Last week's final definition:
My experiences this week have taught me that there is no such thing as a natural born leader. After reading Terry (2001) this concept was clearly demonstrated to me by hearing both sides of the argument of a naturally born leader. I believe that Leadership is something that is learned over time through people and experience. I also learned form Lee and King (2001) I now believe that leadership is largely due to understanding the root of your actions along with your core values.
This weeks definition:
Because of this weeks strong emphasis on ethics, I have learned the correlation between ethics and leadership. I believe that being able to continually develop your ethical standards through decision making is a vital step that will help you mature in your leadership skills. In order to be considered a leader, one must actively put the good of others above themselves.
Analysis of the differences in the definitions:
Last week, I discovered that leadership is something acquired over time, along with the development of ones core values. The importance of core values was stressed again this week with a strong emphasis on ethics in accordance to leadership. This correlation is seen clearly in Kidder (2003) when he exposes the dilemma paradigms of "right versus right." After reading both articles, my definition of leadership expanded with the notion that being a leader also means to be selfless. "human behavior has consequences for the welfare of others" (Paul, 2006)
Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2006). "The Function of Ethics -- and Its Main Impediement." Understanding the Foundations of Ethical Reasoning (pp. 4 - 36). Dillon Beach, CA: Foundation for Critical Thinking.
Kidder, R. M. (2003). "Overview: The ethics of right vs. right." How Good People Make Tough Choices (pp. 13 - 29). New York: Simon & Schuster.