Leadership Studies Commons^™

Vulnerability In Leadership: The Power Of The Courage To Descend, Stephanie O. Lopez

Industrial-Organizational Psychology Dissertations

As authenticity and trust continue to be recognized as key pillars of effective leadership in today’s world (Avolio et al., 2004; Mayer et al., 1995; Peus et al., 2012), organizations need leaders who are willing to be vulnerable with those they lead. The purpose of current study was to explore the relationship between courage, other-centered calling, vulnerability, and leadership differentiation. The sample for the current study included 296 self-identified leaders who report being responsible for the work and development of others. Leaders were primarily Caucasian (83.7%), male (55.9%), and from a church/ministry setting (41.2%). The study occurred over a year …

Ne Maquixtia: A Mixed Methods Exploration Of Leaders’ Dispositions And Their Impact On The Organizational Cultures They Lead, Georgina Yvette Garcia

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies: Doctoral Research Projects

The aim of this field-based research study was to explore and examine the importance of leader dispositions and their impact on organizational culture and sustained success. It focused on answering the following research question: What leadership dispositions, whether in education or in business, transcend organizational boundaries and most likely lead to organizational cultures that sustainably impact results and support continuous improvement?

This study spotlights the urgent need for leaders in all organizational contexts to immerse themselves in a profound and meaningful manner with developing greater awareness of the dispositions related to their leadership and the cultures they directly impact and …

High People-High Mission: The Power Of Caring Leadership As Experienced In The Air Force, Winfield F. Tufts

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

On the surface, caring and the military appear to be opposites. The stereotypical image of the military giving and obeying orders does not conjure up images of leaders caring for their subordinates. In reality, caring for subordinates and caring for the mission could help leaders form stronger relationships with subordinates, because subordinates may have confidence that their leaders will not recklessly send them into harm’s way. Subordinates may develop confidence in their leaders based on their leaders’ care during non-combat environments. Yet, empirical studies of caring in the military are sparse. This study investigates how Air Force retirees characterize “great …

Leadership And Self-Deception Book Review, Evan D. Poff

Marriott Student Review

A book review of Leadership and Self-Deception.

Leader Self-Efficacy In Youth Leader Development: A Mixed Methods Study, Christopher J. Rehm

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Leader self-efficacy (LSE) is a construct studied in adults and college students which is associated with leader emergence, individual performance, and group performance. This mixed methods dissertation examines LSE in an eighth grade student population to determine if it can be impacted by a leader development intervention during this sensitive period of human growth. Both quantitative and qualitative methods demonstrate the effectiveness of the programming in impacting youth LSE. This holds significant implications for future educational practice, research, and the development of the next generation of leaders. A five item youth LSE scale was created which can aid in further …

Developmental Evaluation: Complexity Leadership Theory In Practice-A Mixed Methods Study, Terrence S. Fernsler

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Networks of organizations frequently operate within complex adaptive systems in which leadership is practiced in uncertain and ambiguous conditions. Background in complexity theories is first provided, along with how they apply to organizations operating in complex adaptive systems. A theory—Complexity Leadership Theory (CLT)—has been derived to model leadership in complex adaptive systems; CLT has been tested very little in practice. Developmental Evaluation (DE) is a practice which helps organizations and their networks adapt within complex adaptive systems. Since both processes are based in complexity, leadership characteristics in each can be expected to be similar.

This exploratory mixed methods study incorporates …

A Qualitative Exploration Into Larry Wilson's Transformational Leadership, Peter D. Engstrom

Theses and Graduate Projects

Larry Wilson was considered by many to be a transformational leader.

This paper explores the intersection of how people associated with Larry experienced him relative to the current research on transformational leadership through an interpretive method of gathering data from former employees, customers, and family. Data was gathered through a series of personal interviews, published text, and a questionnaire. The interviews and questionnaire yielded five main themes. The evidence suggests Larry’s style of leadership is consistent with the Full Range of Transformational Leadership, as posited by Bernard Bass and Bruce Avolio (1994).

Writing With The ‘Other’: Combining Poetry And Participation To Study Leaders With Disabilities, Rama Cousik, Paresh Mishra, Mariesa K. Rang

The Qualitative Report

In this paper, we describe the process of transformative co-authorship between researchers and a participant with disabilities. The researchers were conducting a larger study that aimed to identify different factors that shaped individuals with disabilities to assume leadership roles. Drawing from interview data obtained from the participant, one researcher wrote a poem that provided a stage for the researchers and the participant to engage in reflexive process that transformed the researchers-participant relationship to that of co-authors. This paper describes this transformative process and what everyone learned from this enriching experience.

Women In Leadership And Decision-Making: Understanding Different Styles Of Leading, Remi Alapo

Publications and Research

Women in leadership and decision-making roles influence the policies and directions of organizations (Ahuja, 2002). Women in leadership value supports from their organizations. Pro-social outcomes of relationship competence are mediated by the development of empathy, collaborative approaches to conflict, self-disclosure, and social interest (Jogulu & Wood, 2006). Decision-making perspectives have uncertainty as the sole reason for organizational leaders to search for additional relevant information to solidify or clarify the information at the leader’s disposal. A phenomenological qualitative research study which explored the preferred style of leadership based on three leadership and decision-making styles is presented in this paper1. The researcher …

Leadership And The American Military, Crystal Trotter

The Eastern Illinois University Political Science Review

The author takes a look at the interplay between leadership and the American military. The author examines and considers views from many great American military minds on how leadership plays an absolutely vital role in the effectiveness of the American military.

Measuring And Disseminating Organizational Leadership Through Impact, Sarah Baumer, Alfredo Karduss

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

Our service learning experience as teaching assistants for Professor Brett Crawford’s Foundations of Organizational Leadership course (TLI112) included collaborating with community partners such as the Wabash River Enhancement Corporation, successfully acquiring grant funding as principal investigators, inventorying needs for native plants to replace weeds and invasive species, and disseminating our experiences through various measures of impact. Our efforts fit within a transformation of a large lecture course, moving away from passive learning and toward experiential activities that included 1,340 hours of community service during a single semester. Community service impacts were measured, including links between the Global Reporting Initiatives and …

Management As A Liberal Art (Summary), C. William Pollard

C. William Pollard Papers

In this brief document, Pollard outlines the main contours of Peter Drucker's concept of "management as liberal art." In particular, he notes how management is a spiritual and moral endeavor oriented to the development of the whole person.

Note: Page 6 is missing from the original document.

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit Of Less, Bradley D. Cassell

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

"he utilizes three steps in discovering and embracing what is most important: explore, eliminate, and execute. intertwined in these steps are practical stories of corporate executives who discovered their niche and priorities by following these principles. the author gives practical counsel such as getting plenty of sleep, taking time to play, gathering the courage to eliminate things that are not important even if it offends others, and even getting into a flow or routine of doing a few things well while cutting out the non-essential priorities that others place in our path."

2017 Executive Summary- The Learning Group Effect: Leadership Development As Capacity Building A Five-Year Examination Of The Fieldstone Leadership Group Program, Michelle Ahearne, Tessa Tinkler, Mary Jo Schumann

Nonprofit Leadership and Capacity Building

This report, prepared by the Caster Center, is a 5-year examination of the Fieldstone Leadership Group Program, a six-month peer-based learning community model to support the leadership development of both executive directors and senior leaders of nonprofit organizations.

2017 Fieldstone Leadership Network's Learning Group Effect: Leadership Development As Capacity Building, Michelle Ahearne, Tessa Tinkler, Mary Jo Schumann

Nonprofit Leadership and Capacity Building

This report, prepared by the Caster Center, is a 5-year examination of the Fieldstone Leadership Group Program, a six-month peer-based learning community model to support the leadership development of both executive directors and senior leaders of nonprofit organizations.

Religious Education For Effective Ministry: Confronting Leadership Challenges In One Beloved Community, Remi Alapo

Publications and Research

Rev. Smith has been appointed to be the pastor of First United Methodist Church (FUMC). With the appointment, it comes a specific instruction that the church must be “turned around,” and it was Rev. Smith’s responsibility to make it happen. FUMC has been in decline for many years under the leadership of several pastors. Rev. Smith is black and the congregation is predominately Caucasian and elderly, with longtime members who have stayed on because “this is their church.” Rev. Smith comes to the church bringing her experience, energy, and vision. This appointment is a cross-racial cross-cultural appointment, which is part …

Beyond The Barriers Of Discipline And Culture, Erich Baumgartner

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

"culture sometimes prevents us from appreciating the very gifts offered to us, at least at first. in one place i learned a dimension of friendship that my culture does not allow me to experience easily. it happened when i was teaching Leadership Development to teachers and administrators of religious organizations in India. the first thing i noticed was their eagerness to learn in the classroom and their desire to share the beauty of their city and cultural sites with me. i enjoyed both, the classroom and the time outside the classroom. But i was unprepared for a gesture of friendship …

The Need For Spiritual Leadership, Morris Thompson

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

"Leadership comes in different shapes and sizes within our society. Some leadership practices are characterized as good, and other forms are toxic. however, within the 21st century, spiritual leadership is necessary as christian leaders focus on growing the next generation of leaders. this article focuses on the importance of the spiritual leader within today’s society, and will first discuss the need for dedicated spiritual leaders. it will then discuss how spiritual leaders affect the spiritual growth of others. Finally, it will discuss the need for spiritual accountability."

The Intersection Of Leadership And Spirituality: A Qualitative Study Exploring The Thinking And Behavioral Attributes Of Leaders Who Identify As Spiritual, D. S. Goldberg

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

"the primary question was does spirituality influence leaders’ thinking and behaviors. the secondary questions included an exploration around ways spirituality influences thinking and behaviors. it also explored the questions as to spirituality informing the ways leaders can be challenging within their organizations, and if acknowledging one’s spirituality publically helps or hinders building effective teams. the highlights of the research include the finding that spirituality does indeed influence everything a leader does and is, whether thinking or behavior attributes, and the process of a leader’s questioning."

The Role Of Spirituality In The Leadership Style Of Organizational Leaders, A. S. Koko

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

"the transcendental phenomenology research design was used to investigate the essence or meaning of these leaders’ experiences regarding their spirituality and leadership style as they were currently experiencing it. the knowledge obtained from this study explained spirituality, consciousness, and cognition’s role in leadership style, which can be applied to the fields of sports, politics, organizational management, coaching, mentoring, leadership, employee recruitment, and other areas of society or within any organization where leadership performance is important. the conclusion from this study was that organizational leaders who self-identified as being spiritual demonstrated compassion when relating with their employees and others. these organizational …

Discovering The Leader Within: An Autoethnophenomenographic Study Of Mindfulness In Educational Leadership, Alyssa Fraser

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative study combined autoethnographic and phenomenological methods to examine a researcher-leader’s attempt to cultivate cognitive, relational, and emotional capacities through regular mindfulness practice, and how the cultivation of such capacities aligns with the enactment of leadership. The interrogation of lived experience and self-analysis was entered with the intention to better understand the promise of mindfulness as a resource for the development of educational leaders. This study explored the perceived connections between mindfulness practice and the enactment of educational leadership by examining internal and external perspectives of an individual leader’s practice. Methods of self-observation, including both interval and occurrence recording …

Various Notes Regarding Peter Drucker, C. William Pollard

C. William Pollard Papers

In these handwritten documents, Pollard outlines some of the main lessons he has learned from his decades-long friendship with noted management theorist Peter Drucker.

Speech On The Tides Of Life, C. William Pollard

C. William Pollard Papers

For Pollard, the development of people is the key to a future made uncertain by rapid socio-economic change. Proper development, however, is predicated on upholding ServiceMaster's primary objective of honoring God.

Some Ethical Principles For A Follower Of Jesus Christ Seeking To Lead In The Marketplace, C. William Pollard

C. William Pollard Papers

In these seven principles Pollard outlines what is required of a disciple of Christ in the marketplace.

Various Handwritten Notes Regarding Peter Drucker, C. William Pollard

C. William Pollard Papers

These handwritten notes contain various thoughts and reflections concerning Peter Drucker's influence on Pollard.

Handwritten Notes Regarding Peter Drucker Lessons, C. William Pollard

C. William Pollard Papers

In these handwritten notes, Pollard outlines some of the lessons he has learned from a long relationship with noted management theorist Peter Drucker.

When I See My Face: Painting The Portrait Of Black Women Leaders In The U.S. Federal Government, Antoinette Lavawn Allen

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Many Black women have chosen the federal government as their employer; a review of literature provides few studies on the Black women leaders in the federal government. Similarly, there is limited research about these women in academic settings. The purpose of this qualitative portraiture study is to explore the lived experiences of Black female leaders and the (a) challenges they face in leadership and (b) resilience strategies they use to overcome those challenges. The researcher used the portraiture methodology, which embraces traditional qualitative data sources, such as interviews and documents as well as creative expressions to include poetry, music, and …

The Impact Of The Total Leadership Model On Financial Performance For Health Center Administrators, Patrick Shuler

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which a leadership model impacts the financial performance of one organization. The organization has multiple centers, each with its own leader. A survey is used to gauge the value alignment of the selected leadership model on each center leader within this organization. The model used for this study is the Total Leadership model which has the main goal of improving performance in four domains of life: work, home, community and self by creating mutual value within each therefore creating value alignment.

Examining Hierarchy Structures In Non-Profits; The Keller Model, Scott J. Keller

M.A. in Leadership Studies: Capstone Project Papers

My capstone project started with challenging myself into designing a different structure than what is commonly utilized in the American workforce. I have come up with a model, that is not just structured differently, but a model that involves an entire culture within. According to my environmental scanning work, there are just five typical (more so traditional than typical) hierarchy models. I believe that the scarcity in available models gives for limitations in ways that an organization can perform, and even more saddening, when the organization does not take into consideration that they could resolve a lot of issues within …

Toward A Framework For Interfaith Leadership, Barbara A. Mcgraw

Engaging Pedagogies in Catholic Higher Education (EPiCHE)

Today there is a need for a vision of the world that takes account of religious, spiritual, and non-faith orientations in a way that promotes cooperation and resolves conflict. Educational programs that employ this article’s proposed four-dimensional interfaith leadership framework can contribute to that vision. Through dialogue for understanding and compassion, lens bias reflection and cognitive-affective frame-shifting, religious literacy, and leadership theory and practice, students can become socially conscious leaders who effect positive change in religiously diverse environments. This interfaith leadership framework is especially salient for Catholic institutions of higher education, but is readily extendable for use in other institutions.