The Qualities of Leadership
Management students produce a 3500-word essay that examines the fundamental nature of leadership alongside the effects of different styles on organisational performance and decision-making processes while illustrating real-world applications through examples from leading global companies to meet professional literacy standards and APA referencing requirements.
Additional assessment
The qualities of leadership
Value: 50%
Due date: To be confirmed
Length: 3500 words
Submission method options: email to Subject coordinator
Task
Write a 3,500 word essay in which you:
Lecturers expect submissions to integrate theoretical discussion with practical illustrations so that markers can assess both conceptual grasp and analytical depth in a single coherent argument.
- Discuss the fundamental nature of leadership
- Discuss how different styles of leadership and management can impact an organisation and the decision making process
- Provide examples to demonstrate how leadership is manifested in leading global companies(work-related learning)
Academic and professional communication skills: You must follow an essay structure that is at a minimum an introduction; a main body that outlines the argument, analyses the material you have researched and assesses this according to the guidelines above; and a conclusion.
Your writing style must follow professional literacy: Citations and a final reference list that follows the APA 6 guidelines accurately; the quality of writing and presentation: accurate mechanics (spelling, grammar, punctuation etc.); use respectful language to discuss all people; avoid emotive language; employ inclusive, non-sexist language.
Use a minimum of ten (10) citations/references
Criteria
| Criteria | HD β Outstanding Achievement 85% – 100% | DI – High Achievement 75% – 84% | CR – Above Satisfactory Achievement 65% – 74% | PS – Satisfactory Achievement 50% – 64% | FL – Unsatisfactory Achievement 0 – 49% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Discussion of key issues | Concise overview and critical evaluation of relevant theory. Theory is integrated exceptionally well into argument. | Concise overview and critical analysis of relevant theory. Theory is integrated and linked well to argument. | Identification and explanation of relevant theory. Theory linked to point of view and/or argument. | Includes some relevant theory and makes attempts to use theory to support point of view and/or argument. | Relevant theory on the topic missing and/or none/ poor attempt to use theory to support point of view and/or argument. |
| 2. Research and the underlying analysis | Consistently demonstrates and integrates critical/reflective evaluation. Evidence of superior reflective thinking skills. | Mostly demonstrates and integrates critical/reflective analysis. Evidence of superior reflective thinking skills. | Demonstrates and integrates critical/reflective analysis. Evidence of reflective thinking skills. | Some attempt at critical/reflective analysis. | Does not demonstrate any attempt at critical/reflective analysis. |
| 3. Presentation of the discussion | Outstanding expression and presentation. Fluent writing style appropriate to the style of paper. Grammar and spelling accurate. Very considerate to the reader. Meets essay presentation guidelines. | Very good expression and presentation. Language fluent, few errors in grammar, spelling and syntax. Mainly considerate of the reader. Meets essay presentation guidelines. | Good expression and presentation. Language mainly fluent grammar and spelling mainly accurate. Needs more consideration given to the needs of the reader. Mainly meets essay presentation guidelines. | Satisfactory expression and presentation. Meaning apparent but language not always fluent, grammar and/or spelling contain errors. Minimal consideration given to the reader. Meets most essay presentation guidelines. | Unsatisfactory expression and presentation. Meaning unclear and/or grammar and/or spelling contain frequent errors. No consideration given to the reader. Poor presentation e.g. single spacing, no paragraphs. |
| 4. Suitable academic references | 10 sources of information and 5+ highly relevant refereed journal articles presented in perfect APA style. Articles used to outstanding effect in essay. | 10 sources of information and 4 very relevant refereed journal articles presented in perfect APA style. Articles used to very good effect in essay. | 10 sources of information and 3 relevant refereed journal articles presented in APA referencing style. Articles used to good effect in essay. | 10 sources of information and 2 potentially relevant refereed journal articles presented in near-perfect APA referencing style. Articles used to some effect in essay. | 10 sources of information and 2 relevant refereed journal articles, and/or not in perfect APA referencing style. Articles not used to good effect in essay. |
*Penalties for: 10% over word limit/ plagiarism (see Handbook β this carries a large penalty and is to be reported if Plagiarism)
Sample Essay Excerpt for the Qualities of Leadership Assignment
Students commonly begin the main body by defining leadership as a process of influencing others toward shared goals before contrasting trait-based and behavioural perspectives drawn from foundational readings. The discussion then shifts to how transformational leadership fosters innovation while transactional styles maintain stability during routine operations. Examples from global companies illustrate these points with Apple under Tim Cook showing how inspirational motivation drives product development teams and Google under Sundar Pichai demonstrating participative approaches that accelerate decision speed on complex AI projects. Future application statements link the analysis directly to the writerβs intended role in upcoming organisational projects. Guidance from “Leadership styles, work engagement and outcomes among information and communication technology professionals” confirms that such style combinations improve both task performance and innovative behaviour when leaders adapt to cultural contexts (Gemeda and Lee, 2020 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03699). Structured excerpts like these help writers balance theory with workplace relevance while satisfying the minimum reference count and rubric criteria for critical integration.
Essay responses on leadership qualities gain additional depth when they incorporate recent cross-national findings that highlight how transformational approaches correlate with higher employee engagement across diverse sectors. Systematic reviews of leadership in technology firms reveal that participative behaviours reduce resistance to strategic shifts and support sustained innovation when combined with clear performance expectations. Industry guidelines from major consulting reports further emphasise that leaders who model inclusive decision-making in multinational settings achieve stronger alignment between organisational goals and individual contributions.
Students frequently ask how to avoid superficial descriptions when addressing the impact of leadership styles on decision-making processes yet the most effective submissions focus on specific mechanisms such as cognitive biases or power dynamics rather than broad generalisations. Comparing transformational and transactional styles side-by-side within the same paragraph often clarifies their complementary strengths while still allowing room for critical evaluation of limitations in volatile markets. Additional research considerations include selecting examples from verifiable annual reports or peer-reviewed case studies of companies like Microsoft or Unilever to strengthen the work-related learning component and meet the requirement for at least five refereed journal articles.
References
Gemeda, H.K. and Lee, J. (2020) ‘Leadership styles, work engagement and outcomes among information and communication technology professionals: A cross-national study’, Heliyon, 6(4), e03699. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03699.
Maheshwari, G., et al. (2023) ‘A bibliometric analysis of influence of leadership styles on employees and organization in higher education sector from 2007 to 2022’, International Journal of Leadership in Education. doi:10.1080/13603124.2023.2236968.
Saleem, A., et al. (2022) ‘Leadership styles and the process of organizational change during the pandemic’, Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 920495. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.920495.
Wang, Q., et al. (2022) ‘Participative Leadership: A Literature Review and Prospects for Future Research’, Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 924357. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.924357.
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- Examining Leadership Nature Styles Impact and Global Company Examples in Management
- When Business Students Analyse How Different Leadership Approaches Shape Organisational Decisions and Performance
- Students write a 3500-word essay that discusses the fundamental nature of leadership how different styles affect organisations and decision-making and provides examples from leading global companies while following APA 6 professional literacy standards and a minimum of ten references.
- Complete the 3500-word The Qualities of Leadership assessment that requires an introduction main body with critical analysis and conclusion plus at least five refereed journal articles in APA style for 50% course value.
- Develop a 3500-word essay on leadership qualities that covers theory styles organisational impact decision processes and real-world global company examples using structured academic communication.
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Assessment 2: Group Case Study β Implementing Sustainable Leadership Practices (Week 8, Module 3)
In Week 8 of the leadership and management course, student groups of three to four analyse a provided case on a multinational firm adopting sustainable leadership initiatives and submit a 2000-word collaborative report with implementation recommendations. Learners apply two contrasting leadership styles from the first assessment to evaluate potential barriers and facilitators of change while incorporating stakeholder analysis. The assignment includes a 500-word team process reflection that evaluates contribution equity and decision-making dynamics. Students also deliver a 12-minute recorded presentation for class feedback prior to final submission.