Analysis of Gleason
Watch the documentary, Gleason, and write a leadership analysis using the prompting questions below. Your paper should include specific examples from the documentary and citations from your textbook to support your analysis. Use APA guidelines to cite and reference your sources – this includes in-text citations and a reference page (not included in page count). The paper should be approximately 5-7 pages in length double spaced (for reference, 1,500 words is 3 pages single-spaced and 6 pages double-spaced).
Steve Gleason, who was a defensive back for the New Orleans Saints, is best known for his 2006 block of the Atlanta Falcon’s punt during a September 25th Monday Night Football game which, according to Robert Mays, was “…. the play that sparked a magical season, inspired a statue, and revived a franchise.” In 2011, midway through his MBA program, Gleason revealed to his classmates that he had been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. At the time, he was 34 years old. A few weeks later, Steve and his wife, Michel, found out they were expecting their first child.
Include the following questions in your response. It is expected that your analysis paper will be a comprehensive response to the questions below and not simply responses to individual questions.
Which of the six leadership traits, if any, described in your textbook do Steve and Michel demonstrate? Explain your response.
Do Steve and Michel exhibit positive psychology? Yes, no, sometimes? Provide specific examples to support your response.
Which style(s) of leadership is displayed by Steve and Michel? Do either of their styles change over time? Discuss.
Which behavior(s) of leadership, task-orientation or relationship-oriented do Steve and Michel demonstrate? Do they lean towards one more than the other? Do they exhibit the same style? Provide examples.
Which primary leadership skills do Steven and Michel demonstrate? How do you know? Considering the characteristics of a vision and the steps needed to articulate and implement a vision, how well does Steve develop his vision for his Foundation with his team/board?
How would you describe the climate within Steve and Michel’s family? In the Foundation? How do they utilize inclusive practices? With any team, conflicts are bound to arise. Do you believe Michel and Steve are a solid, strong team? Why or why not? What conflicts did they work through (either with each other or as a team addressing outside conflicts) and what strategies did they use to resolve conflicts?
What ethical aspects of leadership are at play in the documentary?
What leadership obstacles do Michel and Steve face and what style of leadership do they use to address the/these obstacles?
Reflecting on everything you’ve learned about leadership in this class, in your readings, in the documentary, how has your perspective on leadership been impacted? Be specific in your response.
