Leadership Classics: Trait Theory Leadership Classics: Trait Theory Introduction and Alignment Few management and organization topics have generated as mu

Leadership Classics: Trait Theory Leadership Classics: Trait Theory
Introduction and Alignment

Few management and organization topics have generated as much interest and research activity as leadership. Fads in the corporate world find their roots in practitioners’ fancies for and belief in ‘quick fixes’ for organizational woes and consultants’ desires to make a quick buck. Thus, the corporate desire to search continually for ‘new bottles for old wine,’ coupled with academicians’ inclinations to study and think about what inspires them, creates all the ingredients for a short-lived interest in leaders and the leadership process. However, this has not been the case. Instead, widespread interest in leadership has spanned nearly a century, with significant historical roots stemming from the works of many ancient Greek, Roman, Chinese, and Egyptian philosophers.

Thousands of pages of academic books and journals have been devoted to the topic of leadership. During the past several years, the popular press has published and sold millions of copies of several dozen books written on the topic of leaders and leadership. Organizations frantically search for the magical leader who can pull the firm together and place it back on the competitive path. We frequently hear stories about important historical leaders; we attribute organizational successes and failures to the things that our leaders did or failed to do; and at the national level we commonly resurrect dreams of the way it was when certain charismatic or just competent leaders were at the nation’s helm….. [No doubt] a strong interest in leadership is evident. (Pierce & Newstrom, 2011, pp. v-vi)

Most HR professionals are in a unique position in the organization: they are to facilitate the recruitment, selection, orientation, training and development, and performance management of leaders in the organization—all the while serving as leaders themselves. Accordingly, it is imperative that those serving in the HR profession have a rich understanding of leadership, which includes the historical foundations of the field of leadership.

In each workshop, Workshop One through Workshop Six, you will be introduced to the classics of leadership literature. Each workshop focuses on a particular foundational area. The article readings are considered classics because they are authored by those who blazed the trails of various leadership theories and styles.

In Workshop One you will research leader personality, motives, and other qualities that are known attributes of trait theories in the leadership field.

Upon completion of this assignment, you should be able to:

Synthesize views of trait theory from classical leadership research with your own experience to articulate a personal worldview perspective.
Integrate an understanding of the principles of leadership trait theory with an understanding of the same or similar concepts from a Biblical worldview.
Resources
Article: Leadership: Do Traits Matter? http://tinyurl.com/l3huv8c
Article: Personality and Leadership: A Qualitative and Quantitative Review http://tinyurl.com/oym7fz3
File: Example of a Good Discussion Post
Background Information

“The trait approach—one of the earliest used to study leadership—emphasizes personal traits of leaders. The underlying assumption is that certain people possess innate characteristics that make them better leaders than others” (Clawson, 2003, p. 325).

Instructions
Download and read the article “Leadership: Do Traits Matter?” via http://tinyurl.com/l3huv8c
Download and read the article “Personality and Leadership: A Qualitative and Quantitative Review” via http://tinyurl.com/oym7fz3
Download and read the information in the file Example of a Good Discussion Post. This document will help you understand the content and level of detail that is expected in a quality discussion posting.
Navigate to the discussion thread and respond to the following questions based on your current organization or one with which you are familiar. For this assignment, the organization selected is to be a different organization than the hotel you will select for your HR simulation. Be sure to identify the organization in your discussion.
Leadership-Trait Theory.
Synthesize views of trait theory from classical leadership research with your own experience to articulate a personal worldview perspective.
Describe the human resource management implications arising from your personal worldview perspective of trait theory.
Note: A synthesis is a combination of independent parts into a whole. For this section of your discussion forum posting, include one or more concepts from each of the two required leadership article readings, add in your personal perspective based on your understanding or experience of the leadership topic, and then provide one or more HR implications that could result from the synthesis. For further clarity, consult the Example of a Good Discussion Post.
Integration of Faith and Learning.
Review the 1.1 Devotional and Scripture reading below
Describe Daniel’s character during his times of testing under the kings of Babylon.
Identify the leadership lessons that can be learned from the Scripture reading and how these might be incorporated in the workplace.
Provide a detailed post that demonstrates clear, insightful critical thinking. Your initial posting should be 200-300 words long.
Your initial posting is to include, at a minimum, two sources properly cited and referenced, which may be the two required reading journal articles.
Post your initial discussion by the end of the fourth day of the workshop.

Devotional: Character Leadership Lessons
Introduction and Alignment

Does the private life of a leader truly impact his or her public life? No question about it. Daniel illustrates why character plays such a vital role. Daniel could have tried merely to survive his experience as a captive in a foreign land. Instead he never left his disciplined life of character and personal commitment. Ponder the character he displayed during his time of testing under the kings of Babylon.

How a leader deals with the circumstances of life tells you many things about his character. Crisis doesn’t necessarily make character, but it certainly reveals it. Adversity makes a person choose one of two paths; character or compromise. Every time a leader chooses character, he grows stronger.

Character is the foundation on which a leader builds his or her life. (Maxwell, 2002, p. 1025)

Upon completion of this assignment, you should be able to:

Integrate an understanding of the principles of leadership trait theory in the workplace with an understanding of the same or similar concepts from a Biblical worldview.
Resources
Bible
Background Information

Daniel became an effective leader because he faithfully followed God. Even with his life on the line, Daniel negotiated a way to follow his God without offending his captors. Note how Daniel maintained his integrity and resolved the conflict without alienating those he worked with. Being godly doesn’t have to mean being inflexible and dogmatic. (NIV Leadership Bible, 2013, p. 981)

Reference

NIV leadership Bible. (2013). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Instructions
Read Daniel Chapters 1 and 2 in your Bible.
Seek to prayerfully discern how you may incorporate new learning from the Scripture and supporting insights in the reading.