Each student will prepare and submit an individual essay analyzing, comparing, a

Each student will prepare and submit an individual essay analyzing, comparing, and contrasting the leadership style and impact of two (2) individuals of your choice (please avoid bias toward any leader by always noting the strengths and limitations of each leader in terms of leadership). WORDS STATE BY THE PROFESSOR: I share this with each class on the choice of leaders for the RWLE – avoid political figures if you cannot bracket your political bias. Most students have trouble using a balanced approach when assessing political figures. I can read the confirmation bias immediately b/c the student has not given positive and negative elements of both leaders – there are always both sides to a leader. Remember that I have to bracket my bias when grading a paper when I disagree with the comparison and contrasts. So, just be careful. You bracket bias by admitting your bias in the paper and then by painting a balanced picture of positives and negatives or both leaders based on their leadership supported by leadership principles and theories from the textbook. This is not an opinion paper – it is a research paper that demonstrates good scholarship from the textbook of our course and journal article research (not newspaper articles or blogs). Bias can be tricky, as we all come to leadership with a bias, especially when the leaders are ones we like and respect OR dislike and disrespect ;). So, to avoid confirmation bias, we should look for contradictory evidence from what we believe. We research and write about that in the paper; that does not mean we have to accept that evidence as truth, and we should say so based on other research. If you agree with or disagree with any of the research you find, you state carefully why, and if it is a matter of observational data (yours), you admit that in the paper. Remember: I need to see in the final paper that you have looked for strengths and weaknesses/limitations in your chosen leaders. Again, you do not have to agree with what you find, but your agreement and/or disagreement should be based on further research, or if it is just your observations, then that is your opinion – so tell/admit that in writing in the paper. That is bracketing bias. To research for the final paper, use the textbook and journal articles from the MU library in your e-database search. If you cannot find journal articles on your specific chosen leaders, use journal articles on the leadership principles/theories you use to compare and contrast your leaders. For example, if you believe a leader is transformative, define that from the textbook or a journal article. Look for journal articles on transformational leadership theory, change models, adaptive change, how to create organizational or civic change, etc. If you look at traits such as integrity, honesty, justice, etc., find journal articles on trait leadership theory or ethical theories on justice (can you define that).