Write a 3–5 page evaluation of the leadership styles and characteristics of effective leaders, based on a leader you admire and on leadership approaches addressed in a provided illustration.

Becoming an effective leader is a very personal and individual experience. Each great leader carries out his or her leadership practices differently. Yet, several common leadership styles and characteristics of effective leaders have been identified through the study and theories of leadership.

Questions to Consider

As you prepare to complete this assessment, you may want to think about other related issues to deepen your understanding or broaden your viewpoint. You are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of your professional community. Note that these questions are for your own development and exploration and do not need to be completed or submitted as part of your assessment.

• Which leader has had the most positive influence in your daily life?
• In what ways has this person contributed to your life?

For this assessment, consider that you recently applied, and were selected, for a promotion to an executive level position in your organization. The organization’s HR department conducts management training sessions periodically as needed for employees recently promoted into senior manager or executive level positions. The organization’s HR team places a high value on leadership skills and emphasizes that as part of the management training sessions. You and other new senior managers are scheduled to attend one of those training sessions. In preparation, each attendee was asked to analyze and write a short paper about leadership styles and characteristics of effective leaders. During the management training session, the papers written by participants will be distributed and reviewed.

Preparation

To complete this assessment:

• Review the Leadership Styles and Characteristics multimedia piece linked in the Resources.
• Select a leader you admire from a for-profit or nonprofit organization you know well. This should be an organization you have a positive perception of, such as an organization for which you might someday aspire to be a leader. Examine and reflect on your chosen leader’s leadership styles and characteristics as defined in the multimedia piece.

Requirements

Analyze the leadership styles and characteristics of effective leaders. In your analysis, address the following:

• Briefly describe the organization of the leader you selected and the type of products or service it provides. You should briefly include additional key organizational information, such as size, years in operation, location, and reputation.
• Evaluate the leadership styles and characteristics of the leader whom you admire. In your evaluation, explain how these leadership styles and characteristics can determine effective leadership.
• Compare and evaluate your own leadership styles and characteristics to those of the leader you admire, and identify what is necessary for effective leadership.
• Evaluate how environmental and societal factors such as politics and innovation might influence your approach to leadership at this organization. How might these and other factors affect the way you lead? Would there be differences in your leadership style if this were a different type of organization?
• Evaluate how economic conditions might influence your leadership style. Would your leadership style change during the time of a strong economy? Would your leadership style change during the time of a declining economy? Would your leadership style change if you were leading an organization through different maturation phases (including start-up, growth, and establishment)?

Given the intended audience for your paper, it should be well organized and written in clear, succinct language. It should be approximately 3–5 pages in length. Follow APA rules for attributing sources that support your analysis and conclusions.

Scoring guide 

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Leadership Styles and Characteristics Scoring Guide

CRITERIA

NON-PERFORMANCE

BASIC

PROFICIENT

DISTINGUISHED

Analyze leadership styles and characteristics to determine effective leadership.

Does not describe leadership styles and characteristics to determine effective leadership.

Describes leadership styles and characteristics of effective leadership, but does not explain their significance.

Analyzes leadership styles and characteristics to determine effective leadership.

Evaluates leadership styles and characteristics of effective leadership and provides relevant support for conclusions.

Compare individual leadership styles and characteristics to identify what is necessary for effective leadership.

Does not describe individual leadership styles and characteristics to identify what is necessary for effective leadership.

Describes individual leadership styles and characteristics to identify what is necessary for effective leadership, but does not explain their differences.

Compares individual leadership styles and characteristics to identify what is necessary for effective leadership.

Compares and evaluates individual leadership styles and characteristics to identify what is necessary for effective leadership.

Analyze the environmental and societal factors that influence leadership style.

Does not describe the environmental and societal factors that influence leadership style.

Describes the environmental and societal factors that influence leadership style, but does not explain their significance.

Analyzes the environmental and societal factors that influence leadership style.

Evaluates how environmental and societal factors influence leadership style and provides relevant support for conclusions.

Analyze the economic conditions that influence leadership style.

Does not describe the economic conditions that influence leadership style.

Describes the economic conditions that influence leadership style, but does not explain their differences.

Analyzes the economic conditions that influence leadership style.

Evaluates how economic conditions influence leadership style and provides relevant support for conclusions.