: Analyzing Leadership for Change through Organizational Charts

In the same way that models can be used to express your views of leadership in general, models can also be used to express relationships with in a group or organization.  These models are based on organizational structure and are called organizational charts.  Assessing org. charts means critically comparing an organizations structure and its function.  Leadership and change occur best when those two things are compatible.

Directions:

• In this assignment choose an organization chart from a group or organization that you either know about or have an interest in – this can be your university department, or religious community or place of work.  You can use your CBL site and use it in your report, or create one that represents an organization that you would like to lead in the future, that you could use in your final paper.
• Draw it out or design it on one sheet of paper.  There are even organizational chart programs or web pages that can help you.
• Describe this organizational chart in a way that answers these questions:

1. How does this organizational chart reflect a hierarchy or a network/web structure and how does that reflect the degree to which the organization values stability versus change, and certainty versus creativity?
2. What style of leadership do you think is promoted within this type of structure? If we did not go over leadership styles specifically, then describe in your own words the style that this structure encourages:  visionary, commanding, collaborative, democratic, laissez faire, coaching, “lead by example,’ etc.
3. Is this an organizational structure in which you would feel comfortable?

Notes on Grading:

Your grade will depend upon how clearly you design the organizational chart and how you use concepts in class.

• Make sure your organizational chart clearly shows roles or titles. If you take this from one that you know, you can also use names.
• Draw lines clearly to show relationships (with arrows if necessary) and in your description describe how they might show differences in power/authority or lines of communication.
• The description should be at least one and a half pages long, double spaced, 12-point font, etc.