Assignment: Organizational Leadership Term Paper and Presentation
Famous Leader Analysis
Each student will be assigned to a group for the Famous Leader Analysis project. Each group will analyze and present on a famous or well-known leader by applying the concepts and theories covered in class and in the textbook. Any type of leader can be selected for whom there is sufficient information to provide a good analysis of leadership processes and outcomes.
Examples include political leaders, military leaders, business executives, religious leaders, sports coaches, and leaders of social movements.
• Term Paper: The group will give one presentation on their assigned day but each individual must write a separately written independent term paper on their leader. The goal of this term paper is to present an accurate analysis of the leader's traits, characteristics, relevant leadership theories, and ethical direction. Content: The individual term paper should be six to ten pages long and should include all of the following elements (See grading rubric for more detailed information):
o An introduction of your leader and a short biographical history (i.e. how did they become a great leader, who influenced them, what experiences did they have).
o Identify specific traits or characteristics of the leader and relate them to relevant theories we discuss in class and/or that are found in the book.
o Cite specific examples of the leader's behavior and explain why the behaviors were appropriate or inappropriate based on the information we discuss in class and what you read.
o Identify some weaknesses of the leader. Great leaders are not perfect so discuss some of the negative issues surrounding the person you are researching (i.e. did the followers discuss any problems or issues, did the leader have a temper or make bad decisions, not have the courage to stand alone or lead with fear instead of love)
o Discuss how the leader influences his/her followers. What tactics do/did they use? Give examples and then define or label the behaviors or attributes using the terminology and theories in the book and class material.
o Issues of ethical leadership should be considered as well. Discuss whether or not you believe the leader was ethical and why or why not. Cite specific examples.
Source Quality: You should incorporate at least ten separate sources (biographies and articles) that provide enough detail to identify specific traits and skills, behaviors, influence processes, and relevant aspects of the situation. The most useful type of source is a biographical account of the leader's activities and accomplishments. Other relevant sources may include: an autobiographical account, memoirs written by the leader, a detailed, analytical article written by someone besides the leader. Filmed biographies or documentaries about the leader or dramatized accounts of significant events involving the leader can be used but do not count as one of the ten required references. All sources should be clearly cited in the references. The quality of the references you choose is important. Your references should be peer reviewed sources of information: books, textbooks, journal articles, or nationally recognized newspapers such as the New York Times. Peer reviewed magazines such as Forbes or Harvard Review may be used (magazines such as Star or People may not be used). Websites are not allowed unless explicit permission has been obtained ahead of time. Many websites contain false information or inaccurate accounts because they are not peer-reviewed. For example, IMDB, Huffington Post, and Wikipedia are NOT quality references as the content can be edited by people who are not experts in the field.
Remember, this paper is an index of your knowledge about relevant course content. You needed to show me that you can identify leadership behaviors, traits, characteristics and apply leadership theories to real world situations. Do not use conjecture. Define theories and support your ideas with examples from appropriate resources.
HINT: It is helpful to use quotes and detailed descriptions of selected incidents to support conclusions about the leader's behavior and their ability to influence on others. The source for any quotes or factual details should be clearly cited and a page number included. Please do not "over-quote." Say things in your own words and only use quotes when they are absolutely critical. During your presentation you can also show short (1-2 minutes) videos of your leader to support your analysis or you can ask the class to analyze the video and point out specific leader behaviors.