Discussion 3: A Stewardship. Imagine That You Are The CEO Of

Discussion 3 A Stewardshipimagine That You Are The Ceo Of Your Curren

Reviewing chapters 12 and 24 in Spears' text, write about the following: 1. What character traits would you consider critical for success? 2. What skills and competencies would you consider essential for success? 3. Using Graham's strategy outlined in chapter 12 (Spears) or devising your own strategy, create an implementation plan that would work. Feel free to list bullet points for the character traits and skills/competencies. Take about two or three paragraphs to outline your implementation plan.

Paper For Above instruction

As a CEO striving to embody effective stewardship within my organization, I recognize that certain character traits are fundamental to success. Integrity stands as the cornerstone, fostering trust and credibility among stakeholders. Compassionate leadership enables understanding and addressing the needs of employees and customers, thereby cultivating loyalty and engagement. Adaptability is essential in navigating the rapidly changing business landscape, allowing for innovative solutions and resilience. Additionally, humility ensures openness to feedback and continuous learning, vital for sustainable growth. These traits collectively establish a leadership ethos that prioritizes service and ethical responsibility, aligning with the principles of stewardship.

In tandem with character, specific skills and competencies are critical. Strategic thinking allows for long-term planning aligned with organizational values. Emotional intelligence enhances interpersonal relationships and conflict management, fostering a positive organizational culture. Effective communication skills ensure transparent exchanges with all stakeholders, reducing misunderstandings and building consensus. Financial acumen is necessary to steward resources responsibly, ensuring sustainability. Finally, change management capabilities enable the organization to adapt proactively to external pressures while maintaining core values. These competencies are instrumental in executing a stewardship-oriented vision, ensuring the organization’s success aligns with ethical standards and societal expectations.

Drawing on Graham's strategy from Spears' chapter 12, I would implement a comprehensive plan emphasizing leadership development, stakeholder engagement, and continuous evaluation. The first step involves cultivating a leadership pipeline focused on character development through targeted training programs emphasizing integrity, humility, and compassion. This ensures future leaders embody stewardship traits. Next, implementing a communication strategy that fosters transparency and inclusive decision-making would involve regular town halls and open-door policies, reinforcing trust and accountability. To embed these values, I would establish metrics aligned with ethical standards and sustainability goals, regularly reviewing organizational impact on stakeholders and the community. Such an approach ensures that stewardship remains central to organizational strategy, fostering a culture of responsible leadership that sustains long-term success.

Discussion 7-A: The Caring Servant-Leader

Reflecting on my leadership style as a servant-leader, I recognize that empathy and active listening are among my strengths. I prioritize understanding the needs of others and empowering team members to reach their full potential. This approach creates a supportive environment conducive to collaboration and innovation. However, I am aware of aspects of my leadership that may hinder progress, such as reluctance to delegate or confront difficult decisions promptly, which could be perceived as resistance to change. The shadow side of my leadership involves overcoming fears of failure or undervaluing my authority, which might impede decisive action. Recognizing these areas is crucial to balancing service with effective leadership, ensuring that I foster trust and accountability without sacrificing agility and assertiveness.

Discussion 2: Servant Leadership in Practice

Watching a documentary about Zappos, I observed that their leaders exemplify humility, empathy, and a genuine commitment to employee well-being. Leaders at Zappos foster a culture where staff feel valued, heard, and empowered to serve customers wholeheartedly. This emphasis on a servant-leader philosophy results in highly engaged employees who go above and beyond, contributing to the company's profitability and reputation. Their focus on creating a positive, supportive work environment differentiates them from typical profit-driven organizations, reinforcing that a servant-led model can be both ethically sound and financially successful (Greenleaf, 1977). In comparison to my current organization, where command-and-control leadership predominates, Zappos’ approach highlights the benefits of prioritizing employee-centric values to achieve sustainable growth. This comparison motivates me to incorporate more servant leadership principles into my leadership practice.

Discussion 5-A: Power Point Presentation Summary Analysis

My presentation focused on the character, virtues, and competencies essential for effective leadership in the 21st century. I highlighted integrity, humility, empathy, courage, and resilience as core virtues that underpin servant-leadership. Additionally, I discussed competencies such as strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, ethical decision-making, and adaptability, which enable leaders to serve their organizations responsibly and effectively. Comparing my leadership style to the biographical leader I researched, I found similarities in values such as integrity and compassion. However, I differ in my approach to risk-taking and decisiveness, aspects that the leader exemplified more boldly. This reflection deepened my understanding of how personal traits influence leadership effectiveness and the importance of aligning virtues and competencies with organizational goals.

Discussion 6-A: The Leader of the Future

In interviews with colleagues from diverse backgrounds, the common thread emerged that future leaders will need to be highly adaptable, emotionally intelligent, and ethically grounded. Many emphasized the importance of technological fluency and cultural competence, reflecting a globalized, digitalized world. While most agreed that servant-leadership traits such as empathy, humility, and a focus on stakeholder well-being are vital, some noted that future leaders must also balance service with decisiveness and strategic vision. These perspectives align partially with traditional servant-leadership but also underscore the need for agility and innovation in leadership roles. My training exercise reinforced some of these qualities, particularly the importance of continuous learning and self-awareness, which are pivotal for evolving leadership in a complex environment.

Discussion 8-A: Insights from Final Project

Conducting my final project revealed that self-awareness is paramount for effective leadership. I learned that understanding my strengths and areas for improvement allows me to lead more authentically and empathetically. Additionally, volunteering at the organization highlighted the importance of ethical stewardship and the impact of leadership on community well-being. I also discovered that fostering a collaborative environment enhances organizational resilience and morale. Engaging with team members provided insights into diverse perspectives and the necessity of adaptive leadership. These lessons underscore that leadership is a continuous journey of growth, reflection, and service, which I plan to carry forward in my professional and personal life.

Discussion 4-A: Followership Investigation

In my research article, I identified three main points: first, that followership is an active process involving commitment, participation, and initiative; second, that effective followers exhibit critical thinking and support the leader's vision, contributing significantly to organizational success; third, that followership styles vary from dependent to independent, influencing organizational dynamics. Analyzing this using Kelley’s (1988) theory from Spears' chapter 14, I support the view that proactive followers who demonstrate critical thinking and independent judgment are vital for adaptive organizations. I see myself as a participative follower, contributing ideas and supporting leadership, yet I recognize tendencies to sometimes be passive or overly dependent. This self-awareness informs my development as a more engaged and autonomous contributor to my organization.

References

• Greenleaf, R. K. (1977). Servant leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. Paulist Press.
• Kelley, R. E. (1988). In praise of followers. Harvard Business Review, 66(6), 142-148.
• Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and practice (8th ed.). Sage Publications.
• Spears, L. C. (2010). Character and servant leadership. The Journal of Virtues & Leadership, 1(1), 25-30.
• Greenleaf, R. K. (2002). Servant leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. Paulist Press.
• Liden, R. C., Wayne, S. J., Zhao, H., & Henderson, D. (2008). Servant leadership: Development of a multidimensional measure and multisource evidence. The Leadership Quarterly, 19(2), 161-177.
• Barbuto Jr, J. E., & Wheeler, D. W. (2006). Scale development and construct clarification of servant leadership. Group & Organization Management, 31(3), 300-326.
• van Dierendonck, D. (2011). Servant leadership: A review and synthesis. Journal of Management, 37(4), 1228-1261.
• Sendjaya, S., & Sarros, J. C. (2002). Servant leadership: Its origin, development, and application in organizations. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 9(2), 57-64.
• Spears, L. C. (2004). Practicing servant leadership. Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership.