Steinbeck, John Parallels Essays - English-language Films

Steinbeck, John: Parallels Common Ground In many of John Steinbeck's works there are themes and elements that parallel his other works. Steinbeck often tackles the result of people's bad fortune and the realization that their dreams have been destroyed. We can see that in his Pulitzer Prize winning The Grapes of Wrath and his critically acclaimed novel Of mice and Men Steinbeck shows us the results of people having their dreams destroyed. Steinbeck shows us that in his work he gives different characters similar goals and aspirations and has them destroyed in similar ways. In both of the above mentioned books key characters have their dreams destroyed. "Steinbeck often created characters possessing lofty goals; lofty goals in a world of despair and corruption. His characters did not have a dream of tangible luxuries, but a dream of corporal well being and refuge with loved ones"(Thomas 238). In Of Mice and Men, Lennie and George travel to California in order to find work. Once they salvage up enough money, Lennie and George plan on being independent and not worrying about the outside world and its enigmas. George stated "Someday we're gonna get all the jack together and were gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an' a cow and some pigs." (Roberts, 187). George's dream ran deeper than a love for farming and independence. The motivation for this dream was not just a product of the poor state of the country and widespread unemployment, but it was a dream that could ensure a happy ending for Lennie. George is anxious to secure his own place so that Lennie can live the type of life where he can be happy and not be hurt by people who do not understand his simple ways. George would run the farm; Lennie would tend the rabbits. This was Lennies dream, to tend the rabbits. He could think of nothing else more enjoyable than tending the rabbits. "Lennies dram is to have all the rabbits that he can take care of, and his attempts to do the right thing are motivated by his fear that George won't let him take care of the rabbits." (Tedlock 243). In The Grapes of Wrath the Joad family also dreams of moving out west. They do this in hopes of escaping the direful situation in Oklahoma. "Gonna buy a car and shove out west where it's easy living." (Steinbeck 57). The Joads like Lennie and George plan on saving up enough money for their own plot of land. Once this task is accomplished they hope to live a self-sufficient life and rely on one another. They believe that once in California they will find life easier and find all they need in surplus. "Jus' let me get out to California where I can pick me an orange when I want it. Or grapes, there's a thing I ain't never had enough of. Gonna get me a whole bunch of grapes off a bush, or whatever, an' I'm gonna squash 'em on my face an' let 'em run off my chin".(Steinbeck 105). There is clearly a parallel between the themes of these two books. As both works have the same basis for the characters dreams. How the dream mwas destroyed George and Lennie never had their dreams come true. When they arrived at the homestead for work; George and Lennie at once felt hostility from the ranch owner's son Curley. Curley was a sinister short-tempered man possessing little physical stature. From Curleys first encounter with Lennie, Curley was looking for an excuse to fight the simple-minded Lennie. "Curley develops a hatred for the bigger man which will be expressed in his desire to mutilate Lennie in the final scene." (Magil 4296) Lennie ended up killing Curleys wife. This was not a malicious act however. It was an accident that had an unfortunate consequence. "Lennies greatest difficulty is remembering. While he never plans to do anything wrong, he simply cannot remember what is wrong and what is not." (Magil 89). That consequence being the death of Curley's wife, and that Curley ordered the men to kill Lennie. The workers assembled and took up arms. George knew that the men were not out to right a wrong, but out to seek vengeance. George decided that he must kill Lennie. George knew that this was the only solution that would spare Lennie the misery that would be inflicted on him by Curley and his men. Like George and Lennie the Joads never saw their dreams materialize. They to were

Harley-Davidson

Harley-Davidson OVERVIEW/PROBLEM STATEMENTThe following are the problems of Harley Davidson1. Declining market2. Poor economic climate3. Competition from Japanese manufacturers4. Poor quality of products5. Young Generation not buying the productCOMPANY PROFILEThe Davidson brothers, William D., William S., Walter and Arthur founded Harley Davidson, Inc. in 1903. In the first year, only three motor cycles were produced. In 1904 production increased to eight motorcycles. Company present office is located at Juneau Avenue in Milwaukee, USA. In 1907 the company was incorporated.In 1965, Harley-Davidson ended family ownership with a public stock offering and then in 1969, merged with American Machine and Foundry Company (AMF). In 1981, 13 members of the Harley-Davidson management team purchased the company from AMF through a leveraged buy-out. In the early 1980s, Japanese competitors ¡Ã‚ ¦ heavyweight motorcycles created a real threat for the Harley-Davidson organization. The heavy Japanese imports to t he U.S.The 1490cc HD engine. Rubber mounted.These four men were the founders of the best motorbike company ever, Harley-Davidson.The first couple of years of the business were some of the hardest. The four men completed their first motorbike in about 1903(McDiarmid, 13). In their 1904 season, they produced somewhere between one and eight bikes. The first motorbike ever produced went for a total of 134,000 kilometers (McDiarmid, 13). This gave the Harley-Davidson Company a reputation of being dependable. In 1906, Harley was making at least 50 motorbikes a year. The Harley-Davidson Company became an official company in 1907 and by then was making 150 motorbikes a year. By 1908, the Harley-Davidson Company was producing 450 machines a year with a staff of 18 (McDiarmid, 17).As the Harley Davidson Company grew, they became too big for the factory they were in. In 1910, they invested in a...

Best Case Questions

It can point out significant matters of the financial statements but does not provide assurance of their accuracy. Because reviews are generally not as rigorous as audits, considerably less evidence is typically collected in a review than in a comparable audit engagement. The issue with ZZZZ Best case is that the auditors review was not sufficient enough to review any material misstatements on the financial statements. 3. SAS 106 (AU 326), Audit Evidence, specifically identifies the principal management assertions that underlie financial statements.The existence/occurrence assertion was particularly critical for ZZZZ Best’s insurance restoration contracts. ZZZZ Best’s auditors obtained third-party confirmations to support the contracts, reviewed available documentation, performed analytical procedures to evaluate the reasonableness of the revenues recorded on the contracts, and visited selected restoration sites. * What were the limitations of the evidence that these procedures provided with regard to the management assertion of existence/occurrence? 8 points) The limitations of the evidence that these procedures provided with regard to the management assertion of existence/occurrence was that Minkow insisted on Ernst Whinney to sign a standard confidentiality agreement where it stated that Ernst Whinney will not be able to make any follow-up telephone calls to any contractors, insurance companies, the building owner, or other individuals involved in the restoration contract. This restriction effectively prohibited the auditors from corroborating the insurance restoration contracts with independent third parties. 4. George Greenspan testified before Congress that one method he used to audit the insurance restoration contracts was to verify that his client actually received payment on those jobs. * How can such apparently reliable evidence lead an auditor to an improper conclusion? (6 points) In Greenspan’s situation, his apparently reliable evidence was not from independent third party.When Greenspan confirmed the existence of ZZZZ’s insurance restoration contracts, he contacted Tom Padgett who at the time was an active and willing participant in Minkow’s fraudulent schemes. 5. Re: Predecessor-successor auditors: * What is the purpose of predecessor-successor auditor communications? * Which party, the predecessor or successor auditor, has the responsibility for initiating these communications?The successor auditor should obtain information from the predecessor auditor that will assist the successor auditor in determining whether to accept the engagement. Matters subject to the inquiry should include information that might bear on the integrity of management, disagreements with management as to accounting principles, auditing procedures, or similarly significant manners, communications to those charged with governance regarding fraud and illegal acts by clients, communications to management and those charged with governance regarding signi?

Choose from the book Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Choose from the book - Assignment Example These new governments passed the discriminatory ‘Black Codes,’ which denied Blacks the right to testify against whites, barred entry to juries and state militias, denied them suffrage, mandated yearly labor contracts, restricted the occupations open to them and denied them property rights. When Jackson vetoed the Civil Rights Bills, establishing equality before the law for all races, and the Freedmen’s Bureau Bill, the Republican Congress broke with him. Radical Republicans in Congress embarked on their own reforms, through constitutional legislation, in a period called the Radical Reconstruction, extending from 1866-1877. The Fourteenth Amendment of 1868 guaranteed Blacks civil rights and equality before the law; the Fifteenth Amendment of 1870 mandated racially impartial voting rights; the Civil Rights Act of 1875 banned racial segregation. The Freedmen’s Bureau, whose powers were expanded by Congress, assisted former slaves to assert their rights. Severa l former slaves held legislative office, and entered the Congress, the Senate and the judiciary. Equal civil and political rights for African-Americans were ensured by such constitutional reforms. Former slaves succeeded in obtaining small family plots and a share in revenue through sharecropping. Socially, the African-Americans could now enjoy public conveniences, legalize their marriages and obtain educations. Radical Reconstruction struck a blow against racial discrimination, and laid the foundation for social integration of African Americans. With the election of 1876, and the Democratic dominance of Congress, the Reconstruction came to an end. 5. Explain the course of the Spanish-American War. (Page 663) The Spanish-American War was the offshoot of American expansionism, ignited by rising nationalist sentiment, and the doctrine of ‘Manifest Destiny’: it was the ‘duty’ of the ‘superior’ Anglo-Saxon race to spread Christian and Democratic va lues to ‘backward’ people. The war originated in the Cuban struggle for independence from Spain that began in 1895. American public sympathy for the Cuban revolutionaries was exacerbated by the ‘yellow press’, reporting atrocities committed by the Spanish on civilians. American investments in Cuba, and the perception of the strategic importance of the island in Central America, led President McKinley to dispatch the battleship USS Maine to Havana, to pressurize Spain. The mysterious explosion of the Maine in February 1898, with the loss of nearly 270 lives, was attributed to Spain. When Spain rejected American demands for a cease-fire and Cuban independence, McKinley declared war on Spain in April 1898. â€Å"The splendid little war,† (Foner, 663), to quote Secretary of State John Hay, resulted in only 400 American casualties and ended in four months. On May 1, the Spanish fleet was destroyed by the American navy under Admiral George Dewey at Manila Bay in the Philippines. The charge at San Juan Hill, outside Santiago, was highlighted by the popular press, which made Theodore Roosevelt a national hero. American troops landed in Cuba after another naval victory in July. American victory was declared in August. Contrary to its pre-war statements, America set to acquire an overseas empire. Under the following peace treaty, Cuba became an American Protectorate under the Platt Amendment of 1902, and

Personal Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 27

Personal Statement - Essay Example My interest in law stems from the fact the law seems to be a living, breathing, and ever evolving part of human life and our ever changing society. Laws of the past often get amended and rewritten in order to fit better into the needs of the new generation. Such examples can be seen in the way that our laws have changed pertaining to immigration, capital punishment, and even medical law related concerns. I saw these examples come to life as I participated in the Global Youth Leader Conference in the US. Cases such as the hugely controversial MegaUpload shutdown have gotten me to thinking about how our international laws become muddled by the advent of the internet and country laws are no longer limited to simply their home country for enforcement. This is a judicial controversy that I have frowned upon for some time now as I believe it shows the lack of respect on the part of international law enforcement for the individuals who are citizens of autonomous countries. Aside from an interest in technology related judicial questions, I am also quite interested in fighting for the human rights of those who cannot speak for themselves. People such as Terri Schiavo have served as an inspiration to me in terms of the legal question of the right to die. She had lived a long, but suffering life filled with artificial methods of prolonging life while our judicial system played God and decided who had the right to order her death or if that was the proper action to take. The legal questions within the 11 court cases pertaining to the aforementioned case has always fascinated me and I have always wanted to have an opportunity to study the case on a more scrutinized basis and hopefully, help to repeal â€Å"Terris Law† as it allows the government too much power to decide in what should always remain a personal, family matter. Throughout my life, my legal mind has been influenced by the work

Rizals life Essay Example for Free

Rizals life Essay Home, church, and school are the three important pillars that shaped Rizal’s identity as the voice and prophet of the Filipino people and his advocacy that unity equates to prosperity. b. Summary Rizal’s identity was shaped in his home, at school and at the church. These institutions gave long-lasting impression and influence to him. Rizal’s mother helped him to read, write, and express his emotions through poetry. The school at Binan gave Rizal his first formal schooling, shaped his character, and formed his habits. The church, on the other hand, shaped Rizal’s philosophy of life, moral philosophy, question of choice and manner of ethics. All these three institutions are the core to Rizal’s advocacy that unity is the strongest link that binds people together in building a great nation. Rizal is the dominant voice in our history not only because of the things said above but also because he was the first to put his own advice into practice. Because of his preference to choosing the ethical side of life over his personal freedom, he had to face the firing squad at the Luneta. c. Reactions or Comments The article, for me, brings out the nationalist inside of me. It makes me want to do more for my country and for my countrymen. It also made me realize that Rizal’s life was also a tough life for him to go through. My eyes were gradually opened to the fact that Rizal was just like any Filipino child, but I guess his only difference from other Filipino children is that he lived every lessons and insights that he had learned from his parents, from his school, and from their church. He chose the ethical side of life over his freedom. He had given so many advices to his fellow Filipinos because, I think, he believed that his countrymen will be able to live those things. He always gave emphasis on unity in most of his works because he firmly believes that unity is the most important factor in saving people from foreign disturbances and in facing any national problem. A statement of Rizal was cited on the article by the author. The statement goes, â€Å"Law knows no color of skin, nor does reason differentiate between nostrils. † I think what Rizal is trying to say here is that we shouldn’t be ashamed of who we are or what we have or how we look because everything is equal in the eyes of justice. We should fight for our freedom because it is in freedom that the people are led to security and prosperity. Indeed, the content of the article really had an impact on me. The article was nicely done and was easy to understand. Because of this article, I finally realized that Rizal’s works and thoughts are not only for his time but also for ours.

Interview with a Social Service Manager Essay -- Interview Essays

It is Friday afternoon and I am walking from the bus station towards Dunkin Donuts to meet Regina Borden, the program coordinator of healthy family services of the Catholic Charity. I see white Toyota pulling up in front of me. Behind the steering wheel I see women in her fifties waiving her hand on me very warmly. I new it is her, Regina Borden, the person I am waiting for. Quite short, thin lady with a blond curly hair got out of the car. She walks towards me and shakes my hand. " I could have invited you to my office, but actually I manage three organizations, so I have three offices, and I exactly didn't know in which one I would be this afternoon, so I thought it would be the best just to meet you here. Is that ok?" said Borden. We walked into Dunkin Donuts and ordered two cups of tea. Borden seemed very indecisive in picking up the table where to sit. She seemed to look for the right one, the one with the right energy, the most comfortable one for both of us. As soon as we set down she apologizes for wearing such a casual dress with an explanation that she mostly works on the road, so she tries to stay comfortable at all the time. After her first, elegant sip of tea Borden told me about two other organizations she manages. Except working as a program coordinator of healthy family services, she is also a coordinator for a home based parenting literacy program as well as a yoga instructor in a healthy club. Borden, who has a master in psychology says. "I have always known what I want to do already at the university, where I was involved in many activities like assisting professors with a psychology researches, or assisting private psychologists in the hospitals" She characterizes herself a... ... After she says more seriously that she would like to see more money for the program and have better resources. She is also planning to have her own program with her own alternative ways. At the end I was curious how she reveals all the stress that she has to deal with many times. Borden looked at me with her deep eyes and says with her calming quiet voice. "I practice yoga and I also reveal my stress throughout the art therapy, which I also practice at home with my children as well." It is 9 pm and Borden is ready to go for another meeting. She gently throws away her empty cup from tea and holds the door for me to get outside. We shake our hands and Borden is slowly walking back towards her car. Before she opens the car door she turns and with an honest smile on her face says: " If you want to I would give you a ride back to the bus station."

Obesity and Dove Company

Case Study : Dove in global market. ‘We want to challenge the definition of beauty. We believe the beauty have become too narrow in definition. We want to defy the stereotype that only young, blond and tall are beautiful’ (Phillippe Harousseau, Dove’s Marketing Director) Dove profoundly runs their CFRB (Campaign For Real Beauty) over the world, whereby they choose to use real women, which define as non-setting up of image, or original natural beauty and use in the campaign advertisement, focus on cultural issue, US receive great feedback from the public, company believe US market are growth matured since consumer are able to take words easily, for an example, Dove recent advertisement in US, as below, The company design the advertisement in the sense of alternative, it’s consider a strategy to target female market, according to research which conducted by Dove Company (U. S. Obesity Trends, 2009), overweight and obesity problem is still slightly increasing every years, Dove define it as a good market opportunity, in order to fit into the market, campaign like ‘Stand for something big and deliver it’ actually running in United State, the main purpose is to telling their consumer, do not concern able the problem of overweight, do not hide, Dove are here to tell audience, they are beautiful because they are not pretend to be beautiful. Finally, the concept of the whole campaign by revealing the problem, get a very good respond from the public, Dove acting as personal caring to everyone, and prospectors are thinking Dove is stand on consumer side, feel and understand their problem, PR department does evaluated while post-event stage, generally Dove company concluded aiming obesity population will typically increasing their sale. The problem of translation and expression is still occur from years 2005-2008, advertisement below, European country opinion toward freckled skin do not receive pretty much positive value upon itself, the advertisement in the testing stage actually using the word freckled instead of flawed, but some kind of rejection appear on the market, PR and in-house agency for Dove company immediately conduct a focus group on differences country, they found out, the word ‘freckled’ ndirectly offending women who face the problem, instant consideration given to the translator to actually look for a suitable word to replace ‘freckled’, and finally came out with ‘flawed’, post-event group survey the market opinion, the campaign achieve higher value in the view of their perspective buyer, public think the word ‘flaw’ is acceptable because the word ‘freckled’ can indirect define as a illness for skin, but ‘flawed’ is still r epresent a healthy status compare to the previous word choice. Western and eastern country contain hundred and eighties degree of different upon cultural value, Dove Company realize the same event running in US can’t be apply in Japan, 2 factors affected the trend, one is the general opinion and stereotype on judging beauty for women is totally different, secondly, Japanese education is typically different in sense of how they can think as open as European does, other than that, media selection play important rule because Japan is developed and advance in technological device, population density is higher compare to US, meanwhile the accessibility must be as high as possible, CFRB event declined at Japan while the testing stage is running at years 2005 to 2006, local advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather ASIA Pacific adapting to the Japanese lifestyle, and came out with a event so call ‘ACTIVATION’ at September 2008 (Creative Director David Morgan, 2009), due to the existing problem, Japanese do not agree on voting or judging in some weakness point that clearly can be seen or tangibility, like freckled skin, or overweight problem, so ‘ACTIVATION’ is some kind of education base to telling viewer, think carefully, revealing is not a problem, Activate and generate your mind in no time! As a result, this event is still running in Japan, and it’s receiving a positive feedback from the public, and the concept of original beauty is still delivered successfully. Promotion part, Dove have more than 50 types of product launched in the market, several context and competition running in those country where Dove is able to reach the market, Malaysia promotion focus on convenience and discount or even free gift to attract buyers, and it’s work, sales is increasing, but same method failed in another country, Japan. Beside of education aspect, behavior or I’ll define it as psychological interfere issue, advisor from in-house expert, PR conjunction with psychiatrist, expert group believe the Japan market prototype ‘free’ as ‘no quality’, Dove company work with legal advisor in order to find out the principle for Japanese’s prototyping, Dove decided to evolutes the concept of free gift as complementary base of promotion, but they start focus on re-value or reposition the brand image into something slightly above the cost, but perfect value and quality, even though this promotion did not achieve highest climate of profit, but it is good enough to create awareness and enable consumer to differentiate Dove with competitor, due to the price set is clearly can be seen. Dove using standardization on running their campaign worldwide, but some facts have to bring in on how they standardize everything worldwide, difficulty on controlling everything is still one of the issue Dove company concern about, Dove company held the main official website at US, because Dove headquarter is locate in USA, sub ordinary company will refer changes on what does the headquarter will do, and what their plan will run worldwide, referring to this, management style for Dove company using centralization whereby headquarter will control organization management so it can consistence with the objective set by headquarter, but decentralization applicable for sub quarter so concept of adapting to local market helps to reach the market goal. The point briefly discuss on history, is because in the 20s century, Dove company face problem on management style for Dove soap and other product do not contain similar image, misleading consumer on Dove is a common product that look alike with others competitors, that period of time, consumer lack of ability to differentiate what is the uniqueness between Dove and competitor, Dove came out with a campaign that changed their destiny, ‘Dove Campaign For Real Beauty’ conducted at the years of 2004, at 1st running in US and Canada, where they receive high value of support from the public, Dove company decided to run the campaign for real beauty worldwide with the same kind of concept, no doubt, it work everywhere, slightly changes like language in the advertisement, color and level of women body disclosure still bothering creative team to come out with campaign without insulting talented buyer, but the main point focus on organization management style, Dove company using o ne kind of concept running in worldwide market successfully influence the market whereby information overload will never apply for buyer, consumer realize only one identity can be seen from Dove, which is real beauty, by using Dove product, you are one of them. For an example, Dove company headquarter in US have the strongest controlling power to communicate with others sub-corporation so sub-corporation will follow their plan to held any event, Phillippe Harousseau, creative director of Dove company in US, said that, challenging women basic perception require a consistency of strategy flow to exactly reinforce audience mind, once perception toward a brand, product or services consistence with the management style, it’s easier for them create a creative event which define the uniqueness of the product, eventually if the event will running worldwide. Appendix Article for Dove Company Its just some basic idea how does Dove Company discuss on the concept, article below observe discussion on ‘The Women’ as principle to running any campaign. Advertiser cash flows to indie film projects Business | Lorenza Munoz | June 1, 2007 Advertisers have long linked up with Hollywood by placing their products within films or trotting out stars as their official sponsors. But some companies are now going a step further, investing directly in movie productions in the hopes of striking even deeper connections with film audiences. In what could be the latest trend in the financing of independent films, Unilever brand Dove has agreed to invest $3 million — about one-fifth of the budget — into â€Å"The Women,† the first theatrical movie by Diane English, the creative force behind the hit television series â€Å"Murphy Brown. Dove look is real, but does it inspire? Entertainment | Robin Givhan | August 23, 2005 Popular culture is in a tizzy of a debate over the female physique and the way in which it is depicted. Much has been written about the broad concept of beauty and its role in cultural politics, but the current conversation has narrowed the focus, from the woman as a whole to her individual parts: thighs, rear end and stomach. Comparison Eastern and Western Print Ads Western Eastern †¢Level of disclosure is different. †¢Word Choice is different. †¢Different in women portrayals. (Sexy vs Beauty) Reference: DOVE online references †¢Pathamisra, ‘Dove Final Presentation’, Slide shows, retrieved from http://www. slideshare. et/parthamisra/dove-final-presentation-presentation, August 2, 2009. †¢Authen Bill. ‘U. S. Obensity Trend’, articles, retrieved from http://www. cdc. gov/obesity/data/trends. html, August 2, 2009. †¢Dove Pro-Age: ‘Activation’, Slide Show, http://www. colo ribus. com/adsarchive/prints/dove-cream-products-activation-275559/, August 2, 2009. Printed resources †¢McGraw. Hill, Contemporary Advertising Tenth Edition, ‘Chapter Summary’ page 263, August 2, 2009. †¢McGraw. Hill, Contemporary Advertising Tenth Edition, ‘The Important of Relationship’ page 242, August 2, 2009. †¢Paul. J Argenti, Corporate Advertising Fourth Edition, ‘Centralization and Decentralization’ page 183, August 2, 2009.

My Leadership Practices and Future Essay

This following will outline my personal leadership practices and potential future leadership. To analyze my leadership qualities I will use the Seven Habits Profile and a leadership theory to determine my strengths, weaknesses, and areas of opportunity for improvement. In conclusion, I will determine the best recommendations for long-term improvement as well as SMART goals, or short-term courses of action, for leadership improvement. Seven Habits Profile The Seven Habits Profile revealed that I rank as outstanding in two categories, very good in six categories, and good in just one category. This seems to highlight what I am most exemplary at in terms of leadership, what I am just proficient at, and what presents itself as an opportunity for improvement. The main two strengths include having a work-life balance and being a proactive problem solver. An area of opportunity as indicated by the profile would be having the ability to synergize which is a combination of seeking the views of others and making creative decisions. The two strengths point to qualities I have constantly tried to improve upon. Earlier in my career, I was a bit of a workaholic and tended to bring work home with me. This resulted in a dismal personal life which eventually permeated negativity into my professional life as well. In light of that, over the years I have created rules for myself to remedy that initial error and in doing so this has become one of my str engths. My other strength, being proactive, stems from the lack of this quality in my current career field. More often than not it is more imperative to be reactive in my line of work.  To set myself above the rest I decided early on in my career to work on being both, as being reactive is just as important as being proactive in order to prevent conflict and deal with one once it has arisen. The category in which I rated as only good, or a possible opportunity for improvement, is synergize. I believe I scored myself low in two out of three categories because it has been an incredible weakness in the past and one I have been working on for quite some time. While I have significantly improved in this area I continually work on this factor of working better with people by seeking their input. In doing so, I rate myself harshly on this aspect, despite the progress I have made, because I am not as competent as I would like to be. My Leadership Practices Over the course of my career, I have tried to model various leadership behaviors based upon successful leaders that I have worked with or for. This has led me to incorporate different styles into my own. Considering my current leadership strengths and how I view successful leaders I will use a servant leadership theory to analyze my own competencies. Servant leaders have 9 different aspects comprised of: emotional healing, creating value for the community, conceptual skills, empowering, helping subordinates grow and succeed, putting subordinates first, behaving ethically, relationships, and servanthood (Boone & Makhani, 2005, pg. 86). The aspects of a servant leader are those that I personally value and identify with. In addition to this, it is my belief that servant leaders, because they are people oriented, are more effective in a variety of environments and situations. My Leadership Strengths In accordance with the servant leadership theory I have three main strengths that I employ in my leadership practices. The first recognized strength is my ability to develop strong working relationships with employees. This strength is best demonstrated in my practice of getting to know all of the employees on a personal basis and caring about their professional and personal lives by showing interest every day. This aspect of leadership requires a considerable amount of listening on my part and therefore assists in fostering clear communication and trust between me and the employees. According to Boone & Makhani (2005), â€Å"A vital prerequisite to servant  leadership is credibility, which is the foundation of leadership. People must believe in their leaders and know that they are worthy of trust† (Boone & Makhani, 2005, pg. 85). This establishment of trust, fostered through caring and building a sense of community within the team, lays the groundwork to being viewed as a competent leader that employees will follow with enthusiasm. In conjunction with my first strength, my second strength has been identified as the capacity to help subordinates grow and develop within their career. I have demonstrated this by mentoring employees. This has included helping them grow within their current position as well as aiding them in moving up from their current level within the organization. This aid is often in the form of teaching, listening, and giving them my insight to what I have observed within the organization in concern to both reviews of work and job promotions. Development of employees has to be a quality that is purposefully demonstrated consistently and not just when an employee asks for help. This requires a regular effort on the part of the leader of a team. In order to help an employee in this aspect a lea der has to know employees on a basic fundamental level. The leadership practice of aiding in an employees’ career growth cannot be effectively engaged without the insight gained by the understanding and communication gained through the aforementioned practice of getting to know your employees. Developing the people in your workforce builds skills and confidence and in turn increases and maintains a high level on morale. Along with caring about employees through getting to know them it is imperative that a leader show they care about the person and their future. Consistent with Hamilton & Nord as cited by Caldwell, Dixon, Floyd, Chaudoin, Post, & Cheakas (2012), servant leadership has been defined as ‘‘providing leadership that focuses on the good of those who are being led and those whom the organization serves’’ (Hamilton & Nord as cited in Caldwell, Dixon, Floyd, Chaudoin, Post, & Cheakas, 2012, pg. 180). Assisting an employee up through the career ladder demonstrates that the leader cares about each emp loyee’s future both on a personal and professional level. The third strength I have identified in my leadership practices, conducting myself ethically as a leader, relates to the first two strengths. I have established this strength by holding myself visibly to a higher standard than the organization I work for requires of me. This often involves a great amount of transparency with my work  processes and what decisions I make. I conduct myself in a manner that is viewed as beyond reproach. In addition to setting an appropriate example for employees behaving ethically allows trust to be established. If a decision or action were ever called into question my openness on honesty in matters would quickly dispel any thought of impropriety on my part. If a leader failed to obey the rules, no amount of caring, communication, or helping associates would build a sense of trust from the followers’ point of view. According to Parris and Peachey (2013) , â€Å"Whereas other leadership theories are traditionally defined only by what the leader does, servant leaders are defined by their character and by demonstrating their complete commitment to serve others† (Parris & Peachey, 2013, pg. 379). A leader’s style and effectiveness are defined by one’s character and is therefore defined by their actions and the ethics that govern their actions. My Leadership Weaknesses I have three main areas of opportunity for improvement in my leadership practices. While they are not complete deficiencies, or lacking, they require development to form a balanced leadership approach. My first weakness is a lacking of showing thoughtfulness or understanding with subordinates personal concerns. While this is not always the case, when I fail at this point is often because I am putting the organization first and failing to completely listen to an employee’s point of view concerning a specific subject matter. This often occurs when an associate is upset about a new organizational policy. Because I do not adequately listen to the associate’s point of view I fail in showing understanding and simply state to the employee that the policy must be followed. While this in an infrequent occurrence, when it does transpire it often leaves the employee to feel that I do not care about them and they in turn give the impression that they would be reluctant to come to m e with other issues that I could assist with. These perceptions degrade lines of communication and trust to an extent that negatively impacts how I may viewed as a leader and how my subordinates may, or may not, perform while working with me. The second leadership weakness I have pinpointed is that in certain situations I do not put employees first. When a new or big project is to be completed I do not always seek input from subordinates because of time constraints. In all  actuality their viewpoints on how these projects are to be done would likely decrease the time needed to accomplish the task. However, when I failed at seeking their input only my ideas are carried out, which may not be the most efficient way, and the employees feel that their views do not matter which fails to motivate or inspire fast and effectual performance. Therefore this failure leads to a demoralized team that negatively impacts not only the current project but future tasks as well. My third weakness as a leader is that I fail to empower subordinates concerning specific kinds of tasks on a consistent basis. This occurrence is typically the result of performance constraints on my end leading me to not help employees by showing them how to complete certain tasks. Instead I often do these tasks on my own so that I know they are done right and in a timely manner. By not always allowing employees to do these tasks, or helping them improve on these tasks they do not get a chance to grow within their position by mastering certain aspects of their job. This causes friction between me and employees as they perceive my actions to be a lack of trust or faith in their abilities. This weakness, like the first two, also contributes to a decrease in morale because the employees question my judgment or because they lack confidence in their abilities because I doubted them. Recommendations for Leadership Development To address my weaknesses, it is necessary to alter my leadership practices to be more congruent with the servant leadership style. All following recommendations for changes in my leadership practices will be a move toward a more complete servant leadership style. â€Å"Servant leadership differs from other models of leadership in that it focuses on leaders meeting the needs of followers, in that, if followers are treated as ends in themselves, rather than means to an end, they will reach their potential and so perform optimally. Such an approach is found when leaders respect, value and motivate those who follow them† (McCrimmon as cited by Waterman, 2011, pg. 25). The first recommendation will be to take the time to listen to employees regardless of the situation. This will require that I use the listening skills I have developed in all situations, especially in the types of situations I have consistently failed. This remedy will prevent the decay in trust and communication th at not understanding subordinates personal concerns often causes. This increased thoughtfulness in all matters on my  part will foster improved teamwork between myself and the team instead of hindering performance with decreased morale caused misunderstandings. The second recommendation change to my leadership practices is to seek input from employees on all tasks that involve them. A change in the practice would seek to prevent employees from feeling disenfranchised by having to complete work as dictated to them rather than doing tasks in a manner in which they believe is best for the work style that will still end with the same desired result. This change will garner an increased enthusiasm in daily task as well as the larger goals by giving employees a sense of ownership in their work. Gaining input and insight into how things are done will also add the possibility of increased efficiency and expediency in daily tasks by giving control to task experts who perform these regularly and have insight on how to improve. The increased performance coupled with an increased sense of trust will also seek to increase and maintain a healthy level of employee morale. The third recommended improvement to my leadership practices will be to challenge employees with new types of tasks and grow their skill sets to build performance, enthusiasm, and job satisfaction. When giving employees new challenges I also need follow up during and after their tasks to give constructive criticism and offer additional training if indicated. This alteration to my current practices will also prevent the erosion in trust my seemingly lack of faith in the past has had on employees and the team. This change to my practices will lead to greater employee skill set development and an added confidence within team members. SMART Goals To hasten my leadership development in a measurable method I am setting two SMART goals to accomplish within the next two weeks. The first goal is to set aside time to talk with each employee to ascertain what short and long term goals they have within the organization. I will also discuss with them what skill sets they believe they lack that is preventing them from moving to the next level. I will then assign tasks to each employee that seeks to build the desired skill set of each person. I will monitor their progress and give feedback as necessary. At the end of the two week period I will follow up again with each employee to ask them what they thought about the process, if they learned anything from doing new activities, and what, if  any, new tasks or skills they would like to learn or hone to further their career goals. The second goal will be to hold small team meetings, or huddles as we call them in the organization I work for, and gain the opinions and insights from employees on current changes within the organizations. I will guide the meetings and help employees choose how certain objectives will be met and how they might influence accomplishing long-term goals. Within reason, I will set into motion the employees plans and suggestions. At the end of the two week period I will again hold a series of huddles to discuss our accomplishments based upon the changes the employees have planned and further adjustments we could make to improve processes to these changes. I am optimistic that through the accomplishment of these two goals employees will feel more involved and valued within the organization. These immediate changes will also seek to build trust within my leadership and the organization. This improvement will further open up the lines of communication and reestablish a better sense of teamwork, as I will also be seen as part of the team in addition to its leader. These achievements will boost performance for both long and short-term objectives while increasing the teams’ morale. References Boone, L. W., & Makhani, S. (2012). Five Necessary Attitudes of a Servant Leader. Review Of Business, 33(1), 83-96. Retrieved from: http://wguproxy.egloballibrary.com/login?user=true&url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=heh&AN=86286635&site=ehost-live&scope=site Caldwell, C., Dixon, R., Floyd, L., Chaudoin, J., Post, J., & Cheokas, G. (2012). Transformative Leadership: Achieving Unparalleled Excellence. Journal Of Business Ethics, 109(2), 175-187. Retrieved from: http://wguproxy.egloballibrary.com/login?user=true&url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=heh&AN=78333229&site=ehost-live&scope=site Parris, D., & Peachey, J. (2013). A Systematic Literature Review of Servant Leadership Theory in Organizational Contexts. Journal Of Business Ethics, 113(3), 377-393. Retrieved from: http://wguproxy.egloballibrary.com/login?user=true&url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=heh&AN=87015717&site=ehost-live&scope=site Waterman, H. (2011). P rinciples of ‘servant leadership’ and how they can

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