Week Three Overview Assignment Due Date Format Grading Percent Situational Variables Day 3 (1st post) Discussion Forum 3 Leadership Styles Day 3 (1st post) Discussion Forum 3 Path-Goal Style   Day 7 Written Assignment 5 Learning Outcomes This week students will: 1. Explain how situational variables affect task and relationship-motivated leaders and identify three factors that have the most impact on your situation. 2. Identify four path-goal leadership styles and explain how these styles compare to styles described in other theories. 3. Analyze the path-goal style being used by a leader with whom you are familiar and evaluate this leader’s effectiveness.    Readings 1. Read. the following chapters in your text, Leadership: · Chapter 6: Contingency Theory · Chapter 7: Path Goal Theory · Chapter 8: Leader Member Exchange Theory Recommended Readings 1. It is highly recommended that you read the following articles to gain a better understanding of leadership: · Tse, H. & Mitchell, R. (2010). A theoretical model of transformational leadership and knowledge creation: The role of open-mindedness norms and leader-member exchange.  Journal of Management and Organization, 16(1), 83-99. · Whitener, J.K. (2007). Year of wonders: The wonder of leadership. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 9(2), 214-235 Discussions To participate in the following Discussion Forums, go to this week's Discussion link in the left navigation: 1. Situational Variables Explain what/how situational variables affect task motivated and relationship-motivated leaders. Apply these factors to a work situation in which you were involved as a worker or a leader. Which of the 3 factors had the greatest impact on your situation and why? What category does this situation fall into? Respond to at least two of your fellow students' postings. 2. Leadership Styles Identify four leadership styles associated with path-goal theory. Explain each style and relate it to styles described in other theories. Can leaders exhibit more than one style? Respond to at least two of your fellow students' postings. Assignments To complete this assignment, go to this week's Assignment link in the left navigation: Path-Goal Style Write a three to four page paper (not including the title and reference pages) about a contemporary leadership situation that is familiar to you.  You may use the same situation from the week two assignment.  Your paper needs to: · Define path-goal leadership. · Identify the path-goal leadership style used in this situation; provide the tasks, and the subordinates’ characteristics.  · Support your position with specific examples.  · Explain whether the action taken was appropriate and effective. · Discuss if the path-goal leadership approach would be useful in understanding the leadership applied to the situation.  In addition to the requirements above, your paper: · Must be double-spaced and 12 point font · Must be formatted according to APA style · Must.

1. Week Three Overview
Assignment
Due Date
Format
Grading
Percent
Situational Variables
Day 3
(1st post)
Discussion Forum
3
Leadership Styles
Day 3
(1st post)
Discussion Forum
3
Path-Goal Style
Day 7
Written Assignment
5
Learning Outcomes
This week students will:
1. Explain how situational variables affect task and
relationship-motivated leaders and identify three factors that
have the most impact on your situation.
2. Identify four path-goal leadership styles and explain how
these styles compare to styles described in other theories.
3. Analyze the path-goal style being used by a leader with
whom you are familiar and evaluate this leader’s
effectiveness.
Readings

2. 1. Read. the following chapters in your text, Leadership:
· Chapter 6: Contingency Theory
· Chapter 7: Path Goal Theory
· Chapter 8: Leader Member Exchange Theory
Recommended Readings
1. It is highly recommended that you read the following articles
to gain a better understanding of leadership:
· Tse, H. & Mitchell, R. (2010). A theoretical model of
transformational leadership and knowledge creation: The role of
open-mindedness norms and leader-member exchange. Journal
of Management and Organization, 16(1), 83-99.
· Whitener, J.K. (2007). Year of wonders: The wonder of
leadership. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 9(2),
214-235
Discussions
To participate in the following Discussion Forums, go to this
week's Discussion link in the left navigation:
1. Situational Variables
Explain what/how situational variables affect task motivated
and relationship-motivated leaders. Apply these factors to a
work situation in which you were involved as a worker or a
leader. Which of the 3 factors had the greatest impact on your
situation and why? What category does this situation fall into?
Respond to at least two of your fellow students' postings.
2. Leadership Styles
Identify four leadership styles associated with path-goal theory.
Explain each style and relate it to styles described in other
theories. Can leaders exhibit more than one style? Respond to at
least two of your fellow students' postings.
Assignments
To complete this assignment, go to this week's Assignment link
in the left navigation:

3. Path-Goal Style
Write a three to four page paper (not including the title and
reference pages) about a contemporary leadership situation that
is familiar to you. You may use the same situation from the
week two assignment. Your paper needs to:
· Define path-goal leadership.
· Identify the path-goal leadership style used in this situation;
provide the tasks, and the subordinates’ characteristics.
· Support your position with specific examples.
· Explain whether the action taken was appropriate and
effective.
· Discuss if the path-goal leadership approach would be useful
in understanding the leadership applied to the situation.
In addition to the requirements above, your paper:
· Must be double-spaced and 12 point font
· Must be formatted according to APA style
· Must include an introductory paragraph with a thesis statement
· Must conclude with a restatement of the thesis and a
conclusion paragraph
· Must reference at least two scholarly resources
· Must include a reference page written in APA format
Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be
used to evaluate your assignment.
Ashford 4: - Week 3 - Instructor Guidance
Are Leaders Born or Made?
Leadership’s Essential Function in Society
Leadership is essentially a description of an observation. An

4. observation in reference to an individual’s ability to inspire
others to act in a unified
manner towards the attainment of a common goal. In The Leader
Within, Zigarmi (2005) suggests that leadership is “the act of
arousing, engaging, and satisfying the motives of followers in
an environment of conflict, competition, or change that results
in the followers taking a course of action towards a mutually
shared vision”(p. 174). According to Drucker," Leadership is
lifting a person's vision to higher sights, the raising of a
person's performance to a higher standard, the building of a
personality beyond its normal limitations “(“Drucker quotes,” n.
d.). Leadership is the driving force in societal change.
Martin (1998) suggests without a recognized leader, status quo
becomes acceptable and the desire to grow and achieve higher
goals never develops. Strong compelling leadership is at the
root of all great accomplishments. Leaders create follower
attitudes that motivate them to trust and follow them (Martin,
1998, p.1). Leaders also have the ability to make an impact in
terms of changes in an organization and in a society (Martin,
1998, p.1). Does this imply that leaders have a unique ability to
do what others are unable to do?
Do Circumstances Reveal Leadership Abilities?
“Great necessities call forth great leaders.” Abigail Adams
My Family Leadership Story
In response to increasing crime in the Orlando Metro area area,
my brother, Mr. N. Smith answered the leadership call to
become a grass roots community organizer. His decision to act
was in response to a 300% increase in crime, a decrease in
police patrols and a significant increase in home invasions in
the Orlando Metro area. In response to these community issues
Mr. Smith organized community members to become
proactively involved in ridding the neighborhood of crime.
Mr. Smith’s leadership call to action was in response to a
leadership vacuum and a need for a unified community effort.
Subsequently, he enlisted the aid of community members in

5. establishing a fact- finding committee and presenting these
findings to elected city officials. As a result of these efforts, he
was able to establish a productive working relationship with
elected city officials.
Mr. Smith’s leadership was built on the foundation of strong
community ties, trust, credibility, and sacrifice. This trust was
implied by his proactivity. He spends a significant amount of
his personal time conducting community meetings, gathering
crime data, and meeting with city officials. Accordingly, he has
been able to garner community support by demonstrating his
sincere care and concern for the safety and welfare of its
members. He clearly understands that without trust, an
individual has no power in relationships. Trust is central to
cultural ideas of empowerment, expectation, and predictability
(Fairholm, 1994, p. 97). To this end he enjoys a reciprocal trust
relationship with members of his community and elected
officials.
Mr. Smith has faced significant challenges as a community
leader. Initially some community members were reluctant to
become involved in neighbor watch activities in fear of
reprisals. However, he was able to convince community
members that their unified efforts in combating the
neighborhood crime problem would be successful. As a leader,
he demonstrates the traits of pioneering, organizing, integrity,
encouraging and supporting. Most importantly, he has
demonstrated vision, commitment, and sacrifice. He has also
demonstrated a willingness to challenge the status quo and
demand accountability of city leaders. In spite of his demanding
career as a fire fighter, he daily checks on the welfare of elderly
community members.
Mr. Smith could have chosen to relocate his family. When asked
why he chose to take up the leadership responsibilities of a
community organizer he replied “This is something that needed
to be done. I love my community; this is where I grew up” (N.
Smith, personal communication, April 5, 2007). In his opinion,
he is merely filling a leadership responsibility by building

6. a collaborative social network in a neighborhood where one
previously did not exist. He is merely filling a leadership void.
Is this situation unique? How often have we seen leaders emerge
without recognizing what was occurring? What is needed in a
leader in terms of traits and character is the same as it has
always been. Leaders need to be individuals of integrity and
vision. As stated by a Zen Master over 2000 years age ago;
there is nothing special to leadership; essentially, it is a matter
of controlling the evils of biased information and autocracy.
(Cleary, 1993:p. 159) .Leaders emerge, flourish, and grow in
situations where there is a leadership void and they and their
followers share unifying values, ideals, and goals.
References:
Cleary, T. (1993). ZEN LESSONS: The Art of Leadership.
Boston and London:Shambala Pocket Classics
Fairholm, G. W. (1994). Leadership and the Culture of Trust.
Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.
Martin, M. M. (1998). Trust Leadership. Journal of Leadership
Studies, 5(41), 3.
Peter F. Drucker Quotes. (n.d.) retrieved April 5, 2007 from
http://www.inspirationalquotes4u.com./druckerquotes/index
html
Zigarmi, D., Blanchard, K., Edeburn, C., & O'Connor, M.
(2005). The leader within: Learning enough about yourself to
lead others. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall
DISCUSSIONSSituational Variables
Explain what/how situational variables affect task motivated
and relationship-motivated leaders. Apply these factors to a
work situation in which you were involved as a worker or a
leader. Which of the 3 factors had the greatest impact on your
situation and why? What category does this situation fall into?
Respond to at least two of your fellow students'
postings.Leadership Styles

7. Identify four leadership styles associated with path-goal theory.
Explain each style and relate it to styles described in other
theories. Can leaders exhibit more than one style? Respond to at
least two of your fellow students' postings.
Path-Goal Style
Write a three to four page paper (not including the title and
reference pages) about a contemporary leadership situation that
is familiar to you. You may use the same situation from the
week two assignment. Your paper needs to:
· Define path-goal leadership.
· Identify the path-goal leadership style used in this situation;
provide the tasks, and the subordinates’ characteristics.
· Support your position with specific examples.
· Explain whether the action taken was appropriate and
effective.
· Discuss if the path-goal leadership approach would be useful
in understanding the leadership applied to the situation.
In addition to the requirements above, your paper:
· Must be double-spaced and 12 point font
· Must be formatted according to APA style
· Must include an introductory paragraph with a thesis statement
· Must conclude with a restatement of the thesis and a
conclusion paragraph
· Must reference at least two scholarly resources
· Must include a reference page written in APA format