By: Denise Johnson on March 18, 2022
What is leadership exactly? Are leaders made or born?[1] Is leadership leader centered, follower focused or product driven? Does morality [2] and ethics [3] play are role in how leaders lead? Do men make better leaders than women? [4] If so, is just perspectives or are there actual traits and behaviors [5] that contribute to…
By: Elmarie Parker on March 18, 2022
Peter G. Northouse, professor emeritus of leadership, interpersonal, and organizational communication, wrote “Leadership: Theory and Practice” for students of leadership in the academy and an array of workplaces.[1] His book is classified under Social Sciences as a Sociology text focused on Leadership. But that classification seems too common to describe what Northouse seeks to accomplish…
By: Roy Gruber on March 17, 2022
I must admit: I hate country music. I dislike the sound and find the lyrics sappy and sad. I grew up on Led Zeppelin and Bruce Springsteen. However, I gained much respect for country icon Dolly Parton this last week. She received a nomination for induction into the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame and declined it.…
By: Michael Simmons on March 17, 2022
Peter Northouse’s book Leadership: Theory and Practice is what is says, a relatively deep dive into leadership theory and types, while offering real-world approaches and case studies to engage theory at a practical level. In his 7th edition, Northouse also offers assessments throughout his book for deeper reflection and self-awareness. He writes, “At its heart, leadership…
By: Troy Rappold on March 17, 2022
In Peter G. Northouse’s 1997 book, “Leadership: Theory and Practice,” a wide variety of leadership styles are analyzed for their merits. After each style is evaluated, a determination is made on which style is best in particular situations. Each chapter could stand alone, discussing a single leadership style and its best application. It is a…
By: Jonathan Lee on March 17, 2022
Leadership: Theory and Practice, 8th edition by Peter G. Northhouse presents many different leadership theories and models to offer leaders and organizations to practically apply different theoretical leadership models. Each chapter summarizes and discusses different leadership theories by presenting a “definition, a model, and the latest research and applications of emerging approach to leadership.”[1] In…
By: Andy Hale on March 17, 2022
Peter Northouse argues that leadership is intuitively challenging to define, like the words peace and love. After examining the myriad of ways it has been expressed over the centuries, he finally lands on: Leadership is the process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. [1] It’s evident from Northouse’s examination of leadership throughout history, its many forms…
By: Kayli Hillebrand on March 16, 2022
If you know me at all, you know I appreciate the practical applications. Peter Northouse’s Leadership: Theory & Practice has immediately become one of my new favorite books on leadership – one that I know I will be utilizing for years to come. Northouse, an academic with extensive experience in the field of communication, has…
By: Eric Basye on March 16, 2022
This past week I was conversing with an older mentor when he commented on the vacuum of leadership we have in our nation, and in particular, the state of Montana. It isn’t the first time I have heard this lament, and truth be told, I also have observed this lack of leadership across many sectors…
By: Mary Kamau on March 13, 2022
Dr Pragya Agarwal is a behavioral and data scientist and a freelance journalist, and has a PhD from the University of Nottingham. Agarwal shows us in her book, Sway: Unravelling Unconscious Bias that intrinsic or unconscious bias is learned and can therefore be unlearned.[1] According to her well researched and cogent book, unintentional or unconscious…
By: Jonathan Lee on March 11, 2022
Pragya Agarwal, the author of Sway, is a freelance writer, behavioral and data scientist, and the founder of a research think-tank, The 50 Percent Project. She focuses on women’s rights around the world, and she writes widely on the subjects of bias and prejudice, motherhood, gender, racial inequality, and mental health. This book, Sway, categorized…
By: Denise Johnson on March 11, 2022
The emotionally charged world in which we live today seems like it is primed for Pragya Agarwal’s book Sway: Unravelling unconscious bias. [1] Nearly every day there is some reference to racism, sexism, homophobia, or the discrimination of someone. The political rhetoric of the day is to point fingers and blame someone for another group’s…
By: Elmarie Parker on March 11, 2022
It seems our readings have had a theme the past couple of weeks—blind spots. Last week it was the challenge of recognizing the limitations of an economic system that has enveloped the world. This week it is the challenge of recognizing one’s own implicit or unconscious biases. Pragya Agarwal—British behavioral and data scientist, activist, and…
By: Henry Gwani on March 10, 2022
Bias refers to discrimination on the basis of race, gender, social-class, educational status, religion, theology, denomination, nationality, ethnic group, profession or other factors. The high incidence of bias today has resulted in a toxic environment characterized by racism, gender-apartheid, nepotism, tribalism, exclusion and a host of other undesirable behaviors. Bias is not only a reflection…
By: Roy Gruber on March 10, 2022
Over the last year, I helped with the chapel service for the local college football team. As I got to know one of the coaches who attends our church, he told me about his first seven months in the area. After playing in the NFL, he joined the coaching staff to work with the running…
By: Andy Hale on March 10, 2022
“Humans are not naturally rational. Information overload is exhausting and confusing, so we filter out the noise. We only see parts of the world. We tend to notice things that are repeating, whether there are any patterns or outliers, and we tend to preserve memory by generalizing and resorting to type,”[1] argued Dr. Agarwal, in her…
By: Troy Rappold on March 9, 2022
In her book, “Sway: Unravelling Unconscious Bias,” Pragya Agarwal, a behavioral scientist and freelance journalist, tries to show that we all have unintentional biases that effects how we perceive the world and therefore how we act and communicate. Her book was published in 2020 and contains twelve chapters in four sections. She states the purpose…
By: Eric Basye on March 9, 2022
A fascinating read! Named as one of the 100 most influential women in the UK nonprofit sector, Dr. Pragya Agarwal lives and works in the UK as a behavioral scientist, author, consultant, and speaker. In her book, Sway: Unravelling Unconscious Bias, Agarwal utilizes the field of social science to help readers understand how our unconscious…
By: Nicole Richardson on March 9, 2022
Pragya Agarwal brings her education and experience as a behavioral and data scientist to her deeply researched book, Sway: Unravelling Unconscious Bias. Agarwal deftly unpacks the science of how the brain is responsible for the inclinations of human biases, in particular those that are unconscious and take place through System 1 thinking.[1] She shares stories…
By: Kayli Hillebrand on March 9, 2022
Pragya Agarwal’s Sway provides a comprehensive understanding of the various biases we each have, how we utilize them in our interactions with others, and offers suggestions for how to combat those that result in negative outcomes for our self or others. Agarwal, a behavioral and data scientist, not only provides a research-based analysis of biases…
