The purpose of this assignment is for students to identify and discuss different leadership theories exemplified in business leaders. Students will also describe power bases leaders use to resolve challenges and explain two or three behaviors that leaders should demonstrate or avoid in order to be successful.
Many names have been recognized as notable business leaders. Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Welch, and Colleen Barrett are all leaders identified for their unique approach to leading people. Choose one of the following business leaders for this assignment: Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Jack Welch, Indira Nooyi, Anne Mulcahy, Howard Schultz, Colleen Barrett, Larry Page, Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffett, Richard Branson, Susan Wojcicki, Marissa Mayer, Mary Barra, Ursula Burns, Mark Cuban, Marvin Ellison, Corie Barry, Phebe Novakovic, Michell Gass, J. Paul Raines, George Paz, Satya Nadella, Kenneth Frazier, Jessi Baker, KoAnne Vikoren Skrzyniarz, or Jerry Colangelo. Please note, if you would like to select a contemporary business leader not provided on this list, it must first be approved by your instructor.
Select one individual and write a paper (1,300-1,600 words) about what you have learned about the selected individual as a leader and the leadership style that leader embodies. Address the following in your discussion:
- Identify a leader and justify the selection of that particular leader. Discuss the organizations with which the leader is affiliated and the industry in which that the leader is most recognized. Discuss how long the leader has been in a leadership position.
- Discuss which leadership theory best describes the chosen leader’s approach to leading people.
- Select one of this leader’s greatest career achievements and provide justification on why this achievement was so impactful.
- Identify a significant career challenge the leader faced and explain how the leader handled the challenge. Differentiate whether the response aligns more with a managerial role or a leadership role.
- Describe which power base the leader utilized in handling or resolving the challenge, including the impact of the leader’s behavior on the situation.
- Compare the leadership style used by your selected leader with the style of the leader’s successor/predecessor (or competitor in the same industry if a successor/predecessor is not applicable). Discuss which leader you believe is more effective and provide justification.
- After studying this leader, identify and explain two to three behaviors that a leader should demonstrate or avoid in order to be successful. Provide a justification for the behaviors selected.
You are required to use at least two external scholarly sources in addition to the textbook to provide evidence in support of the leadership style displayed by the selected leader. The rationale should be justified; this should not be completed based on an opinion.
