Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Leadership - Essay Example Overview of leadership context Leaders of today are important people in the decision-making process in order for an organization to function the fastest speed possible and compete effectively with its peers (Morrison, 2000). The quality of a leader can make or break an organization hence people should be very careful when searching for leaders in their organization (Carpenter, 2007). Kelly (2013) argues that top performing leaders are very creative and innovative and can be 13 times more likely to outperform their competitors in a fair competition. This is because they are very innovative and are more likely to devise ways and produce quality goods and services than their counterparts hence achieve satisfying financial indicators. Organizations that portray poor leadership quality always lag behind from their competitors leading to losses and lack of development. According to Eriksen (2009), leadership quality does not just affect the bottom line; it affects the employee retention an d engagement thus resulting to more competitiveness of a business. He further adds that organizations with higher quality leadership are likely to retain employees than their competition due to high understanding and respect they accord their workers. This is profitable for the business since there is a link between engagement and the retention of employees in the overall performance of the business. Passionate leadership are those who full energy to their works thus proactively makes value hence act with a sense of leadership required to move the organization forward (Masculli, 2011). A passionate leader is a very important person to the organization since they can easily inspire good work and performance from his followers. Quality of leadership and passion in leadership goes hand in hand and thus cannot be easily avoided separated in the context of a business (Story, 2004). Given the gravity and role that leaders play in these highly competitive environments, the leaders who can fully meet the needs of the organization are hard to find. The Human Resource professionals are the one who has expressed highest concern for the quality of leadership in their organizations they has a direct impact in their operations (Leslie et al, 2002). The majority of the HR professionals interviewed showed lack of confidence with their leaders with a mere 25% showing confidence and trust in the ability of their leaders. This means that majority of the organizations are missing a great opportunity in having a potent kind of leadership they require to propel them forward. Organizations experience various types of leadership in different capacities and the higher the level of leadership the more expectation required from him in terms of accountability and development qualities. On the global scope and in respect to HR professionals, leadership quality is rated highest in North America and lowest in Europe and Asia (Leslie et al, 2002). The recession of 2008/9 exposed most organiz ations and the quality of leadership they had due to the nature of their reactions in combating the effects of the global credit crunch as many of them were guilty of losing focus on talents. The fear of losing talents is making most of the organizations to fear losing employees for the future development of the organizations (Carter and Greer, 2013). Quality of leade

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Essay -- To Kill a Mockingbird Essa

It’s interesting to see the ways different authors depict how a character matures. In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mocking Bird we can easily see how she chose to do it. The novel is set in Alabama in the 1930’s, while black vs. white racism was a big issue and problem for many. Atticus is the father of Scout and Jem, young children who witness the discrimination first hand when their father, a white man, defends a black man in court. Lee does a great job developing the characters; especially the narrator, Jean Louise Finch (Scout). Scout’s thoughts, conversations, and actions, illustrate that she’s emotionally maturing from the innocent child that she was. Through Scout’s thoughts, it’s obvious that she is growing up. Readers can see this early in the novel in chapter six. Jem and Scout weren’t as close as they used to be mostly because Jem was maturing suddenly and fast. He and Dill started leaving Scout out because she was too â€Å"girly†. Scout doesn’t like this at first when she says, â€Å"It was then I suppose that Jem and I first began to part company. Sometimes I did not understand him, but my periods of bewilderment were short-lived† (61). The fact that she accepts this, something not many young girls would do, shows that she too is maturing a bit. Thoughts that show Scout is maturing also come near the end of the novel. Although Atticus would always tell her to stand in other’s shoes and see things from their point of view, it never really came through to her. Not until she stands on Boo Radley’s porch after he saves her and Jem from Bob Ewell. She states, â€Å"A tticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough† (297). Standing on the porch lets Scout finally see things from Boo Radley’s point of view. Earlier in the novel, she was terrified every time she passed the house. Now as she stands on his porch, the way that she sees things has changed. The reader must realize that Scout herself has changed as well. As well as thoughts, the conversations and interactions between Scout and other characters show how she is mentally and emotionally aging. Near the end is where it’s more obvious that Scout has matured. After the Finch’s are safe from Bob Ewell, they go back to the house with the s... ... after all this behavior: "I ran along, wondering what had come over her. She had wanted to make up with me, that was it. She had always been too hard on me, she had at last seen the error of her fractious ways, she was sorry and too stubborn to say so." (29). This proves that Scout always thought that Calpurnia never liked her and that she didn't care about her, and that she deserves and accepts Cal's apology which is not what she would’ve done earlier in the beginning of the novel. Through Scout’s relationships, choices and actions, as well as the way she narrated the novel allows the readers to really see what kind of character Scout is and how she matured greatly. It’s surprising that we see it starting as early as page 29, and Lee does a wonderful job weaving it in through the story. When the novel is finished, it’s amazing how readers could glance right over the fact that Scout had matured, however they really have to look at how the author of any book, Harper Lee in this case, analyzes the characters through speech, thoughts, and actions. By the end of the novel Scout had grown up immensely, a very important step in everyone’s life.

Pleasures of Reading Essay

Some people get pleasure from picnics and tours. Others like to discuss various topics and find pleasure in it. But the reading of books provides us with such pleasure as we do not get from any other activity. Great is the blessing of books. Books are written by learned persons. They contain the best experiences and thoughts of their writers. Literature is said to mirror society. Writers put in their books not only their own ideas and feelings, but also what they observe and find in society. The books of the past reflect the condition of the times in which they were written. By reading books written by great thinkers, we come in contact with their minds. Books enable us to know the best of different countries. So, if we want to keep abreast of the great minds of all ages, we must read books. When we are alone, books are our best friends. They entertain us in our spare moments. Good novels, books on poetry and short stories, give great enjoyment. At times we become so absorbed in our books that we forget even our important engagements. Loneliness is no trouble for a reader. If we are in a cheerful mood, our joy is increased by reading. When we are in a depressed and dejected mood, books console and soothe our troubled minds. They provide us with the best advice and guidance in our difficulties. Indeed, books are out best friends as they help us in our need. Books contain grains of wisdom. They give us sound moral advice. That is why all great men of our country have liked to read the Gita and the Ramayan. The example of Rama and Sita is cited, whenever we want to emphasize noble deeds and their results. We call a bad man by the name of Ravan. It is through the reading of books that we learn to love virtue and hate sin. The reading of good books develops and elevates our character. Now-a-days the world is changing fast. A man cannot remain in roach with the changes in his own country, or in the world, without reading the latest literature. One who wants to be respected in cultured society must keep himself well-informed. Good magazines, newspapers and other books provide us with valuable upto-date information. It gives us great pleasure to feel that our knowledge is upto-date. We get great satisfaction when we feel ourselves to be well-informed and capable of moving in any educated society. Reading of good books is the key to the store-house of pleasure. It was the English author Bacon who said that reading makes a full man. No one can question the truth of this saying. But we cannot derive full advantage from reading, if our choice is not good. Some books are such that instead of doing any good, they do positive harm to the readers. Such books must be avoided. Cheap books, not in cost but in contents, should not be read, even if they provide some amusement and entertainment. It is the reading of good books alone which bestows upon us the maximum benefit. The advantages of reading – the pleasures of reading novels; they carry us into a different world and enlarge our experience; suspense and our tendency to identify ourselves with the hero – other kinds of books are also delightful. The advantages of reading are well known. Reading enables us to pass examinations and get jobs, and enhances our general ability and competence in any field of life. But the pleasures of reading are as important as its uses. In fact, books cannot be really useful unless they are first enjoyed. There can be few more delightful ways of spending a holiday than reading a good novel. One source of pleasure afforded by novels is that they make us escape for a time from the drab, humdrum circumstances of our lives. Romantic novels, of course, transport us into an exciting world poles apart from our own. But even realistic novels bring us into contact with experiences different from our own. Our personal experience in real life is limited and much of it is commonplace. Reading fiction is delightful, partly because it indirectly provides us with several experiences for which we have no opportunities in actual life. Another source of the pleasure of reading novels is suspense. A novel with a good plot makes us eager to know, from beginning to end, what is to happen next. It is because of this quality of suspense in some novels that we are unwilling to lay them aside till we have read them to the end. Again, as everybody knows, another reason why reading novels is pleasant is that we tend to identify ourselves with the hero or the central character, and experience his joys and sorrows for the time being. This mainly accounts for our pleasure in reading biographies. While fiction is usually considered to be a delightful form of reading, other kinds of writing too impart pleasure. Apart from plays which resemble fiction, books of travel and light essays are enjoyable. Poetry appeals to our feelings and sense of beauty. Reading even serious or heavy books – books on science or philosophy – is not without its joy for those who are interested in the subjects concerned. All knowledge is pleasure, and reading a book on the dullest or the most unpleasant subjects can be pleasurable, provided one is intensely interested in it.

When to Use a Singular or Plural Verb in Spanish

Spanish has several situations in which it may not be obvious whether a singular or plural verb should be used. These are some of the most common such cases. Collective Nouns Collective nouns — ostensibly singular nouns that refer to a group of individual entities — can be used with either a singular or plural verb for reasons that arent always clear. If the collective noun is immediately followed by a verb, a singular verb is used: La muchedumbre piensa que mis discursos no son suficientemente interesantes. (The crowd thinks my speeches arent sufficiently interesting.) But when the collective noun is followed by de, it can be used with either a singular or plural verb. Both of these sentences are acceptable, although some language purists may prefer one construction over another: La mitad de habitantes de nuestra ciudad tiene por lo menos un pariente con un problema de beber. La mitad de habitantes de nuestra ciudad tienen por lo menos un pariente con un problema de beber. (Half of residents of our city have at least one relative with a drinking problem.)   Ninguno By itself, ninguno (none) takes a singular verb: Ninguno funciona bien. (None function well.) Ninguno era fumador, pero cinco fueron hipertensos. (None were smokers, but five were hypertensive.) When followed by de and a plural noun, ninguno can take either a singular or a plural verb: Ninguno de nosotros son libres si uno de nosotros es encadenado. Ninguno de nosotros es libre si uno de nosotros es encadenado. (None of us are free if one of us is in chains.) Although some grammarians may prefer the singular form or make a distinction in the meanings of the two sentences, in practice there doesnt appear to be any appreciable difference (just as the translation of none of us is free in the translation might have been used with little if any difference in meaning). Nada and Nadie Nada and nadie, when used as subject pronouns, take singular verbs: Nadie puede alegrarse de la muerte de un ser humano. (Nobody can rejoice in the death of a human being.) Nada es lo que parece. (Nothing is what it seems.) Ni and Ni The correlative conjunctions ni ... ni (neither ... nor) is used with a plural verb even if both of the subjects are singular. This is different from the corresponding English usage. Ni tà º ni yo fuimos el primero. (Neither you nor I was the first.) Ni el oso ni ningà ºn otro animal podà ­an dormir. (Neither the bear nor any other animal could sleep.) Ni à ©l ni ella estaban en casa ayer. (Neither he nor she was at home yesterday.) Singular Nouns Joined by O  (Or) When two singular nouns are joined by O, you usually can use a singular or plural verb. Thus both of these sentences are grammatically acceptable: Si una ciudad tiene un là ­der, à ©l o ella son conocidos como ejecutivo municipal. Si una cidudad tiene un là ­der, à ©l o ella es conocido como alcalde. (If a city has a leader, he or she is known as the mayor.) However, the singular verb is required if by or you mean only one possibility and not both: Pablo o Miguel serà ¡ el ganador. (Pablo or Miguel will be the winner.)