Developing Leadership Skills and Engaging Strength

Unit 3: Discussion

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Introduction

DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND ENGAGING STRENGTHS

Chapter 5 explores leadership skills critical for success and research that shifts from traits to skills. Three categories of leadership skills include administrative skills, interpersonal skills, and conceptual skills. Identifying individual strengths is a unique challenge. Chapter 6 highlights the potential role of strengths in an individual’s development as a leader and how to engage individual strengths and the strengths of others to build a more effective team or organization (Northouse, 2021).

UNIT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Evaluate the role of developing skills to be an effective leader (CLO 2).
Recognize how to apply conceptual skills when facing challenges (CLO 5).
Identify how to utilize your strengths and the strengths of others to build a more effective team (CLO 4 and CLO 6).

Directions

Review the unit resources and assigned chapters. Answer the discussion questions and submit for review. Primary post is due by Wednesday (11:59 pm, CST). Respond to at least two peer postings. Peer postings are due by Friday (11:59 pm, CST). Your peer responses should:

State if you share their perspective.
Explain your perspective on the issue.
Support your perspective with reasoning or justification.

Please be sure to use supporting material from the chapter to strengthen your discussion and justify your answers. There is no length limit; however, you should answer each question thoroughly.

DISCUSSION ETIQUETTE

You should consider the discussion threads as being analogous to the kind of discussions typical of a face-to-face class: strive to be yourself, have a voice, and to say things that are interesting, provocative, and respectful.
Since this is an educational setting, you are encouraged to proofread, and to avoid the more slang- and emoticon-fueled discourse that appear on social media.
One of the goals here is professional preparation; if you would not say or do something in the workplace, then you should not post similar material in a discussion thread.

Due Date

First post due 11:59 p.m., Wednesday CT
Respond to two or more classmates by 11:59 p.m., Friday, CT.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

For Unit 3, you will address the following tasks in one discussion post (Primary Post):

Chapter 5 – one opening question and one additional question of your choice.
Chapter 6 – one opening question and one additional question of your choice.
Critical Thinking – Complete one of the two listed activities (either Authentic Happiness or Leading in Light or Weaknesses) and share your findings.

CHAPTER 5

Which is the most important leadership skill group in your opinion (administrative, interpersonal, or conceptual)? Why?

Choose one of the following additional questions to answer:

In your own words, what is emotional intelligence and why is it important for leadership?
Which leadership skills are most important when working in a virtual team?
Are leadership skills exhibited the same way by men and women? By older and younger workers? By people from different cultures?
How do leadership skills relate to leadership styles?
Are all the skills equally important in every leadership situation? Explain how their relative importance might change.
Are there key leadership skills you would add to the ones discussed in this chapter? Explain.

CHAPTER 6

What do you see as the key advantages of focusing upon one’s strengths as a leader? What are the drawbacks of this approach?

Choose one of the following additional questions to answer:

Which of the three approaches to defining and analyzing strengths seems best suited to effective leadership in your opinion?
A common adage is for leaders to “staff to their weaknesses.” How does that relate to the material in this chapter on strengths?
Aside from changing group members, what should leaders do if they find their team lacks certain key strengths?
How does building upon your strengths fit with the idea of “getting out of your comfort zone”?
Knowing your strengths as the leader is important. How important is it to know the strengths of followers? What strategies might leaders use to gain this information?
How can people honestly learn what their weaknesses are?

CRITICAL THINKING DISCUSSION

AUTHENTIC HAPPINESS OR LEADING IN LIGHT OR WEAKNESSES

Choose one of the following additional critical thinking discussion topics to answer: Authentic Happiness or Leading in Light or Weaknesses.

AUTHENTIC HAPPINESS

- - - Visit the homepage of Martin Seligman, the founder of positive psychology: The Pursuit of Happiness | Bringing the Science of Happiness to Life (Links to an external site.)
    - After reviewing the site, briefly explain what you believe to be the relationship between “authentic happiness” and leading founded upon one’s strengths.

LEADING IN LIGHT OF WEAKNESSES

- - This chapter has focused upon the principle of leadership that is based upon strengths. Paradoxically, various leaders discuss the importance of their weaknesses in becoming effective leaders.
    - Conduct a web search for leaders who talk about the role played by their limitations and weaknesses in their development as leaders.
    - Identify a leader with a brief summary of what weaknesses the leader discussed and how that weakness or weaknesses influenced them.

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