10 Leadership Assignments

10 Leadership Assignments There are numerous  components to leadership, and many of them are written about frequently. In fact, I wrote a blog five years ago, Would You Follow You? Top 10 Ways to Be a Leader, where I listed my top 10 picks of leadership qualities. A lot of these traits would still be on my list. What’s missing  from the  list, however, is practical advice on  how to  improve in those highlighted  leadership  areas. For instance, if you are not delivering clear, consistent communication, what can you do to start doing so? If you are not leading with vision, what will get you there? It’s easy to read lists and say â€Å"that’s great†- but how will you change your behavior to increase your effectiveness? The Assignment Way of Living At the Wright Foundation for Human Potential, where I do the bulk of my leadership training, I have discovered what’s called the â€Å"assignment way of living.† At any given time, I am working on anywhere from two to four assignments. Of course, having assignments is not useful unless you DO them, and I’m usually a pretty responsible student, so I do them as much as possible. Being a great leader, and living into all the qualities that make a leader, takes doing your homework. The cool thing about this is that homework can be fun and even nourishing! In the group I’m currently working with at Wright, each of us has a leadership assignment to further our growth. I thought I would share these with you so that you can get a sense of how the â€Å"assignment way of living† can further your own growth as a leader. Alpha. This one sounds best for people whose names begin with the letter â€Å"A† (e.g., Alpha Annie). But it works regardless of the first letter of your name! The Alpha assignment will be good for you if you are someone, perhaps a project manager, who wants to be an outstanding planner- and be so good at planning that others follow your example. It includes planning for breakdowns and having contingency plans in place. Gone Viral. This assignment will help you if you want to generate more enthusiasm and increase your ability to energize a group, mobilizing them toward goals and a mission. You will start giving more recognition to others, thus garnering their support and investment. Both Sides of the Telescope. This assignment requires looking at yourself inquisitively and as accurately as possible, at the same time as you look at others. This action creates mutuality and also a clear picture of your own skill gaps and the skill gaps of others so that steps can be taken to fill them. Then of course, you take those steps. Happy Customers. This one is pretty straightforward. Its purpose is to help you anticipate, elicit, and respond effectively to objections! When you do this, you become more capable of keeping customers happy when inevitable objections arise. In-the-Moment Visions. This is my assignment and it’s meant for someone whose job it is to set agendas and guide people. One trick here is to have a clear vision for myself that I share with my team. I had known it was important to set visions for projects and to create visions for other people. But I’m discovering that when I share my own vision for myself with others, they often want to support me in making that vision a reality. O.V. (Points of View) on the Scene. This assignment is helpful for increasing your influence. By presenting your own point of view, your can persuade others to shift their thinking and action- even in difficult and pressure-filled situations. Good Done. Complete daily tasks and deliverables on time and on budget. The vision here is to meet goals and deadlines consistently, and anticipate when a goal will not be met so you can apply alternative plans to meet the goal. Scan Report (In Out). In this assignment you work on scanning for problems as well as synergies to determine what is wanted and needed. Done well, this assignment will make you the person the team turns to as an antenna to get a read on the pulse of the team. Busy Honey Bee. The honey bee assignment encourages you to be thorough and do your due diligence. You will be on top of details and set standards for others to follow. Losada Colada. I had this assignment last year. Someone with this assignment becomes more inspiring by saying at least 3 positive things for each negative thing she says. People start to like her more and want to please her more. This is by no means a complete list of leadership assignments. The possibilities are truly endless and I encourage you to have fun with creating assignments and assignment names that will move you toward your leadership goals. - An Invitation If you want to get a more comprehensive introduction to the â€Å"assignment way of living,† I encourage you to attend the Foundations Training at the Wright Foundation for the Realization of Human Potential in Chicago. Contact me through the form on my site and I will provide you with a code to come to the weekend at no cost.

DBQ on women essays

DBQ on women essays The 17th and 18th centuries saw the beginning stage of the womens movement towards intellectual and social equality with men. Women were weaker physically, bore children as well as nurtured them. The economics and culture of Europe at this time were strongly influenced by religion and resulted in prejudiced acts against women. The dominating religions of Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries reinforced women roles as mothers, wives, and homemakers. Women were considered the weaker sex both physically and mentally. Men and most women assumed that because women gave birth and produced milk for their infants, God intended that their place be in the home. The traditional male ego, as well, did not allow for women to compete with them. Males thought their place was to rule, fight wars, provide income, teach and be the head of his family. Women were not accepted in academics, politics, church leadership (in most religions), business, or the military. Despite these prejudices, women saw an opportunity in the sciences. As a subject based on observations and deductive reasoning some sciences did not necessarily require a comprehensive academic background. Since most women were deprived of the more advanced education that men received, it was an ideal field for them to begin their pursuit of equality. As a result, a growing number of women actively participated in scientific research in chemistry, astronomy, biology, botany and medicine. In documents two and five the womens interests in science, as well as their need for some sort of education were expressed. Document five simply explains that women, as well as men, can hold an interest, as well as succeed in science. In document two, written by Marie Meurdrac, a French scientist, the statement was made that minds have no sex, and if the minds of women were cultivated like those of men, they would be equal to the minds of the latter. It explains a key fac...

An Analysis of the Culture of an Organization Essay

An Analysis of the Culture of an Organization - Essay Example An organization is a social unit of people that is structured and managed to meet a need or to pursue collective goals. All organizations have a management structure that determines relationships between different activities and the members and assigns roles and responsibilities to actualize different tasks. Since time immemorial, human beings had to organize the activities that were paramount to their survival. According to Hatch (4), as  organizations evolve and become more dynamic, coping systems and methods of how to manage change continue to be refined. Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF, or Doctors Without Borders) is a renowned, independent international non-governmental organization that responds to emergency humanitarian situations by delivering emergency aid to people afflicted by natural or man made catastrophes, armed conflict, epidemics, and healthcare exclusion.This organization combines medical, charitable, witnessing or (temoignage) and advocacy in a unique way. Since it s inception in 1971, MSF has grown from a small, charismatic lobby group into a large institution comprising of 19 sections, and 25,000 staff members, 20 presidents, 20 directors, and more than 200 board members. It operates in not less than 77 countries, with 365 projects. Culture The term culture encompasses the primary values, attitudes and regulations that make a society what it is. A community’s customs, the self-image of its people and the attributes that distinguish it from other societies are its culture. Culture is strongly personal and mirrors the meanings that are naturally linked to situations, and the solutions, that resolve common problems. Schein (1985) argues that culture includes the fundamental assumptions that any given group of individuals have formulated or gained while learning to deal with its issues of exterior or internal adjustment and can be considered suitable enough to be imparted to new members as the acceptable way to perceive and react to these problems. Since an organization comprises of people from different backgrounds and exists in an environment, certain behaviors emerge consequently forming the culture of that organization. At the same time, an organization can define or create its own culture based on its circumstances and endeavors. Furthermore, people enter organizations from the surrounding community and bring their culture with them. It is still possible for organizations to have cultures of their own, as they possess the paradoxical quality of being both ‘part’ of and ‘apart’ from society. They are embedded in the wider societal context but they are also communities of their own with distinct rules and values. MSF includes a work force recruited from all over the world that blend well to breed a unique culture. The fact that MSF offers its assistance worldwide, it encounters people with a wide range of cultures causing it to align itself with different cultures to enable it integrate and achieve its purpose. At the same time, MSF is not alone in the field of international non-governmental organizations. Despite this background, MSF is envied for its ability to remain steadfastly independent. Organizational Culture Schein (1992) defines the culture of a group or organization as a model of shared basic statements the group acquires as it works out its dilemma of external adaptation and internal integration, which has worked well enough to be adapted and entrenched as the blueprint and accepted mode of socialization within an

Interdisciplinary Curriculum Unit Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Interdisciplinary Curriculum Unit - Assignment Example enabled me to appreciate the interdependencies that exists between living organism on the universe and their importance in the environment in which we live. This study has enabled the appreciation of the need to the adoption of certain lifestyles for healthy living conditions for living organisms. I am motivated by the enormous knowledge that I have gathered in the course of my research work. During this process I managed to learn more about the living organisms’ interrelationships and their duties in the environmental sustainability (Anderson, 2001). I acquired much important knowledge on the study of human body particularly the cell membrane and its components. However, my research work did not cover the entirety of the human body organs and their functions and as such; I intend to carry on with my research on that section of study. As a teacher, I believe that such firsthand information will impact positively in my career as a biology teacher. This will enable me to impact my students with analytical skills useful in the study of biology. This study has enabled me to acquire the knowledge of making materials more salient. This has helped to create opportunities for research at an appropriate level which will help me teach on research more competently. With this experience, I managed to adopt and create a molecular evolution lab for teaching the DNA sequential data (Benjamin, 2002). This study has also enabled the integration to parallel disciplines associated with independent learning like reading literature, data evaluation and concepts, logic associated with trouble shooting, and synthesis of conclusions. This has enabled the development in key areas interrelated to the study such as the literature in science and use of mathematical models in the analysis of findings, as well as history through the inquiry (Benjamin, 2002). The subject matter in this integrated curriculum unit will enable in the development of professionals in the field of science. These

How does military-based Virtual Reality treatment for PTSD differ from Essay

How does military-based Virtual Reality treatment for PTSD differ from commercial treatment for accidents - Essay Example ly heal from after they return home, but for some it is a difficult situation for them to understand and they may begin to have challenges within the first month. PTSD can be difficult to determine according to many experts because the emotional anxiety may not be much different from what a person would experience on a day to day basis. The normal distress of having more bills than money to pay them can result in some forms of anxiety. When it becomes more serious an individual may be going thorough flashbacks when a sound or smell triggers their anxious behaviour. In order to understand PTSD most people will have to go through a very detailed evaluation by a medical professional in order to discover whether they have the disorder or whether their anxiety is "normal". In PTSD trauma is present when there was a death or near death experience and there will be certain symptoms that go with it that include: 1. Re-experiencing can happen when the individual replays part of the trauma or experience with very strong emotional reactions. Their thoughts may be reliving the past action. This re-experiencing can happen during a nightmare or during the day. There are many ways to diagnose PTSD and this is always done by a healthcare professional, preferably a psychiatrist, psychologist or a clinical social worker. These mental health professionals must be trained in the diagnosis of psychological problems (National Centre for PTSD, Fact Sheet 2). Some of the assessments that are used include the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) and The Structural Clinical Interview for PTSD. These are common tools that make evaluations more secure when talking with people who come back from traumatic events. There are a variety of traditional treatments for PTSD that both the military and commercial hospitals use to assist patients with this disorder. Experts agree that one of the ways to treat it is through psychotherapy. The therapy of choice is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

Effect of Parasite Diversity and Age on Antibody Responses

Effect of Parasite Diversity and Age on Antibody Responses This study was aimed at investigating the effect of parasite diversity and age on the levels of antibody responses to P. falciparum in individuals living in an area of seasonal malaria transmission. Two blood stage antigens (MSP1(19), AMA1) and two liver stage antigens (CSP and celTOS), making a total of four antigens were selected to be used for the study. These antigens were tested in archived plasma samples with ages ranging from 1year to 70 years. The samples were collected close to the end of the rainy season in the months of November and December (wet season), and April the following year at the end of the dry season (dry season). Of the samples collected in the wet season, 34.1% had parasites whiles those collected in the dry season was 15.5% (table 1). Appawu (2004) reported the seasonality of malaria transmission in a neighbouring district (Kasena Nankana District), being high in the wet season and low in the dry season. The high transmission in the wet season could be due to favourable breeding grounds for mosquitoes as a result of several collections of water when it rains and in turn increase the number of vectors and hence the high number of parasites individuals are exposed to (Ahmed, 1989). This data is in agreement with an earlier finding in northern Ghana by Apawu and his group where they found high parasite carriage, and high multiplicity of infection (MOI) in the wet season compared to low carriage and MOI in the dry season. Parasite carriage here means the proportion of participants with P. falciparum at enrolment. There was however no statistically significant difference in the parasite densitie s when compared between the seasons (p=0529) table 1. There was no difference in the overall ages between the wet and the dry season. (p=0.937). This was expected as most of the samples collected were from the same individuals in the two seasons. To explore age related pattern of P. falciparum infection, participants were categorized into three (3) age groups: under 5 years, between 5 and 15 years, and over 15 years. The data shows the 5-15 year olds having higher infected proportion in the two seasons (table 2). Parasitaemia was also determined using a more sensitive method, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR data confirmed the microscopy data because the 6-15 year group also had higher proportion of individuals carrying parasites at enrolment. This could be due to the fact that they are the more exposed group with incompletely developed immune systems. In contrast, under-fives who are much younger are likely to receive better care from parents thus preventing them from being infected with the parasites. Bed net usage could be one way of protecting the children. Also because of their younger ages they may not be allowed roam around freely. Adults on the other hand despite having possible similar exposure as 5-15 ye ar olds, seem to have less parasites because of their developed anti-malarial immunity. This partial immunity is gained with age and repeated exposure thus making the younger individuals more susceptible to infection (Pratt-Riccio et al., 2005; Dodoo et al., 2008). Thus the over 15 year group who are older, had the least proportion of infection (table 2). The study also sought to determine the relationship between IgG levels and age. Figures fig 7 and 8 shows the correlation plots between age and IgG levels in the wet and dry season respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between and IgG levels raised against AMA1-FVO, MSP1, CSP and CelTOS in the wet season. And for the dry season, the significant correlation was between age and IgG levels to AMA1-FVO, MSP1, CSP, and Celtos. The correlation coefficient (r2) and the p values are indicated on each plot. There was however no correlation between age and AMA1-3D7 (r2 0.0142, p 0.0699) for the wet season, and AMA1-FVO (r2=0.0114, p= 0.0594) for the dry season. The significant correlations were however very weak. This indicates that though IgG levels increased with age, the association between the antibody levels and age was not so strong and that the influence of age on the amount of antibodies produce against most of the antigens in the population studied was not that mu ch. However the age dependent increase in IgG response to the antigens tested may be due to the mature immune system in adults, and could also be due to cumulative exposure to infection over time (Nebie 2008). It is however not known what might be the reason for the lack of correlation with age to AMA1-3D7, and AMA1-FVO, in the wet and dry season respectively. IgG responses to the two AMA1 alleles (3D7, and FVO) was plotted against each other to determine which is more predominant in the study population. There was a strong correlation between the antibody levels of AMA1 alleles of 3D7 and FVO (r2=0.8382, p) implying that both strains are circulating in the study site during the wet season. A similar trend was observed in the dry season but with a lower correlation coefficient compared to the wet season (r2= 0.5302, p). Antibody titres against recombinant antigens have often been linked to protection from clinical disease (Polley 2004, Nebie 2008, Dodoo 2008, Dodoo 1999, Cavanagh 2004). Where high anti-malaria antibodies is interpreted to mean protection from clinical disease. The important role of antibodies was demonstrated by the passive transfer of purified IgG from immune donors to individuals with P. falciparum infection, which reduced parasitaemia (Cohen 1961, sabchareon 1991). Apical membrane antigen-1 AMA1 and MSP119 have been associated with reduced risk of clinical malaria (Branch 1998, Osier et al 2008). Anti-CSP antibodies have also been found to be partially protective where in Kenya high anti-CSP, anti-LSA, and anti-TRAP ( pre-erythrocytic ) antibodies were demonstrated to be associated with relative protection from reinfection (John CC 2005, 2008). The most advance malaria vaccine, RTS’S which is a subunit of CSP, has been found to protect to about 35-55% in children 5-17 mont hs for about 8 months (Alonso 2004,) . Also anti-CelTOS antibodies have been shown to inhibit invasion of herpatocytes by sporozoites in mice (Bergmann-Leitner 2010). In this study, antibody responses to the antigens, AMA1-3D7, AMA1-FVO, MSP119, CSP, and CelTOS were determined using indirect ELISA. The optical densities (OD) of the antigens were converted to arbitrary units (AU) where the highest OD for each antigen was awarded an arbitrary unit of 4, to allow for comparison between antigens the antigens tested. Antibodies to AMA1 in individuals living in malaria endemic regions have been reported to be high, (Thomas,1994, chelimo, 2005), and this study thus reports high antibodies to AMA1-3D7, and AMA1-FVO compared to MSP1(19), CSP, with anti-CelTOS antibodies being the least. (Fig: 3) in both wet and dry seasons. The data also shows total IgG responses in the wet season was higher than the in the dry season for all the antigens (p) except MSP119 where no statistical differences wa s found between the two seasons (p=0.85) (Figure 3). The seasonal changes in antibody response could be as a result of higher number of vector (mosquitoes) in the community in the wet season which could in turn increase the exposure of the population to parasites and also introduce new parasite clones/strains in the population and hence the high anti-malaria antibodies found in the wet season. In contrast, the dry season cause a reduction in the number of breeding sites for the vectors reducing their population resulting in minimal exposure and hence the low antibody levels. In malaria endemic regions, the number of different clones of Plasmodium falciparum parasites infecting a person could be a transmission indicator, an indicator of the hosts immune status, and a useful parameter in evaluating malaria control interventions (Babiker 1999, Arnot 1998, mayengue 2009). It has also been reported that parasite diversity in high malaria transmission areas are high and that individuals could carry multiple genotypes (clones) but the opposite pertains in low endemic areas with most infections being monoclonal (Peyerl-Hoffmann 2001, Bakiker 1997, Haddad 1999). Genotyping was done using block 3 region of the MSP 2 gene (Smythe et al. 1990) because of its high polymorphic nature (Felger et al.,1994 1999; Robert et al., 1996). Also MSP2 was selected to be used for this study because of the high allelic diversity observed in Ghana and other countries bordering Ghana with as many as 154 alleles in Ghana and about 50 genotypes in CÃ ´te d’Ivoire. ( Silue 2006 , falk 2006). The results from the two seasons using the 3D7 allelic family primers showed high mean multiplicity of infection in the wet season compared to the dry season (1.76, and 1.46, p=0.001) table 3. In both seasons, the number of infections per person ranged from 0 to 4. A similar degree of multiple infections has been reported in other African settings (Ntoumi et al., 1995,Beck 1997, Engelbrecht 1999). The samples used for this study was collected in asymptomatic individuals and the high multiplicity of infection found in the wet season could probably be due to high rate of exposure as a result of favourable breeding conditions compared to the dry season. This study did not find any significant correlation between MOI and age in both seasons (p=0.5768 for wet season, and p=0.4158 for the dry season). The samples were then grouped into two based on whether positive or negative using PCR to detect Plasmodium parasites. No differences were detected in the IgG levels between th e antigens tested in both seasons when compared based on the PCR data. This result is similar to that found when microscopy was used except that anti-CelTOS IgG in the parasitaemic group was higher than the non-parasitaemic group when microscopy was used. The disparity in the CelTOS report could be due to the lower sample size analysed using PCR compared to the microscopy. Apical membrane antigen AMA1 has been found to be a promising blood stage vaccine candidate antigen but this potential has been dampen due to extensive polymorphism (Remaque 2008).

Shakespeares Othello - Character Development of Iago, Desdemona and Ot

Character Development of Iago, Desdemona and Othello  Ã‚   The three characters of Iago, Desdemona and Othello are gradually revealed to the audience as Act One unfolds. All three are linked to one another and talk to and about each other. Their characters unfold through their interaction with others and how they behave in isolation. The first impression formed of Iago comes from what Roderigo says. Being gullible, Roderigo has given Iago his purse. A character who accepts an offer like this is likely to be of doubtful reputation. The first words spoken by Iago are a strong oath. Already it is obvious that he has little respect for religion. Iago also sees little point in fighting purely in theory. He despises Cassio, partly because he has never fought physically. It becomes apparent that Iago is the dominant one in his "friendship" with Roderigo. He talks the most and has many opinions. Iago looks down upon those who serve others and explains that he is only serving Othello for his own gain: "I follow him to serve my turn upon him" (1,1,42) Insulting Othello, by referring to him solely by his race, Iago begins to show his machiavellian nature. When Othello is needed by Iago to fulfil his plans, he acts as though he is his friend. Iago has no qualms about his deceitful actions. In order to rile anger in Brabantio, he wakes him with the news that his daughter has married Othello: " Rouse him, make after him, poison his delight" (1,1,69) Iago proceeds to tell the news of Desdemona and Othello's marriage to a shocked Brabantio. He uses offensive imagery, showing the extent to which he will go to win Brabantio's support against Othello. While not in the company of either Othello or Brabantio, Iago debases the marria... ...is his trust. He foolishly entrusts his new bride to Iago. Iago has already been depicted as an untrustworthy, scheming character and it is quite possible that he will take advantage of the new situation. Iago is straight away introduced as a dubious character. Having his fingers in Roderigo's purse show his interest in money. The language that he uses is vulgar and rude and he has no shame in his deceitful actions. In order to get what he wants, Iago will do anything. This includes insulting Desdemona, an innocent young woman who does not intend to harm anyone. Her sorrow at her divided loyalties shows this. Like her husband, Desdemona deals with situations carefully. Othello is the opposite of Iago in that he does not pride himself on killing people. It may be his strong point, but he feels that it should not be bragged about, especially in noble company.