LEAD 3010 Leadership Theories & Practices: FINAL PAPER - THE MEANING OF LEADERSHIP Purpose This assignment is designed to provide you with an opportunity to analyze and synthesize the theoretical perspectives we have been studying and discussing in class. It will also allow you to integrate the theories with your personal experiences by describing how they have influenced your emerging leadership philosophy. Finally, it should hone your skills of critical thinking and articulate expression. Your paper should be used as a reflection tool. It will analyze your learning on the topic of leadership theories and practices and your current thinking regarding your personal definition and understanding of leadership. The purpose of this paper is NOT to summarize the theories that you feel are most useful. Guidelines This paper is designed to challenge you. Understand that if ideas are not well thought-out and expressed with clarity and you have not spent adequate time throughout the semester by reading, studying, and reflecting on how you understand and experience leadership, it will be evident in your paper. • Approximately 6-8 pages, typewritten, double-spaced • Written in the first person, yet maintain the formal tone appropriate for written, scholarly work • Eliminate the repetition of concepts or examples. Do not repeat your ideas with different words. Instead, develop your ideas. Be
concise. Provide specifics and use examples to support your point. Your personal experiences are important when they are relevant. Outline of Topics Your paper should include an analysis of leadership theories and practices and how they relate to one another and your personal experiences. Include your insights from our readings, discussions, and journal reflections. Topics to include are as follows: 1) Your definition of leadership that succinctly (1-2 sentences) incorporates the foundational principles you believe are important in
understanding leadership. This can be a definition that you create or you may choose use someone else’s definition (be sure to give him/her credit). Discuss 1) the foundational concepts that are most important in this definition and why they are important.
2) Your personal philosophy of leadership that incorporates a unique analysis of the theories that you feel are most useful in understanding and practicing leadership. You should analyze and synthesize the theories we studied that are incorporated into your philosophy, NOT summarize them. The purpose of this assignment is to develop your own leadership model or philosophy while giving credit to the theories that have influenced you. In other words, your analysis should focus on specific concepts/elements/values in leadership that are foundational and the theories that influenced you in selecting those elements. Furthermore, your philosophy should relate to your definition. Reference our textbook or the articles where appropriate. Use APA/MLA to cite sources in text and citations page.
3) Your critical life experiences (“triggers”) that have influenced your philosophy and how developing your philosophy will impact your future leadership. Incorporate thoughts on your leadership style and approach to leading others.
Grading Your final paper will be evaluated based on the depth of analysis, critical thought, and application of leadership theories and principles discussed in class. The assignment is worth 100 points. Grading criteria are: • Definition (15 points): A succinct definition with an explanation of the foundational principles that you feel are important in defining
leadership. • Personal Philosophy/Analysis (50 points): Your personal leadership philosophy incorporating theories from class. In-depth and
thoughtful analysis, synthesis, and reflection. Analysis and synthesis are higher critical thinking skills than summarization. Do not simply summarize the theories you feel are most useful. You should approach your philosophy by starting with foundational principles and then connecting with the theories that support these principles.
• Personal Experiences (15 points): Reflection of personal experiences that serve as good examples to support your leadership philosophy
• Writing Methodology (20 points): Effective flow of thoughts, formal academic writing using appropriate class jargon, succinct expression of ideas, format, grammar and spelling, organization and headings, APA formatted references, etc.
Topics Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Definition Sound and succinct definition that aligns
with course content; definition includes foundational principles with good support for why those principles should be included in the definition; connects with personal philosophy (15 pts)
Sound and succinct definition that aligns with course content; definition includes foundational principles but may provide little support for why those principles are included in the definition; may not connect with personal philosophy (11 pts)
Definition may not align with course content and/or not include foundational principles and/or connect with personal philosophy (7 pts)
Personal Philosophy
In-depth and thoughtful analysis, synthesis, and reflection. Reflects personal philosophy that integrates theories based on common characteristics (50 pts)
Comprehensive and correct summary of theories that describe personal philosophy with some identification of connections or themes (38 pts)
May include summary of theories with errors or lacks any connections or themes (26 pts)
Personal Experiences
Reflection of personal experiences clearly supports personal philosophy with sound examples (15 pts)
Reflection of personal experiences provides weak support for personal philosophy (11 pts)
Connection between personal experiences and philosophy unclear (7 pts)
Writing Well-written as formal academic paper, organized w/ headings, no grammar or spelling errors, sources cited in-text and at end works cited (20 pts)
Meets 3 writing criteria (15 pts) Meets 2 or fewer writing criteria (10 pts)
- Purpose
- Guidelines
- Outline of Topics
- Grading
