Select and research an organization that interests you. Ideally, this is the organization in which you currently work or a past organization where you have personal experience. You may also use the South University Library and the internet to select an organization as needed.
The course project will require you to evaluate this organization each week.
You will use the same organization throughout this course for the remainder of the assignments.
Generally, this should be the same organization you used for the Week 1 discussion question.
Week # 1Course Project — Leadership Philosophy and Alignment
Identify your subject organization.
Compare the leadership philosophy and behaviors of top organizational leader(s) with leadership literature.
Assess gaps between leadership philosophy and the organizational design.
Defend practical recommendations to bridge such gaps.
For the Week 1 paper include the following:
Briefly summarize your chosen organization information (e.g., what is it? what does it do?).
Evaluate the leadership philosophy and behaviors of the organization's top leader(s). As part of your evaluation:
What is the leadership philosophy of the leader(s)? (Note: you might determine this by interviewing the leaders, interviewing others who know the leader, reviewing published materials, or from reporting experiences/observations that communicate the leadership philosophy).
What behaviors by the leaders reflect (or do not reflect) that philosophy?
Use leadership literature to support your evaluation. For example, if you think your leader is a transformational leader, what does this week's course reading say about transformational leaders? Does your description of the leader's philosophy and behaviors align with what the literature says about transformational leaders?
Evaluate the match between leader philosophy and organizational design. For purposes of this assignment, organizational design will refer to purpose, strategy, and structure. However, organizational design includes all aspects of an organization including processes, rewards, metrics, training, etc. and the alignment of all the aspects.
What is the organizational purpose?
What is the strategy used to achieve the purpose?
What is the organizational structure used to achieve the purpose?
Does the leader's philosophy align with organizational design?
What gaps exist?
How does the organizational design impose limits on leader choices?
How does the leader influence organizational design?
Use leadership literature to support your evaluation.
Defend recommendations for bridging gaps between the leadership philosophy and organizational design. Use leadership literature to defend your recommendations.
Full Answer Section
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- Evidence of Philosophy: This philosophy is evident in the Mayo Clinic's decentralized structure, where teams of physicians and staff collaborate on patient care and decision-making.
- Leadership Behaviors: The Mayo Clinic's leadership team embodies the collaborative model through behaviors like:
- Transparency: Open communication and information sharing across the organization.
- Shared decision-making: Involving staff at all levels in key decisions.
- Focus on patient care: Prioritizing patient well-being and safety above all else.
- Investment in staff development: Providing ongoing training and education opportunities.
- Collegiality: Fostering a culture of collaboration and respect among staff.
- Leadership Literature Support: This collaborative leadership style aligns with concepts like servant leadership, which emphasizes putting the needs of others (patients and staff) first [Northouse, 2016]. Shared decision-making reflects a participative leadership approach, where team members are involved in the decision-making process [Yukl, 2022]
Organizational Design:
- Purpose: The Mayo Clinic's purpose is to "improve the health and well-being of the people it serves" through integrated clinical practice, education, and research [Mayo Clinic, 2024].
- Strategy: The Mayo Clinic uses a patient-centered strategy, focusing on providing high-quality, evidence-based care. It integrates clinical practice with research to drive innovation and improve patient outcomes.
- Structure: The Mayo Clinic has a decentralized structure with a matrix management system. While there is an overall leadership team, decision-making authority is distributed across various departments and committees.
Alignment and Gaps:
The collaborative leadership philosophy generally aligns well with the Mayo Clinic's decentralized structure and patient-centered strategy.
- Alignment: The emphasis on shared decision-making empowers staff and aligns with the patient-centered approach. The focus on physician leadership leverages their expertise in patient care.
- Gaps: A potential gap exists in ensuring clear communication and direction across the decentralized structure. With so many voices involved in decision-making, there's a risk of confusion or conflicting priorities.
Recommendations:
- Improve communication: Implementing regular communication channels and transparent leadership updates can bridge the gap in a decentralized structure.
- Invest in leadership development: Providing leadership training programs at all levels can equip staff with the skills necessary for effective collaboration and decision-making within the shared governance model.
- Metrics and evaluation: Developing metrics to track the effectiveness of the collaborative leadership model and patient-centered care can ensure continuous improvement.
Leadership Literature Support: These recommendations are supported by the concept of transformational leadership, which emphasizes clear vision, communication, and empowering followers [Bass & Avolio, 1994]. By fostering strong communication and leadership development, the Mayo Clinic can bridge potential gaps and further strengthen its collaborative leadership model.
Sample Answer
Week 1 Course Project: Leadership Philosophy and Alignment
Chosen Organization: Mayo Clinic
The Mayo Clinic is a world-renowned nonprofit medical organization focused on patient care, education, and research. It operates a large network of hospitals and clinics across the United States, with a global presence dedicated to medical innovation and the highest quality healthcare.
Leadership Philosophy and Behaviors:
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Leadership Philosophy: There is no single leader at the Mayo Clinic, but rather a leadership model based on collaboration and shared decision-making. The Mayo Clinic Leadership Model emphasizes shared governance, physician leadership, and a focus on the well-being of both patients and staff.