Overview: Leadership is expressed differently in various fields, however, there are common elements that exist. As we explore the concept of high performance the concept of leadership is directly related. There are situations in our daily environment that are impacted by leadership. This assignment will provide the opportunity to engage the current professional environment and gather an article that relates to high performance and leadership, and provide your perspective.
Assignment: Find a news article that discusses “high performance” or “leadership”. Submit a paper on the “Leadership Article Assignment” reflection about your article. Please include the following in your response:
· Company Overview
· What is the main focus of the article – high performance and/or leadership?
· Is high performance connected to the leadership?
· What is your analysis of the article?
· Include at least 3 quality sources, one of which has been published within the last 8 weeks
Sample solution
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.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Leadership Article Assignment Reflection
Company Overview: The selected article for this assignment is titled “How High-Performance Companies Are Redefining Leadership” published by Harvard Business Review. The article focuses on high-performance companies and their approach to leadership.
Main Focus of the Article: The main focus of the article is to highlight how high-performance companies redefine leadership and the key characteristics they prioritize in their leaders. It emphasizes the importance of leadership in driving high performance within organizations.
Connection between High Performance and Leadership: The article strongly connects high performance with effective leadership. It argues that high-performance companies recognize the critical role of leadership in achieving exceptional results. These companies prioritize developing leaders who can inspire and motivate their teams, foster a culture of innovation, and drive continuous improvement.
Analysis of the Article: The article presents compelling insights into the relationship between high performance and leadership. It emphasizes that high-performance companies understand that leadership is not solely about individuals at the top but rather a collective effort to cultivate leadership skills across all levels of the organization.
The article highlights several key characteristics that are common among leaders in high-performance companies, such as:
Purpose-driven leadership: Leaders in high-performance companies articulate a clear and inspiring purpose that aligns with the organization’s mission and values. They communicate this purpose effectively, ensuring that employees understand how their work contributes to the overall goals of the company.
Adaptive leadership: High-performance companies value leaders who can adapt to changing business environments and navigate through uncertainty. These leaders are agile, open to new ideas, and willing to take calculated risks to drive innovation and growth.
Collaborative leadership: Leaders in high-performance organizations prioritize collaboration and teamwork. They actively promote a culture of collaboration, encourage diverse perspectives, and foster an inclusive environment where employees can contribute their best ideas.
The article also mentions the importance of investing in leadership development programs, providing ongoing feedback and coaching, and creating opportunities for leaders to learn and grow.
Quality Sources:
Harvard Business Review – “How High-Performance Companies Are Redefining Leadership” (https://hbr.org/2021/10/how-high-performance-companies-are-redefining-leadership)
Forbes – “The Link Between Leadership and High Performance” (https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2021/09/17/the-link-between-leadership-and-high-performance/?sh=8c1e29c3a0b6)
McKinsey & Company – “The Four Building Blocks of Change Leadership” (https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/the-four-building-blocks-of-change-leadership)
In conclusion, the selected article highlights the strong connection between high performance and effective leadership. It emphasizes the importance of purpose-driven, adaptive, and collaborative leadership in driving exceptional results in high-performance companies. Investing in leadership development programs and creating a supportive environment for leaders to learn and grow are crucial for sustained success. The insights provided by this article align with other quality sources, such as Forbes and McKinsey & Company, which further emphasize the significance of leadership in achieving high performance within organizations.
