Books
- Bolman, L. G. & Deal, T. E.. (2002). Reframing
the path to school leadership. Corwin Press
- Hoy, W. K. & Miskel, C. G. (2001). Educational
administration: Theory, research, and practice. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
- Adele Lang. The Confessions of a Sociopathic Social Climber
Editorial
Reviews
Amazon.com
It's really not a bad
idea. Adele Lang joins the throng of post-Bridget Jones novelists with Confessions
of a Sociopathic Social Climber, a fictional diary by
Katya Livingstone, an advertising copywriter-turned-journalist
who is, in short, a nasty piece of work. Katya has never met a friend she
didn't stab in the back,
a boss she didn't take advantage of,
or a man whose net worth she didn't appraise in five seconds flat. Most of
Ms. Jones's offspring are dear, dewy, put-upon
creatures. Sure, they crack wise, but
mostly they seem to mope around hoping for Mr. Right to happen upon them.
The idea of a vile anti-heroine out to screw
the world before it screws her has a certain appeal. Unfortunately, Lang's
reach has exceeded her grasp, and the result is far from heavenly. The book
veers wildly in
tone. We never know quite how we're supposed to feel about Katya: Should
we despise her? Admire her for her chutzpah? Or just shut the book in
frustration? Meanwhile, sloppy grammar and unfunny jokes
topple this tenuous house of cards. --Claire Dederer
- Robert Penn Warren. All the King's Men
This Hartwick Classic Leadership Case®addresses the age-old moral dilemma of leadership:
whether it is possible for a "great" man to be a
"good" man. Tracing Willie Stark's development from
naive, idealistic back country lawyer to powerful and effective governor.
The novel, which
the case study is based upon, is closely based on the true-life story
of Huey Long, Governor of Louisiana from 1928-30. The case study
forces students to consider what kind of leader Stark
is and what motivates him. It also focuses on the complexity of choices
Stark has to make and the tactics he
uses in order to stay in power and stave off his enemies in a corrupt
political context.
- Thomas Hardy. The Mayor of Casterbridge
This Hartwick
Classic Leadership Case Study® considers
the importance of personal character and its relationship to the success
or failure of leaders.
The novel charts the decline in fortune of one man, Henchard, who is the
mayor mentioned in the title, and the concurrent rise of
another, Farfrae, who in turn also becomes mayor. The case study argues
that an individual's character is a significant aspect of leadership
because it determines
to a great degree how he or she will interact with others and behave in critical
circumstances.
- Herman Melville. Billy Budd, Sailor
The novel, which this Hartwick
Classic Leadership Case®
is based upon, describes the tension that can build when a leader must choose
between following organizational policy to the letter
and doing what is morally right and just. This case study provides
interesting opportunities for exploring
two topics common in many workplaces: the effects of one co-worker's seemingly
unfounded dislike for another and the effects of
bureaucratic decision-making based on rules rather than on circumstance.
- John Masefield. The Bird of Dawning
The novel,
which this Hartwick Classic Leadership Case® is based upon, relates the experience of a second mate
who, as a result of an accident, is
thrust into a position of captain of a life raft. In this setting we
witness the birth of a leader, Cyril Trewsbury, and observe many techniques
of leading which he uses. After
storm and shipwreck, mistreatment and near starvation, 'Cruiser' Trewsbury
becomes the captain of the ship Bird
of Dawning.
- William Shakespeare. Heniad (i.e., Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2)
Henry IV,
Parts 1 and 2 and Henry V are Shakespeare's great exploration of the
nature of kingship - of the personal traits and the political
skills that enables
one to be an astute and capable leader. Unlike his father Henry IV,
Prince Hal (the future Henry V) learns that he needs
more than the title of king to lead successfully; he must
also have an understanding of the king's role, a knowledge of his subjects,
and the
strength and wisdom to govern well. While focusing on Prince Hal and
his emergence as a leader, this case identifies the qualities needed to
fulfill the role of king by examining
several other character who represent definitions of leadership which prove
to be inadequate.
Evidence
from the Bible suggests that Jesus, perhaps more than any other individual,
has shaped the discussion of the virtues which a leader
ought to possess and the techniques
which leaders ought to use to motivate those whom they lead. The selections
excerpted from the New
Testament gospels provide an excellent opportunity to
examine various aspects of Jesus' approach to leadership. In fact,
Jesus' views of
divinely inspired leadership are articulated
in his teachings and exemplified in his actions. Jesus practices the
very leadership that he preaches.
This Hartwick Classic Leadership Case Study® argues that only the philosopher, by virtue
of aptitude and extensive education, can understand
the nature of justice, human well-being, and life in the good community;
it further states that these elements can only find expression in the
philosopher's leadership
and vision for the community. It insists that until followers accept
the philosopher / leader's vision of the good life and
its conditions, they will be condemned to disunity and
instability. The case study shows why, in reality, only the philosopher
is equipped to
exercise genuinely practical leadership. It includes a summation of
personal characteristics Plato thinks a philosopher/ruler ought to have.
This ancient Greek tragedy - written
by a playwright who was himself a leader of some note - helps students learn
that leadership is a journey of self-discovery.
In the process, they also discover how leadership styles frequently vary not
only with the situation, but also with different
methods of influencing
others and different ethical considerations. This Hartwick Classic Leadership
Case Study® also focuses on how
leadership and motivation were problems in Sophocles' period (with special
attention to leaders like Pericles) just as they are problems today:
competing pressures and demands in
such arenas as affirmative action, consumerism, pollution, global competition,
and government regulation.
- The Autobiography of Malcolm X
This Hartwick
Classic Leadership Case Study® suggests
that leaders and leadership must be truly dynamic to be effective.
As illustrated by the fact that during
his short career he almost single-handedly increased membership in the Nation
of Islam (the Black Muslims) by perhaps a
thousandfold, Malcolm X possessed a
powerful charisma. Secondly, he exhibited a dramatic personal development,
moving through successive stages until
he achieved a markedly expanded vision and moral independence.
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Letter from Birningham Jail
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter
From Birmingham Jail" was written at the height of the nonviolent protest
movement in the United States.
The letter captures King's ability to lead through the
use of language. It also reveals King's disappointment over criticism
of his leadership by a group of Alabama
clergymen, his understanding of why oppressed people must resist their oppression,
and his deep faith in the fundamental
decency of all Americans.
- Virginia Woolf. A Room of One's Own
This Hartwick
Classic Leadership Case Study® enables
students to evaluate what has become known as "post-industrial" leadership,
a new paradigm that suggests significant shifts in the way leaders
operate. Woolf's perspective in being female in a man's world and the contributions
of women's "ways of knowing," provide
an excellent window into major shifts in leadership thinking: from command
and control to networking, from achievement
and power to affiliation, from maximizing consistency and homogeneity to
valuing and embracing diversity, for example. The
case study helps students discover what it might take
to achieve some of these shifts and what the benefits might be.
This Hartwick Classic Leadership Case Study®
explores the leadership implications of the revelations of Muhammad based
on selections from
the Qur'an, the sacred scriptures of Islam. It describes how Muhammad,
a charismatic figure with vision and fidelity to his experience of
truth, created a religion with almost
one billion followers. The case study focuses on the character and
traits of Muhammad and the motives
which cause people to follow and to submit their lives
to Allah. It encourages students to evaluate selections from the Qur'an
in terms of
principles of leadership and community building important
for contemporary managers.
- Chief Joseph: An Indian's View of Indian Affairs
Presenting
three types of leadership and the types of organizations - bureaucratic,
entrepreneurial, and integrative - with which they are
associated, this example of Native American oratory looks at the problems
and benefits inherent in each of these structures and related
leadership styles.
