Leadership Studies Commons^™

Mentoring Of Special Education Administrators, Deborah Mcdonald Toups Edd

Dissertations

Mentoring powerfully develops human potential but little has been known about mentoring in special education administration. Because mentoring has a centuries-long record of success, because of the importance of special education administrators, and because of the paucity of empirical knowledge on mentoring in special education administration, this study examines mentoring in the special education administration community. The population for the study was approximately 1,465 practicing special education administrators in the state of California identified by the Center of Personnel Studies in Special Education (COPSSE). Electronic mail was used to introduce the on-line survey, Mentoring for Special Education Administrators. The instrument …

Acts 2:42 In 2006: Examining Small Group Discussion In An American Mega-Church, Sheri Guseman Edd

Dissertations

During the last century, Americans have become increasingly isolated from one another, resulting in feelings of loneliness and creating a void of community (Frazee, 2001). However, as attendance at mainline churches continues to decline (Stafford, 1998), attendance and participation in mega-churches, defined as those serving more than 2,500 individuals and offering a multiplicity of services, continues to increase (http://www.hirr.hartsem.edu/org ). One popular explanation for this phenomenon is that mega-churches are often characterized by an organized small group ministry---something absent in more traditional churches. Although this trend has clearly swept the nation (Gladwell, 2005), related research on the efficacy of the …

Gender Influences In The Graduate Classroom: An Investigation Of Female And Male Student Perceptions, Gerald B. Blanton Edd

Dissertations

Defined by Mary Rowe (1977) as micro inequities, seemingly insignificant gender bias behaviors create an inequitable academic environment and marginalize groups and individuals in the American classroom. Popularized by Hall and Sandler's 1982 report on the "chilly" classroom, gender bias is subtle and differs from the more obvious behaviors associated with sexual harassment. However, gender bias research appears incomplete. Study findings contradict each other, few studies explore gender bias in the graduate classroom, and fewer yet compare the perceptions of women and men concerning gender influences in the graduate classroom. This dissertation investigates perceptions of the influence of gender in …

The Reluctant Sorority: Stories Of American Wives Of Prisoners Of War And Missing In Action, 1965–1973. Lessons In Exercising Leadership In The Absence Of Power, Steven L. Smith Edd

Dissertations

Increasingly, political action committees and special interest groups dominate the national policy-making process. Critics charge that campaign contributions buy access to and influence with policy makers, and that the differential ability to make such contributions results in disproportional representation. The question then becomes: how do ordinary citizens who are unable to use substantial financial contributions to "purchase" access to power mobilize people to influence public policy. To state the question another way: how can people provide leadership when they possess neither positional power nor the means commonly used to influence those with positional power? This historical study examines these questions …

The Effects Of Participating In Youth Theater, Mark Plato Arapostathis Edd

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of student participation in youth theater on the students. Research suggests that theater arts have aided in building student cognition and contributed to the development of literacy. Davenport (1999) concluded that the experience and knowledge that one gains from theater arts form the basic building blocks for the skills needed to learn and to become literate. He added that creative expression is the actual production of a work of art, and this direct, personal involvement provides the experience base upon which cognitive development occurs. This cognitive development has practical application …

Leadership In Turbulent Times (Jackson, Tn), C. William Pollard

C. William Pollard Papers

Speaking at Union University (Jackson, TN), Pollard contends that the turbulent years in which we live require moral leadership oriented to cultivating purpose in people's lives.

Leadership In Turbulent Times (Seattle), C. William Pollard

C. William Pollard Papers

Speaking at Seattle Pacific University, Pollard contends that the turbulent years in which we live require moral leadership oriented to cultivating purpose in people's lives.

So You Think It's Inclusion…Think Again: A Quantitative Analysis Of Stakeholder Perceptions In Community Youth Organizations, Mary Mcallister Shea Edd

Dissertations

Over the last thirty years, a cultural transformation has occurred in public schools as students with disabilities have slowly moved from segregated sites and special day classes to more inclusive classroom environments. Although this change has largely been driven by legislative mandate, including the requirement that students be supported in the least restrictive environment possible, the benefits of inclusion have been exceedingly well documented in the literature. Unfortunately, the inclusiveness seen within schools has not extended to the provision of out-of-school programs, and as a result, sixteen years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, children with disabilities …

A Resource Review: Reflect And Improve: A Tool Kit For Engagin Youth And Adults As Partners In Program Evaluation, Jane L. Powers

Journal of Youth Development

Highlights of a new evaluation resource “Reflect and Improve: A Tool Kit for Engaging Youth and Adults as Partners in Program Evaluation” are shared by the author. The Tool Kit is designed to help youth serving agencies strengthen program planning and evaluation through youth/adult partnerships.

Effects Of Information Flow On People-Driven Processes Within A Remote-Based Field Staff, James M. Hennen

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study examines the potential of open information flow in leading autonomous and decentralized field staffs. Research questions focus on participant perceptions of access to useful information and whether a participant's more positive organizational outlook compared favorably to their actual process performance. A chaotic model of people-driven processes formed the framework that explored these effects. A set of perception-based questions centered on the goals, roles, processes, and relationships held within a field organization created the model's structure. An assessment tool collected participant self-reported views of their organization and compared them to the high and low participant performance groups of four …

Leadership In Groups: Social Networks And Perceptions Of Formal And Informal Leaders, Mitchell D. Stratton

Theses and Dissertations

The labors of organizational and behavioral science researchers have resulted in a literature robust in the study of leadership and social networks. Empirical examination of both topics has shown significant organizational outcomes, but breadth is lacking both within and between the disciplines. Studies of leadership have seen the preponderance of the effort focused on formal leaders, while most social network studies examine only one informal structure. Moreover, there exists a paucity of studies, which have sought to examine the interrelationships between leadership and social networks. In an effort to address these voids, this thesis investigated: 1) The concurrent existence of …

High Performance Individuals And How They Manage Their Personal Knowledge For Decision-Making: An Exploratory Study Of Us Air Force Leaders, Kenneth M. Ivey

Theses and Dissertations

The ability of Colonels, Generals, and Chiefs to effectively manage their personal knowledge may lead to better decisions; however, the Air Force does not have an understanding of how these high performance leaders manage their personal knowledge. This research used a multiple-case study methodology to explore how USAF leaders manage their personal knowledge when making routine and novel decisions. Viewing personal knowledge management as it related to sociotechnical theory provided the basis to determine how the need to accomplish the tasks associated with personal knowledge management impacted the people, technology, organizational structure, and the tasks associated with managing personal knowledge. …

Timeless Values In Turbulent Times (Miami), C. William Pollard

C. William Pollard Papers

In this speech at the Miami Boat Show, Pollard outlines a vision of servant leadership that can withstand the turbulence of the early twenty-first century economy.

Ua3/9/5 House & Senate Budget Subcommittees, Wku President's Office

WKU Administration Documents

Card of talking points used by WKU president Gary Ransdell while lobbying state legislators to increase WKU's budget.

Ua3/9/5 Budget Remarks, Wku President's Office

WKU Administration Documents

Remarks delivered by WKU president Gary Ransdell regarding the budget process in 2006. It includes a list of critical needs for 2006 to 2008.

2006 Executive Transition In The San Diego Nonprofit Sector Executive Summary, Laura Deitrick, Paige Creager

Nonprofit Leadership and Capacity Building

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Recent national studies of executives in the nonprofit field have indicated that the sector will soon be facing a massive transition in leadership. In this study, the Center sought to define and understand the challenges posed by executive transition, and how it pertains specifically to San Diego nonprofit sector. Particular focus was placed on the number of San Diego nonprofit executives who plan to retire or leave their positions in the next 5 years.

2006 Report On Nonprofit Executive Transition, Laura Deitrick, Paige Creager

Nonprofit Leadership and Capacity Building

Recent national studies of executives in the nonprofit field have indicated that the sector will soon be facing a massive transition in leadership. In this study, the Center sought to define and understand the challenges posed by executive transition, and how it pertains specifically to San Diego nonprofit sector. Particular focus was placed on the number of San Diego nonprofit executives who plan to retire or leave their positions in the next 5 years.

Ua3/9/5 Legislative Priorities, Wku President's Office

WKU Administration Documents

Legislative priorities talking points card used by WKU president Gary Ransdell when meeting with state legislators in 2006.

Ua12/11/2 Volunteerism, Wku Leadership & Volunteerism

WKU Administration Documents

Booklet highlighting the activities of WKU Leadership & Volunteerism.

Ua77/1 Wku Spirit, Wku Alumni Relations

WKU Administration Documents

WKU alumni magazine. Contents:

• Society of 1906 Honor Roll
• Wilkerson, Martha. Thank You Gretchen Niva!
• Special Needs Trust Commits $750,000 for Clinical Education Complex
• 2 WKU Students Win Hearst National Championship – Will DeShazer, Brenna Gallegos
• WKU Regents Approve Move to Division I-A Football
• McDaniel, Sue. A Century of Academics
• A Quarter of a Century for the Center for Gifted Studies
• 100 Hours of Life on the Hill, September 6-10, 2006
• Newton, Tommy. A Century of Campus Planning
• A Century of Gifts: 100 Gifts WKU Gave the World
• Centennial Timeline
• One Century, One Vision – Henry Cherry, Gary Ransdell
• Adventures …

Servant-Leadership And Transparency: A Brief Interview With Robert Spitzer, S.J., Robert Spitzer S.J.

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

I. Robert Greenleaf refers to love as essential to both the servant and the leader in generating legitimate power in the self, the organization, the community, the world. Emerson furthers this point when he proposed the following: mediocre people want to be loved; true people are lovely. How does love influence your own leadership and your way offollowing others? I commit myself to two fundamental ingredients of love on a daily basis: to look for the contributive before the comparative in my life and to look for the good news before the bad news in others. I do not always …

Servant-Leadership, Forgiveness, And Unlimited Liability: Fathers And Sons, Keith Allan

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

In the following brief personal essay, Keith Allan reflects on the difficult work of turning a lifestyle of resentment into one of unconditional forgiveness, revealing one man's initial journey toward understanding the nature of healing embattled family relationships. I don't pretend to be an expert about forgiveness. In fact, most of my life I have nursed bitterness against my own father. Recently, however, I have begun to be convinced about the interior depth of the servant-leader and how far I've been from that depth at certain crucial times in my life. In noticing this distance, and wanting to close the …

Servant-Leadership: A Model Aligned With Chaos Theory, Mark Rennaker

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

Greenleaf (1977) proposed the true test of servant-leadership as leaders reproducing their inclination to serve in others. However, current servantleadership models do not clearly demonstrate such generativity. By modifying the Patterson (2003 )-Winston (2003) servant-leadership model to demonstrate more clearly the reproduction of the service inclination both in dyadic and in organizational dimensions, this study will contribute to servant-leadership "theory-building" (Lynham, 2002, p. 221). The proposed servant-leadership model, aligned with chaos theory, will give scholars and practitioners a better understanding of the practice and effect of servantleadership.

Book Review: Finding Our Way: Leadership For An Uncertain Time, Kurt S. Takamine

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

Wheatley (2005, p. 16) encapsulates the direction of Finding Our Way with these words: What was "my message" from the new sciences has grown in depth and strength into a "new story." It is sourced from many traditions, not just Western science, and I offer it to any individual or group that is willing to listen. I am less focused on persuasion and more engaged in the telling of a story that gives hope and possibility to all.

Toward A Research Model Of Servant-Leadership, Dirk Van Dierendonck, Imke Heeren

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

In recent years there has been a shift in the managerial sphere of interest within organisations. Increasingly, managers tend to focus on the creation of sustainable development. This has a positive impact on employees and society as a whole (Spears, 1998; Patterson, 2003). More than ever before, organisations are seeking to recruit leaders who not only manage, but also lead, and lead well, meaning that they show a strong tendency toward the good, the moral well-being of their staff, their customers, and ultimately society (Patterson, 2003). Organisations increasingly focus on what people think, how they behave, and why certain decisions …

Dare To Be A Servant-Leader: An Interview With Larry Spears, Barbara Tay

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

The frontiers of space have been tested, the cloning of human beings toyed with. Bearing lofty aspirations and tools that yield great power, would a man or a woman of this millennium willingly become a servant-leader rather than a super leader? Larry Spears, President and CEO of the Greenleaf Center for Servant-Leadership, dares to be one, and dares you too.

Greenleaf On Servant-Leadership: An Inward Journey, Robert K. Greenleaf

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

Robert K. Greenleaf coined the term servant-leadership in his seminal 1970 essay, "The Servant as Leader." The servant-leader concept has had a deep and lasting influence over the past three decades on many modern leadership ideas and practices. Greenleaf spent his first career of 40 years at AT&T, retiring as director of management research in 1964. That same year Greenleaf founded The Center for Applied Ethics (later renamed The Greenleaf Center for Servant-Leadership). He went on to have an illustrious 25-year second career as an author, a teacher, and a consultant. Greenleaf, who died in 1990, was the author of …

Servant-Leadership: Sustaining Democratic Schools, Carolyn Crippen

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

Funan (2003) writes that a strong education system is the cornerstone of a civil, prosperous, and democratic society, and Glickman, Gordon, and Ross-Gordon (2005) state, "In a democratic society, it is vital that students learn to think reflectively, function at high stages of moral reasoning, and be autonomous decision makers" (p. 156). Hence, the role of school leader and/or teacher becomes critical in providing the example and environment to foster such democratic ethos. Today, many of our schools are moving toward a more collegial, cooperative, transformative, service approach in the learning community.

The True Person Is Lovely, Shann Ferch

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

True people are lovely. Even the very words invoke grace. They harken us toward vulnerability, transparency, humility, surrender, perhaps even submission to love itself-the ultimate expression of legitimate greatness and power. In reading the wonderful work housed in this second volume of The International Journal ofServant-Leadership I was struck by the nuances of what it means to be lovely. The authors here have given us their own deep loveliness and in so doing, they lead us to a more discerning, precise, and fearless understanding of self-responsibility and collective responsibility for our life together.

Servant-Leadership: Creating An Alternative Future, Peter Block

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

[Technician asks Peter if he needs technology.] I don't need any of that, no. No power and no point; I'm a free man. [Laughter.] Anyway, thank you. I like being here, I chose to come like you did, and so it's an honor for me to be here. I have great respect for you, Larry [looking over to Larry Spears]; somehow you've managed to advance things and bring an idea into the world without commercializing it. And in this modern day that's quite a miracle. Most of the ideas, once they get commercialized, lose their substance. They lose their meaning. …