Analysis of Leadership Effectiveness

The practices of a leader can have wide spread implications. They can impact individual stakeholders and the organization as a whole. Clark (2013) states that “you must be the role model you want others to grow into” (para. 9). A strong leader leads by example, is ethical, and earns the trust and respect of their followers. They are also conscientious of the impact they have on the world around them. They practice impeccable communication and learn to inspire others with a positive vision for the future. Clark (2014) describes leadership as the methods of influencing others to accomplish objectives in a collective manner in the direction of the organization's vision.
As a result of this course, I have a better understanding of what it means to lead others. In this essay I will overview topics including leadership competencies, ethical environments, and organizational communication, to demonstrate the knowledge I have compounded. These topics will be discussed in the context of my previous job with Walmart in order to apply concepts to real world experiences. During the relatively short time I worked for Walmart, I experienced my instances of poor leadership. This essay will examine these experiences and offer potential solutions to leadership inadequacies.
When I started working at Walmart, my employers quickly worked to initiate new hires into the culture. We learned about the vision that Sam Walton had portrayed for the future of Walmart. He valued low prices and customer-oriented service. He believed that “true leadership depends on willing service” (Walmart, 2014, para. 1). At first I felt that these were values that I was comfortable aligning myself with. However, I quickly realized that these values were not upheld at th...

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