Assignment

Effective Leadership

Each Student is required to submit the project on an individual basis.

Plagiarism:

You are not allowed to copy and paste any material from the internet or your fellow colleagues. However, some amount of work maybe somewhat similar to the material available on the website but I still recommend writing it in your own words to make it a genuine study. Any assignment received which is copied in excess of 15-20 % would be returned for re-writing. However, any such assignment received by the deadline would be rejected.

Leadership Profile, Statement and Critical Analysis

1. Leadership Profile

One of the best ways to study leadership is through case studies of individuals. Each of you will choose one leader (Non-Emirati) and write a 4 page review and analysis of the individual's accomplishments, leadership style and philosophy, leadership impact, situational factors, and career influences.

This is not a book report or a repeat of their resume, but a critical evaluation and synthesis of their accomplishments and struggles.

You may choose an historical figure or a contemporary leader. You may gather this information from published works or from first-person interviews. In the paper, you must indicate how you gathered this information. You may choose an exemplary leader or someone you consider to have failed in a leadership attempt. If you choose the latter, comment on why, in your opinion, the person "failed."

Good case studies tell a story as well as analyzing and documenting. Think about how the individual probably experienced his/her own leadership as well as how those around the individual portrayed him/her. Was there drama in this story? Why did you find this person compelling enough to study? What did you learn about leadership from this profile? Does this person's story reflect some of the leadership concepts discussed in this course or in your reading?

2. Philosophy of Leadership Statement

It is important to establish and articulate your own philosophy about how you operate as a leader, regardless of the particular circumstances of your position. Your philosophy statement should be revised as we progress through the semester. It should incorporate the assigned readings, course activities, and feedback from the instructor and classmates. The completed statement should be 5 or 6 pages in length. As you prepare this statement, consider the following:

What do you think about leadership? What has influenced your thoughts? What key leadership experiences have informed your thinking?

Do you believe that leadership is positional? Why or why not? When do you share your vision as a leader?

Under what circumstances are you willing to take risks? What personal principles are you not willing to violate?

How do you make decisions? Are they based on evidence or intuition?

What decisions do you make individually and what do you make collectively?

How do your personal beliefs (e.g. religion, inclusiveness, etc.) affect your leadership philosophy?

How do you respond when your leadership beliefs or practices are challenged?

These are only a few issues to consider. Feel free to add others which you see as necessary and appropriate for you.

Analysis of a Critical Leadership Issue in an Emirati organization

Select a current leadership issue and develop a professional paper.

Identify a key issue in Emirati professions that requires you (a prospective leader) to make critical decisions about it. Examples might include:

Reforms done by the government

The Future of Emirati business

The Future of Graduate Emirati Education Capacity Educational Reform in Emirati universities

Provide a brief overview of the issue, to contextualize it; this part of the assignment should not exceed two pages.

Then, as an emergent leader, take a position on the issue and defend your decision in light of your leadership philosophy. Readings from the course, class discussion, and independent research must be used to support key ideas expressed in the paper. The analysis section should be 4-5 pages in length.

GUIDELINES FOR ALL WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

All papers must be typed and double-spaced with 1 inch margins on all sides.

Use 12 point font.

Include your name and page numbers in the header.

Proofread all written work. Finished products should be spell-checked and grammatically correct.

All assignments must be submitted on time. Exceptions may be granted in extenuating circumstances.

These should be discussed with the instructors.