Identify an individual in the community (campus, neighborhood, place of worship, non-profit, etc.) who you think exemplifies relational leadership and interview (preferably in a face-to-face meeting) this person.

Theory to Practice Paper 2: Understanding Others: Relational Leader Interview (20 points)

Identify an individual in the community (campus, neighborhood, place of worship, non-profit, etc.) who you think exemplifies relational leadership and interview (preferably in a face-to-face meeting) this person. Formulate your questions in advance. In your interview, gain a greater understanding of the leader’s role, how he or she views leadership, whether the person practices “relational leadership” or follows another theory of leadership, and then expand how that person carries out that leadership theory in practice. Please note that, although questions are provided below, this paper should not take Q&A form but be a well-written, well-formed essay Length: 5-6 pages.

Some possible questions to consider:

What is her/his personal biographical background?

What cultural identities/experiences are most salient for this person?

What are the experiences that shape him/her as a leader?

What core values does this person hold with regard to leadership? (Think about your Week 5 values exercise)

How did he/she discover purpose in his/her own life?

Was she/he called into leadership and did he/she seek it because of convictions she/he held?

How did he/she learn from the obstacles and challenges she/he faced?

What has been the lasting impact of this person’s leadership? What difference did he/she make?

What lessons (positive and negative) can be learned from this person’s life and leadership experience?

How does s/he view leadership – were there any specific assumptions/beliefs that informed his/her behavior?

How does this person communicate with people in her/his organization?

How does s/he seek to get the people in the organization to work harmoniously toward common purposes?

In your paper, identify: (1) why you chose this person, (2) your reflections on the leader and his/her style of leadership based on the questions you asked, and (3) lessons you learned from the interview and how they apply to you as a leader (e.g., how you think about your values as a leader, your leadership philosophy, etc.).

PLEASE NOTE: The Understanding Others paper must be reviewed by a peer of your choosing (in our class or not) before submission or 2 pts. will be deducted. Your reviewer should compare your paper to the rubric for the assignment (BB> Assignments-Quick View > Theory to Practice) and look for: 1) consistency with assignment instructions, 2) spelling/typos/grammar, 3) flow/organization, 4) citations. Please ask your reviewer to use the track changes function in Word to make suggestions in your paper. Please submit 1) your final, edited paper AND 2) the reviewed paper with track changes.