Assignment

Learning Activity 1 - Theme One: Understanding the nature of leadership helps to frame the viewpoint of a leader.

View: Drew Dudley:

And I've come to realize that we have made leadership into something bigger than us; something beyond us. We've made it about changing the world. We've taken this title of "leader" and treat it as something that one day we're going to deserve. But to give it to ourselves right now means a level of arrogance or cockiness that we're not comfortable with. And I worry sometimes that we spend so much time celebrating amazing things that hardly anybody can do, that we've convinced ourselves those are the only things worth celebrating. We start to devalue the things we can do every day, We take moments where we truly are a leader and we don't let ourselves take credit for it, or feel good about it. I've been lucky enough over the last 10 years to work with amazing people who've helped me redefine leadership in a way that I think has made me happier.

In conjunction with the opening comments in the week 1 course schedule, the readings for week 1, theme 1, consider the point stated by Drew Dudley in Everyday Leadership. Then, reflect on your experiences with leaders, and in your own words, define leadership. How does your definition differ from what you read and viewed and explain why.

Learning Activity 2 Theme Two: The evolution of leadership theory can help to explain what makes a good leader today.

Explain the meaning behind theme two and describe the GDD leader of today based on the evolution of theory. What you will need to do is look at the different leadership theories and apply the theories to support your reasoning.