The Nature Of Leadership Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Nature Of Leadership - Case Study Example Such a situation arises from the complex nature of leadership. The only common thread that can be found is that the nature of leadership involves an influencing process and the consequences of this influencing process (Antonakis, Cianciola & Sternberg, 2004). It is for this reason the leadership definition that works for me is focussed on the influential nature of leadership and its implications. Daft and Lane 2008, p.4, define leadership as â€Å"an influence relationship among leaders and followers who intend real changes and outcomes that reflect their shared purposes†. Expanding on the term influence is a key reason for my choice of this definition. The nature of influence here is that it is not passive but active, and it is multidirectional, and without the element of coercion. Furthermore, the influence is not merely from leaders to followers, but is reciprocal in that there are times when the influence flows from followers to leaders. Moving on to another key ingredient in this definition of the intention for real changes, it implies that leadership does not accept a status quo situation, but aims for creating change. This striving for change is based on the shared purposes of the leaders and followers and not on the desires of the leaders. In real terms this means that the created change is towards a desired future state or purpose (Daft & Lane, 2008). This definition also brings us to the important aspect of leadership in that it cannot be present in the absence of followers and that followers are an essential to leadership (Maxwell, 1993). 2. Without followers there are no leaders. What is known about followers? The first thought that comes to mind when we talk about followers is sheep following the shepherd, implying that followers merely follow a leader. This is not essentially true, for there are many in the flock of followers that assist the leader in the influence of leadership, and demonstrate capabilities to become leaders in the future (Yukl, 2006). This perception of followers indicates that followers are made up of different types of individuals. Followers may be classified into five types of followers. The first type we may take as the sheep and they look up to the leader for directing them in all that they do. The second type of followers consists of those that keep saying yes all the time to the leader, or accept leadership influence without any outward sign of opposition and devout their energies towards accomplishing the direction of the leadership influence. The third class of followers consist of individuals that we may term as alienated. These individuals are capable of independent thought and action. The problem here is that they also possess a lot of negative energy that works to the detriment of the group, as the leadership influence is unable to get to them and they make no positive contribution to the shared purpose of the group, rather they work against it. Leadership influence that can remove the negative energy from these followers can convert them to extremely useful members of the group and the leader. The next class of followers are the fence sitters or those that we may term as pragmatists. These followers refrain from accepting the influence of leaders, till such time they are sure that the trend is favourable and then jump on the bandwagon, in the manner that trees sway in the direction of the wind. It is not that they have any opposing views or are capable of contributing positively towards the shared purposes. Self-preservation is of primary importance, and hence the wait and see attitude on the impact of the change influence that emanates from the leader. The final classification of followers may be viewed as star followers. They possess the same vibrancy as the

Instructional Strategies for ELL Classrooms Essay

Instructional Strategies for ELL Classrooms - Essay Example With input, the focus should be on the student and the extent to which he understands (Gass et al 1994). Researchers admit that nonuse takes place when the information contained in the input is included into a learner's grammar. However, the fact that the information is already included into a grammar does not necessarily exclude it from being utilized--although it may be used in a different way from what one normally thinks of. When the information contained in the input is already a part of one's knowledge base, the additional input might be used for rule strengthening or hypothesis reconfirmation. Part of becoming a fluent speaker of a second language involves the automatic retrieval of information from one's knowledge base. The knowledge base is developed through practice or repeated exposure to exemplars. Thus, information that may appear redundant may be serving an important purpose in terms of the access the learner has to that information (Jonassen and Hannum 1998). 2. Feedback is important technique in learning because it helps a student to understand his mistakes and correct them at once. Feedback should be supported by events such as motivating students, communicating the learning objectives, directing students' attention, activating related knowledge, providing guidance, promoting transfer (generalization), eliciting performance, and providing feedback. The teachers' statements, which are spontaneous and oral, are more difficult to categorize than the written statements of the authors. The content and grammar of the teachers' statements were less structured and precise than those of the authors. On-going, specific and immediate feedback helps teachers to save time and direct learning process. Feedback encourages students to uimprove. Several analogies constructed for the same concept can help the students view the target concept from different perspectives. The analogies function like conceptual lenses, with each one bringing different feat ures of the concept into sharper focus (Kitajima and Polson 1997). Teachers also are encouraged to use the model to construct additional analogies to complement an author's analogy. Several analogies constructed for the same concept can help the students view the target concept from different perspectives. The analogies function like conceptual lenses, with each one bringing different features of the concept into sharper focus. During normal or stable times, scientific activities turn to the refinement of established knowledge claims. But the review of historical documents and actual practice of scientists revealed that there are also times when members of a scientific community are in disagreement about what are the appropriate background knowledge and critical problems that should guide the design of investigations and the evaluation of evidence and knowledge claims (Gass et al 1994). 3. Taken together, instructional steps are a direct outcome of teacher assessment decisions that begin to alter the dynamics of the classroom learning environment. The public expression of what matters and what is valued begins to change. As students learn the criteria, they not only learn the rules of the game in the classroom, they also learn what is valued in the scientific discipline (Manouchehri 2001). Other models include having students work in pairs or small groups to come to a consensus view through