Critical Analysis of Leadership

MGT536 – Leadership – A Critical Perspective

You will need to complete the following project on leadership that assesses leaders in a work-related environment.

This project focuses on critical analysis of leaders’ approaches to their leadership in a work-related environment and provides recommendations on how to sustain or improve leadership effectiveness.

Identify three ‘interviews’ or biographical accounts of Australian CEOs, business or third sector leaders from the Australian news media, a professional management journal or management-related magazine. Justify your selection.

Analyse these cases, and from a critical perspective, compare and contrast:
a) the ways in which each leader is constructed as a leader by the accounts;
b) how the leaders describe their conceptualisation of leadership;
c) how each leader conceptualises success through their leadership.

Critically evaluate how each leader’s practice of leadership impacts the success of their organisation,
using relevant theoretical perspectives you have covered during your study of MGT536.

Identify organisational issues one of these three leaders is facing. Drawing on current leadership research (from the last five years) what advice would you offer this leader to assist them in addressing these issues?

Finally, draw conclusions from your entire critical analysis, and make recommendations about how relevant theories and research can assist leaders to fulfil their role.

Rationale
This task has been designed to allow students to demonstrate the skills and knowledge needed to undertake an analysis of leadership in order to determine the effectiveness of leadership in a specific context. Students are also expected to provide specific recommendations and strategies to improve leadership effectiveness.