Golden Gate University’s Mission Statement Connection to Organizational Leadership

Capstone Project
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Introduction
This capstone project aims to demonstrate my knowledge and understanding of the course content, The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes & Posner, and Golden Gate University's mission statement. Golden Gate University's mission is “to prepare individuals to lead and serve by providing high-quality, practice-based educational programs in law, taxation, business, and related professions in an innovative and challenging learning environment that embraces professional ethics and diversity.” To understand how I can apply this mission to the course content, I will use Kouzes & Posner's transformational leadership approach as a guide. The concept is based on five core practices. They include Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart. I will use these core guidelines to explain how I can apply the course content to professional practice in a way that advances performance, inclusion, empowerment, and the delivery of organizational results.
Model the Way is about leading by example. It is about setting the tone for others and being an example of ethical behavior. "By modeling the way, a leader sets the tone for others and shows what is expected in terms of behavior, attitude, and commitment" (Kouzes & Posner, 2006). As an organizational leader, I can use this practice to create an environment of trust and respect. I can demonstrate my commitment to the mission of Golden Gate University by showing that I am a leader who is open to diversity and inclusion and willing to take risks to improve performance. As a leader, I can apply the motivating language theory approach to communicate with members of the organization, which can then inspire and motivate them to change their behavior and take action (Mayfield & Mayfield, 2017). Consequently, an environment that facilitates confidence, high opinion, and understanding of the employees can lead to improved performance, higher morale, and greater unity among team members.
Inspire a Shared Vision is about inspiring others to believe in a common goal. I can use this practice to create a shared vision of success within my organization. I can design a vision based on the Golden Gate University mission by setting the tone for an environment of inclusion and respect. Thus, team members can come together to achieve this shared dream. For instance, as a leader, I would create a team-building exercise to help team members come together and understand the importance of the organization's mission and its role in achieving it. "Leaders must be able to articulate a vision that is attractive and compelling, a vision that inspires people to take action and commit to something greater than them" (Kouzes & Posner, 2006). In addition, to achieve a shared vision, I would have to mobilize a collective effort in teams (Wilson, 2020). I can accomplish this in the organization by availing timely and credible information that develops the basis for a shared understanding of the existing problems and the necessary counteractions. Therefore, the initiative could lead to trust building which is essential for achieving set visions
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