Assignment

Background

In the movie Peaceful Warrior, the character "Socrates" (as played by Nick Nolte) says, "There's no greater purpose than service to others." This is the premise upon which servant leadership is based. However, in today's economy, we see many leaders who are motivated by money, power, and prestige, but not by serving others.

Our forefathers, the first Presidents of the United States, were not motivated by money or the like, but out of a deep service to the establishment of this country. This SLP will examine their leadership styles through the lens of the servant leader.

Required Reading

Refer to the Background readings for this module.

Case Assignment

Select one out of the first ten Presidents of the USA (George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, or John Tyler) who you consider to be an outstanding example of a servant leader. Then, prepare a 5- to 6-page paper (not including the cover and reference pages) in which you Analyze the leadership style of your selected President in terms of the Servant Leadership model, and critically comment on whether this approach would be effective in today's world.

Keys to the Assignment

The key aspects of this assignment that should be covered in your paper include:

• Conduct independent research on this individual and create a profile of this leader.

o What makes this person a servant leader? Support your answer with examples.

• Discuss the added value of a servant leader based upon your leader's profile.
• Fast forward to today.

o Do you think servant leaders are needed in all organizations?
o What would an organization full of servant leaders be like? Justify your response.
o What are the significant contingencies that would lean in favor or against servant leadership?

Assignment Expectations

Your paper will be evaluated using the following five criteria:

• Assignment-Driven Criteria (Precision and Breadth): Does the paper fully address all Keys to the Assignment? Are the concepts behind the Keys to the Assignment addressed accurately and precisely using sound logic? Does the paper meet minimum length requirements?

• Critical Thinking (Critical Thinking and Depth): Does the paper demonstrate graduate-level analysis, in which information derived from multiple sources, expert opinions, and assumptions has been critically evaluated and synthesized in the formulation of a logical set of conclusions? Does the paper address the topic with sufficient depth of discussion and analysis?

• Business Writing (Clarity and Organization): Is the paper well written (clear, developed logically, and well organized)? Are the grammar, spelling, and vocabulary appropriate for graduate-level work? Are section headings included in all papers? Are paraphrasing and synthesis of concepts the primary means of responding to the Keys to the Assignment, or is justification/support instead conveyed through excessive use of direct quotations?

• Effective Use of Information (Information Literacy and References): Does the paper demonstrate that the student has read, understood, and can apply the background materials for the module? If required, has the student demonstrated effective research, as evidenced by the student's use of relevant and quality sources? Do additional sources used in the paper provide strong support for conclusions drawn, and do they help in shaping the overall paper?

• Citing Sources: Does the student demonstrate understanding of APA Style of referencing by inclusion of proper end references and in-text citations (for paraphrased text and direct quotations) as appropriate? Have all sources (e.g., references used from the Background page, the assignment readings, and outside research) been included, and are these properly cited? Have all end references been included within the body of the paper as in-text citations?

Tips and Suggestions

Note the following tips and suggestions:

• Include a cover page and reference page, in addition to the 5-6 pages of analysis described above.

• Include headings for all papers greater than 2 pages (basically all papers).

• Cite and reference all sources that you use in your work, including those that you paraphrase, but do not quote. This means include citations and quotation marks for direct quotes of more than 5 words, and citations for that information which you have "borrowed" or paraphrased from other sources.

• Follow the TUI Guidelines for well-written papers.