The leadership assignment provides students the opportunity to apply their knowledge of leadership by evaluating the skills, values, methods, and performance of someone in a leadership position. Through a personal interview, the student will determine the leader’s strengths and weakness, accomplishments and failures, but, most importantly, how that individual’s approach to leadership conforms or diverges from the 5 practices of exemplary leadership (model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act and encourage the heart) in the model presented by Kouzes and Posner. The student will comment on the leader’s compliance with the Kouzes and Posner model and provide recommendations on how that individual could improve his or her leadership in light of this model.
You should select someone who is a leader in your major/discipline. [Note: Exceptions to this should be cleared with your professor.] For example, if you are a literature major, you may want to interview a teacher or the leader of a literacy advocacy group; as a government major, you may want to interview a local council member or mayor; as a Christian ministry major, you may want to interview a pastor or local ministry leader. This assignment is designed to help you understand leadership in the field you have chosen. Please make every effort to make this relevant to you. Be sure to inform your interviewee that the interview will be held in the strictest confidence and will only be shared with your professor.
interview someone you know or have a relationship with; however, you must have your professor’s approval BEFORE contacting the potential interview candidate.
Name of the leader
Company, organization, or group associated with the leader
The leader’s position/title in the company, organization, or group
The size of the group for which the leader is responsible
The number of years in a leadership capacity
What to avoid: The hardest part of this assignment is choosing someone who fits the definition of a leader. Otherwise, it becomes difficult to analyze your subject using the criteria of Kouzes and Posner’s model.
Choosing someone who is not a leader or in a leadership role:
A manager and/or managerial functions (payroll, scheduling, advertising, etc.) Ask yourself, “does this function involve directing, motivating, guiding or, in other words, leading people?” Some leaders perform managerial functions…but you need to stay away from them. Kouzes and Posner won’t help you analyze how a leader manages the payroll or schedules meetings.
Certain Pastoral functions. Pastors are a great leadership source…and are perfectly acceptable! However, creating and delivering a sermon are not strictly leadership functions (homiletics), but their purpose in leading a congregation might be…you have to clearly make the point. You should look towards someone in your major/discipline to interview. While it may seem intuitive, your interview subject should be in a position of leadership. Make sure you don’t confuse management (the organization and execution of various “business” practices within the organization) with leadership. Here’s a general rule of thumb…if your subject has no people who work for him or her (or are not directly influenced by him or her), then they are probably not a leader suitable.
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Interviewee: Dr. John Doe
Company/Organization: Kisumu County Hospital
Position: Medical Director
Size of the Group: Approximately 500 healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses, technicians, etc.)
Years in Leadership Capacity: Over 10 years
Interview Summary:
Dr. John Doe is a highly respected medical director at Kisumu County Hospital. He has demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities throughout his tenure, inspiring and motivating his team to achieve outstanding results.
Interviewee: Dr. John Doe
Company/Organization: Kisumu County Hospital
Position: Medical Director
Size of the Group: Approximately 500 healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses, technicians, etc.)
Years in Leadership Capacity: Over 10 years
Interview Summary:
Dr. John Doe is a highly respected medical director at Kisumu County Hospital. He has demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities throughout his tenure, inspiring and motivating his team to achieve outstanding results.
Kouzes and Posner Model Analysis:
- Model the Way: Dr. Doe consistently models the values he expects from his team. He is committed to providing high-quality patient care, fostering a positive work environment, and promoting professional development.
- Inspire a Shared Vision: Dr. Doe has a clear vision for Kisumu County Hospital and effectively communicates this vision to his team. He inspires them to work towards a common goal of improving healthcare access and outcomes for the community.
- Challenge the Process: Dr. Doe is not afraid to challenge the status quo and seek innovative solutions to improve the hospital’s operations. He encourages his team to think critically and propose new ideas.
- Enable Others to Act: Dr. Doe empowers his team by providing them with the necessary resources, support, and autonomy. He trusts his team members to take initiative and make decisions.
- Encourage the Heart: Dr. Doe recognizes and rewards the contributions of his team members. He creates a positive and supportive work environment where people feel valued and appreciated.
Recommendations:
While Dr. Doe is an excellent leader, there is always room for improvement. He could consider:
- Delegating More: Although he is effective at empowering his team, he could delegate more tasks to allow for greater efficiency and personal growth.
- Seeking Feedback: Regularly seeking feedback from his team members could help him identify areas for improvement and ensure that he is meeting their needs.
Overall, Dr. John Doe is a highly effective leader who embodies the principles of the Kouzes and Posner model. His commitment to his team, his vision for the hospital, and his ability to inspire and empower others make him a valuable asset to Kisumu County Hospital.
