on business transformation disruption in the military. Specifically, this exploratory research seeks a better understanding of disruption of business transformation and some of the factors that are likely to impact the transformation process at the military strategic command level. A lack of empirical studies existing in the literature, coupled with the continuous transformation challenges faced by military organizations, make it necessary to conduct this empirical study of business transformation disruption in the military.

This research was carried out utilizing a two-phase mixed-methods approach. The first phase included qualitative data gathering through a series of …

Management As A Liberal Art: A Response To The Challenges Of Our Age, C. William Pollard

C. William Pollard Papers

In these notes from the IPA Session in New York, Pollard outlines the main contours of Peter Drucker's theory of management as a liberal art.

Smarter Intentions And Authentic Goals (2014 Edition), Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Faculty and Staff Publications

Intentions influence our actions and behaviors. If intentions are established with awareness, truth, and meaning, they help us experience a life filled with passion and personal fulfillment. Lack of understanding around our true intentions often causes frustration and confusion, which is one reason people oftentimes do not achieve their goals. Many goals are written; however, they are not established with honest intent.

It’s time to get brutally honest about your true intentions so you can achieve authentic goals. Intentions have the power to strengthen your Inner Leader and help you move forward in a meaningful way as long as they …

Whites And The Active Representation Of Racial Minority Interests, Maykao Y. Hang

School of Business Student Theses and Dissertations

This study explored personal and organizational factors that contribute to White public administrators actively representing the interests of racial minority minorities. Data collection comprised of 15 semi-structured interviews. The average age was 54, and the length of service was 3-33 years. Subjects were asked about their personal background, what it means to be White, and work experiences in local county government.

Personal factors found were racial consciousness, major life events, and significant relationships with people of color. Organizational factors included a diverse and inclusive work environment, bureaucracy, legal and compliance issues, and supervisor support. Findings included that Whites did not …

Learning New Management Viewpoints: Recontextualizing Strategic Leadership In Global And Regional Context, Ahmad Raza, Hasan Sohaib Murad

Business Review

This paper makes a theoretical critique of the current paradigm on strategic leadership and proposes an epistemology of managerial practice as unfolded in the business contexts. It is argued that there exist dichotomic views of managerial practice based on profit-logic versus responsibility logic throughout the corporate world. The strategic leaders, instead of practicing one of these logics, should try to synthesize best of the both at the cognitive level and then apply them into the business and management environment. The rapid technological changes coupled with the profound cultural heterogeneity at the workplace have also created the determinants of humanly responsive …

Establishing Credibility Online Through Impression Management Strategies, Shauna Vanbogart

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This project sought to understand how individuals establish credibility online through impression management strategies. Applying Goffman’s (1959) impression management theory, the literature review highlighted four leading self-presentation tactics that bolster credibility effectively on the Internet: structure and aesthetics of personal websites, publication of content that is consistent, insightful and authentic, the use of self-disclosure, and verification of expertise through testimonials and references. These four self-presentation strategies were applied to analyze eight entrepreneurs who have successfully built a credible presence online. These case studies were further developed through the design of online course that teaches entrepreneurs how to use impression management …

Communication At Tradeshows--Face-To-Face Versus Online, Megan C. Powers

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

The question is regularly posed within communication academia as to whether computer mediated communication (CMC) is a “richer” form of communication than face-to-face (FtF). Similarly, the necessity of meeting FtF with regard to business has been repeatedly called into question since the downturn of the economy in 2008-2009. One reason professionals gather FtF is for tradeshows. This thesis looks at the quality of the communication that takes place at FtF tradeshows, and reveals attitudes and opinions with regard to the importance of the relationship-building and commerce that occurs in person and/or online. The results inform what we can and cannot …

Leading At The Edge Of Uncertainty: An Exploration Of The Effect Of Contemplative Practice On Organizational Leaders, Stephen D. Romano

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of the study is to investigate how organizational leaders cultivate focus and calm in moments of uncertainty. There is significant literature discussing how individuals manage stress and enhance well-being through formal meditative practices, but few studies investigate informal strategies. Through single subject with multiple subject design, the research examines how specific mind body practices affect an individual's ability to pay attention, connect with others, manage stress, and enhance perspective-taking. This study suggests that being a leader, and by extension, leadership, is not merely a series of actions; rather, it is a way of thinking and being. The capacity …

The Nature And Influence Of Relationship On Success In A Virtual Work Environment, Carol Locher Ransone

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The evolution of technology in the 21st century has led to a greater understanding of the benefits and the challenges of expanding work relationships across geographical boundaries. This expansion has contributed to the development of a global society with over three million employee teleworkers (Global Workplace Analytics and the Telework Research Network, 2013). In spite of the advances in connecting across the globe technologically, the importance of successfully working together in a virtual work environment is grounded in relationships that foster individual growth and group cohesion. The human elements of connectivity are primary to the success of organizations as well …

Understanding Relational Agility: Exploring Constructs Of Relational Leadership Through Story, David M.I. Mclean

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Organizational storytelling was used within Tri Fit, a Canadian health promotion and fitness company, to explore relational leadership practices. Through 27 confidential one-on-one interviews and an interview of the four-person leadership team, the research attempted to examine how relational agility, a new leadership construct, exists, how it is defined, and to describe its organizational impacts. Two hundred and forty unique stories were shared through this process, out of which nine storylines emerged. The distillation of these revealed three cultural themes: a culture of relational connection; a culture of nice and a culture that values positivity. Demonstrations of transformational leadership, authentic …