The Concepts of Value-Based, Authentic, and Positive Leadership

Lesson 4: Vision and Strategy

Upon completion of the Required Readings, write a thorough, well-planned narrative answer to the following discussion question.  Rely on your Required Readings and the Lecture and Research Update for specific information to answer the discussion question, but turn to your original thoughts when asked to apply, evaluate, analyze, or synthesize the information.  Your Discussion Question response should be both grammatically and mechanically correct, and formatted in the same fashion as the question itself.  If there is a Part A, your response should identify a Part A, etc.  In addition, you must appropriately cite all resources used in your responses and document in a bibliography using APA style.

Discussion Question 2 (50 points)

Compare and contrast value-based, authentic, and positive leadership concepts. Why do these approaches have so much appeal?

Grading Rubric

Please refer to the rubric on the following page for the grading criteria for this assignment.

Value-Based, Authentic, and Positive Leadership 

Value-based leadership theories focus on more than leader behaviors and actions; they present a highly emotional process based on fundamental values. Servant leadership focuses on followers rather than the organization or the leader. Service to followers and their development is essential to effectiveness. The model is new and has generated much interest, but is not yet well supported by research.

Authentic leadership focuses on the importance of self-awareness and leadership based on true values and beliefs. The theory proposed that the most effective leaders are those who understand their strengths and true purpose, develop them, and base their leadership on them. Definition and elements of authentic leadership include self-awareness, balanced information processes, behaviors that are true to self, and relational transparency.

The concept of positive leadership is based on a new approach in psychology and organizational behavior that takes a strength rather than a deficit approach. The approach suggests that how one thinks influences behaviors and outcomes and recommends that leaders remain positive and optimistic, focus on strengths, create a positive climate while setting high standards, and deal with negativity quickly. Practicing positive leadership requires the following: Being optimistic, encouraging positive deviance, focusing on strengths, creating a positive climate, maintaining positive relationships, having positive communications, and dealing with negativity quickly.

The concepts of value-based, authentic, and positive leadership share common elements with other approaches to leadership. All focus on the relationship between leaders and followers and on the sharing of a vision for the group. Some suggest that authentic leadership is at the root of the other concepts. Although charismatic, transformational, spiritual, and positive leaders all have to necessarily have some degree of authenticity, authentic leaders do not necessarily need to be charismatic, transformational, spiritual, or positive.

Positive leadership offers a fresh approach in that the focus is more on how a leader thinks and less on what he or she is—charismatic, value-based, or authentic, for example. Owing to its roots in psychology, positive leadership has a cognitive approach that emphasizes the perspective leaders choose to take, how they analyze and interpret the situation, and how those processes determine their behavior. Specifically, positive leaders take on a positive perspective that guides their approach to leading themselves and others.

In your textbook chapters, you are introduced to the concepts of strategy, mission, vision, and culture. All are important and describe how a leader conceptualizes and presents his or her ideas of what the organization exists to do, where the organization is going, and how people should act to get there. An “organization's culture can vary from weak to strong depending on the degree to which it is accepted by and influences individual behavior. Similarly, the degree to which the organization's culture is congruent with the organization's formal reward structure may range from low to high”(Bushardt, Glascoff, and Doty, 2011, p. 57).

In his study, Darbi (Jul 2012) explored employees’ knowledge and perceptions about mission and vision statements and determined that “mission and vision statements are still relevant strategic management tools that can impact employee behaviour and attitudes in consistence with other empirical studies” (p. 3). Darbi concluded that “management’s main area of focus must be towards getting employees to see and appreciate the mission and vision statements as theirs because the study shows that making them aware of the existence of the statements is just one step towards getting the needed impact on their attitudes and behaviors” (p. 13).

Lecture and Research Update Bibliography

Bushardt, S. C., Glascoff, D. W. and Doty, D. H. (2011). Organizational Culture, Formal Reward Structure, and Effective Strategy Implementation: A Conceptual Model. Journal of Organizational Culture, Communication and Conflict, 15.2, 57-70.

Darbi, W. P. K. (Jul 2012). Of Mission and Vision Statements and Their Potential Impact on Employee Behaviour and Attitudes: The Case of A Public But Profit-Oriented Tertiary Institution. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 3, 14.

Holten, A. and Brenner, S. (2015). Leadership Style and the Process of Organizational Change. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 36.1, 16-2. 

Nahavandi, A. (2015). The Art and Science of Leadership (7th ed). Pearson.

Neatby, J., Rioux, P., and Aubé, C. (Fall 2015). The Organizational Leadership Role of Top Management Team Members: A Multidimensional Conception. Organization Development Journal, 33.3, 55-77. 

Sohmen, V. (Jun 2015). Reflections on Creative Leadership. International Journal of Global Business, 8.1 1-14.