The Message of Discipleship Looking at the Teaching of Paul Peter Essay Example

The Message of Discipleship: Looking at the Teaching of Paul Peter Essay Liberty University The Message of Discipleship: Looking at the Teaching of Paul amp; Peter A paper submitted to Dr. Clark In partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the course DSMN 500 Liberty Theological seminary By Sean Hadley Lynchburg, Virginia Saturday, November 6th, 2010 Jesus is inviting those who would eventually become His disciples to simply follow Him. It was very practical, decidedly nontheological†¦He already had begun His ministry of showing people hints of the new kingdom by healing, by casting out demons, by challenging the religious orders of the day to rethink and reprioritize, and by turning the social order upside down through His contacts with the poor, sick, demon possessed, and otherwise marginalized sections of the society. Then, having exemplified these different ways of living, He invites others to simply follow Him. Richard Dahlstrom, O2: Breathing New Life Into Faith 2008 In his book Leading, Teaching, and Making Disciples, Dr. Michael Mitchell examines the methodology behind forming a solid cirriculum and path of study to form Christian character in believers. He writes that â€Å"the sources of a message are found in tradition, observation, participation, and inspiration. † He goes on to explain the the manner in which a message is formed, similar to the molecule H2O, takes on multiple forms depending on what is necessary. We will write a custom essay sample on The Message of Discipleship: Looking at the Teaching of Paul Peter specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Message of Discipleship: Looking at the Teaching of Paul Peter specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Message of Discipleship: Looking at the Teaching of Paul Peter specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The message can be experienced in one of these basic forms: â€Å"1) the lesson’s subject matter, 2) the class environment, 3) the student’s life (experiences), and 4) the example of the teacher (model). † By examining the sources that a disciple-maker uses to prepare their lesson, and then by making an effort to choose the most adequate format to present the lesson in, the teacher creates the most conducive situation in which a person can hear the message of Christ and respond appropriately. While surveying twenty-four different churches and their successful discipleship programs, George Barna discovered that, â€Å"while each church we studied had its own way of communicating what ‘successful discipleship’ means, the nature of their descriptions were similar. † It is difficult in my mind to separate experience out from any of the sources mentioned by Mitchell. Tradition, observation, participation, and inspiration all rely on personal experience in order for the information gained to become a genuine message. â€Å"Experience is the only way we can interpret and relate to what we have read. We read a book on tragedy when we have walked through the valley of the shadow ourselves. Experience that has been understood and reflected upon informs and enlightens our study. † This of course, feeds into Mitchell’s third message form: life experience. While this is certainly not the only format to present truth, it is paramount to grasp the impact of experience on not only our own lives, but on the lives of those we teach. Mitchell outlines this in chapter 9 of his book, but it is significant enough to bear repeating. Undoubtedly, the best example of teaching from the four sources, and utilizing the four forms as well, is the teachings of Jesus. Jesus’ teaching does not lay out safe generalizations by which we can engineer a happy life. Instead, it is designed to startle us out of our prejudices and direct us into a new way of thinking and acting. It’s designed to open us up to experience the reign of God right where we are, initiating an unpredictable process of personal growth in vivid fellowship with him. Think of the Beatittudes. Jesus was not only a living example of what this meant (and He equally lived out the rest of the Sermon on Mount as well), but He related the information in such a way that it could be grasped. Much of the confusion of those who heard His message, including his own disciples, lies in the factor that they did not comprehend: the Cross. As Paul puts this in I Corinthians 1:22-23, â€Å"For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness. The context of Jesus’ message was vital to understanding His mission. Significantly enough, the context was not hidden from the Jews or the Gentiles (Isaiah 53 stands as evidence of that, as well as numerous Psalms), yet because the minds of those listening were so accustomed to what they thought should be, that they missed what Jesus was telling them would be. It is participation in Christ’s suffering, the â€Å"follow me† of His message , that must be heeded in the life of every disciple. Bearing this in mind, I believe the most important source of the message of discipleship is participation. Tradition did not avail the disciples, because their living traditions conflicted with the Scriptural ones that pointed to Jesus’ fulfillment of Scriptures, and observation only produced depression in their lives, as they sulked away from Jesus’ crucifixion (it is harder to explain why participation is more important than inspiration, cheifly because I think inspiration plays a serious role in each of the sources). Paul writes, I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. And again, For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed†¦ Clearly, Christ’s actions, His participation in our lives and the lives of all the Saints, produced a staggering effect that Paul felt it necessary to communicate. Something about the power of God speaks in a way that words simply cannot. Although, it is clear that Paul taught using words, and that aspect of his ministry (as well as our own) should not be diminished, Paul implies in these verses that his actions spoke loudest, and Christ’s even more so. Paul is not the only New Testament author to tune into the source of participation though. John’s epistles, though circular at times, attest to Jesus’ command that loving one another is not a part of Christian living, but is Christian living. Turing to the letters of Peter, the role of participation in the life of a disciple, and the message of their teacher, is brought up again. â€Å"For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. † But what does Peter mean by this? A few verses earlier, he describes in detail the activity of a Christian’s life, as gifted by God Himself. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. As N. T. Wright pens concerning these verses, â€Å"All these characteristics lead to one another, of course. The point is not to spend some years acquiring the first, and then move on to the second, and so on; they work together. † Peter is also implying here, just as Paul did above, that it is the how of Christian living that presents such a compelling Gospel. How Jesus lived, as well as how Paul and Peter lived, proved to be crucial parts of their arsenal in teaching people the Truth of Jesus Christ. Many could argue against the message (remember I Corinithians 1:22-23), but arguing against the power of that message as seen in the manner in which Paul and Peter lived their lives (and how they encouraged other Christians to live as well) was difficult to argue against. Bearing all of this mind, we must ask oursleves, what form is best suited for a message of discipleship, which finds its most valid source of information through the participation in that message of the teacher? Based on Mitchell’s writing, the teacher model would certainly be the best. As a â€Å"representation of reality,† relying the modeling aspect allows room for instruction and particpation, which is of course the same manner in which Jesus taught as illustrated earlier. A cirriculum based on this would be best suited for young adults (typical youth groups being included in this), and in a semi-formal setting. Obviously, this message can be gleaned elsewhere, but this particular environment seems the most fitting. With that in mind, figuring out the resources and skills needed to impart this message of discipleship, and how to arrange them into something coherent, will vary as the groups and relationships change. However, as with Barna’s examination of the twenty-four successful churches, the basic message will always remain the same, stem from the same passages of Scripture, and have the same outward appearance. Peter’s description of the power of God in a Christian’s life is not only the material, but is also the very essence of the message. It is as good a place to start as any. Bibliography Barna, George. Growing True Disciples: New Strategies for Producing Genuine Followers of Christ. Colorado Springs, Colorado: WaterBrook Press, 2001. Dahlstrom, Richard. O2: Breathing New Life into Faith. Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 2008. Foster, Richard J. Celebration of Discipline: the Path to Spiritual Growth. 3rd. New York: HarperOne, 1998. Mitchell, Dr. Michael R. Leading, Teaching, and Making Disciples: World-Class Education in the Church, School, and Home. Bloomington, Indiana: CrossBooks Publishers, 2010. Willard, Dallas. The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives. New York: HarperOne, 1988. Wright, N. T. After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters. New York: HarperOne, 2010. [ 1 ]. pp. 281 [ 2 ]. Pp. 286 [ 3 ]. Growing True Disciples: New Strategies for Producing Genuine Followers of Christ 2001, p. 110 [ 4 ]. Foster, Celebration of Discipline: the Path to Spiritual Growth 1998, p. 68 [ 5 ]. Leading, Teaching, and Making Disciples: World-Class Education in the Church, School, and Home 2010, p. 286 [ 6 ]. Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Chanes Lives 1988, p. 205 [ 7 ]. Matthew 10:38 (NASB) [ 8 ]. I Corinthians 2:3-5 (NASB) [ 9 ]. Romans 15:18 (NASB) [ 10 ]. II Peter 1:16 [ 11 ]. II Peter 1:5-8 [ 12 ]. After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters 2010, p. 179 [ 13 ]. Leading, Teaching, and Making Disciples: World-Class Education in the Church, School, and Home 2010, p. 287 The Message of Discipleship Looking at the Teaching of Paul Peter Essay Example The Message of Discipleship: Looking at the Teaching of Paul Peter Essay Liberty University The Message of Discipleship: Looking at the Teaching of Paul amp; Peter A paper submitted to Dr. Clark In partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the course DSMN 500 Liberty Theological seminary By Sean Hadley Lynchburg, Virginia Saturday, November 6th, 2010 Jesus is inviting those who would eventually become His disciples to simply follow Him. It was very practical, decidedly nontheological†¦He already had begun His ministry of showing people hints of the new kingdom by healing, by casting out demons, by challenging the religious orders of the day to rethink and reprioritize, and by turning the social order upside down through His contacts with the poor, sick, demon possessed, and otherwise marginalized sections of the society. Then, having exemplified these different ways of living, He invites others to simply follow Him. Richard Dahlstrom, O2: Breathing New Life Into Faith 2008 In his book Leading, Teaching, and Making Disciples, Dr. Michael Mitchell examines the methodology behind forming a solid cirriculum and path of study to form Christian character in believers. He writes that â€Å"the sources of a message are found in tradition, observation, participation, and inspiration. † He goes on to explain the the manner in which a message is formed, similar to the molecule H2O, takes on multiple forms depending on what is necessary. We will write a custom essay sample on The Message of Discipleship: Looking at the Teaching of Paul Peter specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Message of Discipleship: Looking at the Teaching of Paul Peter specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Message of Discipleship: Looking at the Teaching of Paul Peter specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The message can be experienced in one of these basic forms: â€Å"1) the lesson’s subject matter, 2) the class environment, 3) the student’s life (experiences), and 4) the example of the teacher (model). † By examining the sources that a disciple-maker uses to prepare their lesson, and then by making an effort to choose the most adequate format to present the lesson in, the teacher creates the most conducive situation in which a person can hear the message of Christ and respond appropriately. While surveying twenty-four different churches and their successful discipleship programs, George Barna discovered that, â€Å"while each church we studied had its own way of communicating what ‘successful discipleship’ means, the nature of their descriptions were similar. † It is difficult in my mind to separate experience out from any of the sources mentioned by Mitchell. Tradition, observation, participation, and inspiration all rely on personal experience in order for the information gained to become a genuine message. â€Å"Experience is the only way we can interpret and relate to what we have read. We read a book on tragedy when we have walked through the valley of the shadow ourselves. Experience that has been understood and reflected upon informs and enlightens our study. † This of course, feeds into Mitchell’s third message form: life experience. While this is certainly not the only format to present truth, it is paramount to grasp the impact of experience on not only our own lives, but on the lives of those we teach. Mitchell outlines this in chapter 9 of his book, but it is significant enough to bear repeating. Undoubtedly, the best example of teaching from the four sources, and utilizing the four forms as well, is the teachings of Jesus. Jesus’ teaching does not lay out safe generalizations by which we can engineer a happy life. Instead, it is designed to startle us out of our prejudices and direct us into a new way of thinking and acting. It’s designed to open us up to experience the reign of God right where we are, initiating an unpredictable process of personal growth in vivid fellowship with him. Think of the Beatittudes. Jesus was not only a living example of what this meant (and He equally lived out the rest of the Sermon on Mount as well), but He related the information in such a way that it could be grasped. Much of the confusion of those who heard His message, including his own disciples, lies in the factor that they did not comprehend: the Cross. As Paul puts this in I Corinthians 1:22-23, â€Å"For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness. The context of Jesus’ message was vital to understanding His mission. Significantly enough, the context was not hidden from the Jews or the Gentiles (Isaiah 53 stands as evidence of that, as well as numerous Psalms), yet because the minds of those listening were so accustomed to what they thought should be, that they missed what Jesus was telling them would be. It is participation in Christ’s suffering, the â€Å"follow me† of His message , that must be heeded in the life of every disciple. Bearing this in mind, I believe the most important source of the message of discipleship is participation. Tradition did not avail the disciples, because their living traditions conflicted with the Scriptural ones that pointed to Jesus’ fulfillment of Scriptures, and observation only produced depression in their lives, as they sulked away from Jesus’ crucifixion (it is harder to explain why participation is more important than inspiration, cheifly because I think inspiration plays a serious role in each of the sources). Paul writes, I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. And again, For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed†¦ Clearly, Christ’s actions, His participation in our lives and the lives of all the Saints, produced a staggering effect that Paul felt it necessary to communicate. Something about the power of God speaks in a way that words simply cannot. Although, it is clear that Paul taught using words, and that aspect of his ministry (as well as our own) should not be diminished, Paul implies in these verses that his actions spoke loudest, and Christ’s even more so. Paul is not the only New Testament author to tune into the source of participation though. John’s epistles, though circular at times, attest to Jesus’ command that loving one another is not a part of Christian living, but is Christian living. Turing to the letters of Peter, the role of participation in the life of a disciple, and the message of their teacher, is brought up again. â€Å"For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. † But what does Peter mean by this? A few verses earlier, he describes in detail the activity of a Christian’s life, as gifted by God Himself. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. As N. T. Wright pens concerning these verses, â€Å"All these characteristics lead to one another, of course. The point is not to spend some years acquiring the first, and then move on to the second, and so on; they work together. † Peter is also implying here, just as Paul did above, that it is the how of Christian living that presents such a compelling Gospel. How Jesus lived, as well as how Paul and Peter lived, proved to be crucial parts of their arsenal in teaching people the Truth of Jesus Christ. Many could argue against the message (remember I Corinithians 1:22-23), but arguing against the power of that message as seen in the manner in which Paul and Peter lived their lives (and how they encouraged other Christians to live as well) was difficult to argue against. Bearing all of this mind, we must ask oursleves, what form is best suited for a message of discipleship, which finds its most valid source of information through the participation in that message of the teacher? Based on Mitchell’s writing, the teacher model would certainly be the best. As a â€Å"representation of reality,† relying the modeling aspect allows room for instruction and particpation, which is of course the same manner in which Jesus taught as illustrated earlier. A cirriculum based on this would be best suited for young adults (typical youth groups being included in this), and in a semi-formal setting. Obviously, this message can be gleaned elsewhere, but this particular environment seems the most fitting. With that in mind, figuring out the resources and skills needed to impart this message of discipleship, and how to arrange them into something coherent, will vary as the groups and relationships change. However, as with Barna’s examination of the twenty-four successful churches, the basic message will always remain the same, stem from the same passages of Scripture, and have the same outward appearance. Peter’s description of the power of God in a Christian’s life is not only the material, but is also the very essence of the message. It is as good a place to start as any. Bibliography Barna, George. Growing True Disciples: New Strategies for Producing Genuine Followers of Christ. Colorado Springs, Colorado: WaterBrook Press, 2001. Dahlstrom, Richard. O2: Breathing New Life into Faith. Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 2008. Foster, Richard J. Celebration of Discipline: the Path to Spiritual Growth. 3rd. New York: HarperOne, 1998. Mitchell, Dr. Michael R. Leading, Teaching, and Making Disciples: World-Class Education in the Church, School, and Home. Bloomington, Indiana: CrossBooks Publishers, 2010. Willard, Dallas. The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives. New York: HarperOne, 1988. Wright, N. T. After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters. New York: HarperOne, 2010. [ 1 ]. pp. 281 [ 2 ]. Pp. 286 [ 3 ]. Growing True Disciples: New Strategies for Producing Genuine Followers of Christ 2001, p. 110 [ 4 ]. Foster, Celebration of Discipline: the Path to Spiritual Growth 1998, p. 68 [ 5 ]. Leading, Teaching, and Making Disciples: World-Class Education in the Church, School, and Home 2010, p. 286 [ 6 ]. Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Chanes Lives 1988, p. 205 [ 7 ]. Matthew 10:38 (NASB) [ 8 ]. I Corinthians 2:3-5 (NASB) [ 9 ]. Romans 15:18 (NASB) [ 10 ]. II Peter 1:16 [ 11 ]. II Peter 1:5-8 [ 12 ]. After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters 2010, p. 179 [ 13 ]. Leading, Teaching, and Making Disciples: World-Class Education in the Church, School, and Home 2010, p. 287

The Largest Countries by Population in 2100

The Largest Countries by Population in 2100 In 2017, the United Nations Population Division released its World Population Prospects: The 2017 Revision, a set of population projections out to the year 2100 for the planet Earth and for individual countries. The United Nations expects the global population- 7.6 billion as of 2017- to reach 11.2 billion by the year 2100. The report placed current population growth at 83 million people per year. Key Takeaways: The Most Populous Countries in 2100 The U.N. expects the current global population of 7.6 billion to reach 11.2 billion in 2100. Most population growth is expected to take place in a small group of countries, including India, Nigeria, the United States, and Tanzania. In many other parts of the globe, fertility rates are declining, and populations are expected to see little or negative growth. Migration- driven by the effects of climate change and other challenges- is expected to play a larger role in demographic changes over the next century. The United Nations looked at population growth both globally and at the country level. Of the 10 largest countries, Nigeria is growing the fastest and is expected to have a population of nearly 800 million by 2100, making it even larger than the United States. By 2100, the U.N. predicts that only India and China will be larger than Nigeria. The Most Populous Countries in 2100 Current population growth varies wildly from country to country, and the list of the most populous nations in the world is expected to look much different by the turn of the next century. Ranking Country 2100 Population Current Population (2018) 1 India 1,516,597,380 1,354,051,854 2 China 1,020,665,216 1,415,045,928 3 Nigeria 793,942,316 195,875,237 4 United States 447,483,156 326,766,748 5 Democratic Republic of the Congo 378,975,244 84,004,989 6 Pakistan 351,942,931 200,813,818 7 Indonesia 306,025,532 266,794,980 8 Tanzania 303,831,815 59,091,392 9 Ethiopia 249,529,919 107,534,882 10 Uganda 213,758,214 44,270,563 These U.N. projections are based on national censuses and survey data from around the world. They were compiled by the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat. The full data is available for download in a customized Excel spreadsheet. Compared to current population estimates and 2050 population projections, note the high number of African countries on this list (five out of the top 10).  While  population growth rates are expected to decline in most countries in the world, African countries by 2100 may not experience much reduction in population growth at all. Even some countries whose growth rates are expected to decline will still become much larger, as their growth rates are already relatively high. Most notably, Nigeria is expected to become the third most populous country in the world, a spot long held by the United States of America. Of the five most populous nations in 2100, five are expected to be African countries. About half of the worlds population growth over the next 30 years is expected to take place in only nine countries: India, Nigeria, the Congo, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Tanzania, the United States, Uganda, and Indonesia. Reasons for Population Growth In developed nations around the world- including England, France, and Japan- fertility rates are declining, reducing overall population growth. However, some of the decline in growth is being mitigated by longer life expectancies, which have risen to 69 years for men and 73 years for women. The global increase in life expectancies is due to multiple factors, including a reduction in child mortality rates and improved treatment for HIV/AIDS and other diseases. In most developed nations, populations are expected to see minimal or negative growth over the next century. Diminished fertility rates will result in aging populations, with people over the age of 60 making up about 35 percent of Europes population (they currently make up only 25 percent). Meanwhile, the number of people over the age of 80 is expected to increase as well. By 2100, the U.N. predicts there will be about 900 million people in this age cohort around the globe, nearly seven times as many as there are now. Another reason for shifting populations, the U.N. notes, is migration, and the Syrian refugee crisis, in particular, is expected to substantially increase the populations of Syrias neighbors, including Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon. Migration is also expected to take place in other parts of the globe, much of it driven by the effects of climate change. As rising temperatures disrupt ecosystems and increase food insecurity, more and more populations will be displaced, causing demographic changes in affected areas. A 2018 report by the World Bank found that worsening climate change could cause more than 140 million people to become climate migrants by 2050.

IT Systems Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

IT Systems - Assignment Example n back fire in the manner of damages in from of breach of privacy, leaking of important data, bugs in the system, downtime of software and network and various other factors that have a direct impact on the life of project and organization(Laudon & Laudon, 2011). One prime reason of being so fragile is nature is its characteristic attribute of directly in touch with outside forces and entities. Since it is a established fact that large number of malicious forces and programs exist that are direct threat towards the information systems, therefore they serve as the front line threats towards it safe working and existence . Another down side of information systems is its rapid paced transition and introduction of new trends in the arena. Since innovation and up gradation are bound to occur in information systems, this also serves as the vulnerability. Having identified the vulnerabilities that might arise in the information system atmosphere, there is a need for creating an effective protection and security layer, along with assigning responsibilities to the top management for ensuring the implementation of information system and its principles in its true spirit(Gibson, 2010)

Leadership in corporate strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership in corporate strategy - Essay Example But the modern concept of leadership has experienced sea change. The present standards of the industry focus on the fact that the strategy should come from within the organisation. There are certain limitations of the strategies getting out - sourced. Firstly, it limits the issues upon which such strategies are based and secondly, the out - sourced strategies are also limited by timeframe. Most importantly, the management of the organisation might not have any clue upon which the external consultants would have prepared the strategy. The companies of the present day are growing organically and so it is more than a requirement that the organisations have both the internal and the external factors analysed in the strategy. It is the own management and the leadership of any company that has the best idea about the vision and mission of the organisation. The other important factor is that the strategies and the leadership should be dynamic as the environments are changing every now and then. The leadership of the organisations should aptly understand the scope and the future trends. And for the purpose, the process of strategy formulation should be a continuous and never ending for the organisations. It is the Chief Executive Officer who is the head of the strategy formulation of any organisation assisted by other key members and the job should not ideally be outsourced as it is only the management of the organisation that can have the right knowledge about the vision, mission and the objectives of the company. Also , the internal rank holders have fair idea about the organisational politics and abilities which often becomes important differentiators. It can be well analysed from the case study that increasing emphasis are laid upon the real objectives of the businesses as the author puts stress upon the fact of identification of vision of the organisation. The strategy formulation and implementation is a thorough and continuous process and should

The Evolution of Federalism Essay Example for Free

The Evolution of Federalism Essay Federalism is the current type of government used in the United States. In this system of government, there is distribution of power between central authority or the national government and the local political units. The framers of the United States Constitution decided that a federalist government would work best for the country because it can lead to a stronger and unified government thereby giving focus to the needs of each state and the country as a whole. Every type of government is unique in its own way and each has its own pros and cons. The evolution of a federal type of government has both positive and negative effects. Aside from unifying the government, the local government’s independence results in efficiency due to fast decision-making. The federal system provides convenience to the citizens because they can compare the structure in different states thereby giving them the ultimate decision where they want to live in. A federalist government has a greater chance for progress because their system allows them to strategize and formulate different approaches in their economic and political framework. The existence of a federal government avoids and reduces the risk of authoritarianism (Walker, 2001). There are also several disadvantages of the federal government such as the incoherence or overlapping of several policies among different states and the tendency for unhealthy competition among states due to the difference of governance. For its continued existence, the government needs to formulate a system regardless of the form. No type of government guarantees the success of a nation. At present, different structures of government are being used all throughout the world and by far, the only key to a progressive and successful society lies not in the government itself but the people behind it. References Walker, G. (2001). Ten advantages of a federal constitution. On Line Opinion. Retrieved April 20, 2009 from http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=1265page=3

Integrating Texts and Graphics into Your Writing :: Writing Education Essays

Integrating Texts and Graphics into Your Writing My advice for students about integrating texts and graphics would be to figure out how to combine them most appropriately for what you want to convey, whether it be an informational article or a creative story. In most cases, especially in technical writing, the main purpose of graphics is to explain something faster or organize the information better. Last spring in technical writing, we focused a lot on how to use our graphics in our final proposal to add to the written information, not take away from it. We used charts for comparison of statistics and diagrams to show how something is assembled. Something else to keep in mind is that graphics do not just mean photos. Graphics are everything from a plain border around a page to a colorful subheading or even a callout box to draw special attention to a quote. These things can make a document more aesthetically appealing and keep the reader’s attention. When a reader sees a full page of text and nothing else, it can be quite o verwhelming if there is nothing to break up the information. Subheadings are a great way to divide sections of text for easy reading. I don’t think a picture should be put into a document for no reason as that would take away from what the writer wants to say. If the picture is not related to anything but is just there to be cute, then don’t use it at all. For instance, I would not put a flowery border around this document right now because that would be completely irrelevant, although quite lovely I’m sure. Having said that, understand that technical writing is different from creative writing. If you are writing a poem or story and pictures could really add something significant to it, then it is wonderful to use appropriate graphics to do that. As McCloud states in â€Å"Show and Tell,† â€Å"the different ways in which words and pictures can combine is virtually unlimited.† It is good to be creative, but also remember the purpose of your graphics and the flow and readability of your pages. If it is too crowded or busy, the reader may give up trying to figure out what you want to focus on. McCloud lays out at least a dozen ways that pictures can accompany words to more completely present an idea or story.

Exemplary Leader Philosophy Paper Essay

I never aspired to be an ethical leader before this class. It is not that I acted unethically, but that I never understood the importance of being an ethical leader. As a child, I was constantly changing my mind about what I was going to be when I grew up, but never once did â€Å"ethical† cross my mind. It seems as though this is a common theme among human beings, that we see success through the masculine lens of materialism and consumerism. Being able to acquire the newest, biggest, most innovative thing is what motivates us from a very young age. This is not something to be necessarily ashamed about, because at one point or another, everyone acts out of self-interest and solely for self-advancement. The thing that has to change, however, is the amount of fully-grown adults who still act out of self interest, and more specifically, adults in leadership roles, managing corporations, institutions, cities, states, and countries, that pull their team in the right direction for themselves, and not necessarily for the organization. This class has taught me who I am, both as an individual and as a part of a cohesive team, who I can be, thanks to the concepts and thought-provoking readings and lectures, and how I can get there by utilizing these concepts and strategies. Throughout the course of this semester, I have been able to continue producing the same amount of success as I have in the past, but I have been able to do it the â€Å"right† way. By identifying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to those opportunities of my personality and character, I have been able to identify my true self. This identification process is the first step toward becoming an ethical and moral example for peers, subordinates, and even superiors, both in a professional sense and in a personal sense. â€Å"History shows that where ethics and economics come in conflict, victory is always with economics. Vested interests have never been known to have willingly divested themselves unless there was sufficient force to compel them.† – B. R. Ambedkar This quote, spoken by Indian scholar B. R. Ambedkar, shows the belief in the common phrase, â€Å"business ethics is an oxymoron.† It is this mentality that began the self-fulfilling prophecy that business leaders use as an excuse for unethical behavior. The â€Å"slippery slope† of ethical breakdowns, as Badaracco calls it, begins with a mentality that justifies the diversion of ethics and economics. Throughout the rest of this exploration of the current self, the prospective self, and the presentation of a development plan, I will disprove this mentality. Current Self In order to effectively assess one’s ethical and moral fortitude, one must objectively identify his strengths and weaknesses relative to being an exemplary ethical leader. Furthermore, one must then address each individual aspect of his personality, including character traits, values, and integrity through relative ethical concepts and principles. By executing this process, one can truly learn about oneself and identify the necessary steps to becoming the possible self, or leader he wants to become. The process of identifying your own strengths and weaknesses can be difficult, especially in terms of being completely unbiased and objective. The key to successfully doing this is in relying on factual evidence that supports each strength and weakness. To be considered either, however, there must be a certain consistency in terms of actions as well as intent, which proves the validity of each strength or weakness. During my self-exploration, I thought back to some of my first memories in order to serve as a foundation for my moral potency and character, and to see how my experiences have shaped my personality, both positively and negatively. This process has given me perspective and helped me attain the knowledge necessary to complete an objective report of my own personality, values, skills, characteristics, and motivations. Without this process, I would have been subject to a common decision making fallacy that was taught in my organizational behavior class, known as the tendency to use information at hand, which describes a person’s inclination to make a decision based on readily-available information, rather than fact-based evidence. In this case, the â€Å"readily-available information† would be anecdotes and experiences that â€Å"stick out† in my memory. These examples are not necessarily wrong to use, but basing my process on them wholly would provide data inconsistent with my true personality. Since I can remember, I have always been a fierce competitor. This is shown through my spirited drive to achieve that has permeated my entire life, from academics, to extracurricular activities, to athletics. This competitiveness has both positive and negative effects on my leadership abilities, because I am driven and motivated to achieve goals, but can prove dangerous in team situations where group consensus is necessary. The competitive nature that is ingrained in my personality can lead to a concept called â€Å"me-ism†, described by Badaracco in chapter 4, which explains the phenomenon of being so goal-oriented that you lose sight of the effects that your actions have on other people. This concept can also relate to Badaracco’s inattentional blindness and motivated blindness, which describe occurrences in which one’s personal goals or lack of careful observation override that person’s ability to sense an ethical dilemma. My competitive nature has led to many successes in my life, including winning the New York under-18 state hockey championship, becoming the first non-senior to be an alternate captain on the Wake Forest club ice hockey team, and of course being accepted into this business school. These examples are all evidence of my competitive nature, and describe my desire to lead and win simultaneously. The concept of the future is tremendously fascinating to me. In another BEM class that I took this semester, we did a personality assessment that included over one hundred twenty questions and returned your five biggest personality strengths, and â€Å"futurism† was one of mine. I truly enjoy thinking about the future because of its uncertainty. I feel so much potential and possibility for myself, which is strengthened by my competitiveness. My ability to constantly think about the future while still keeping my â€Å"feet on the ground† and completing my assignments in the present is one of my most powerful strengths. My futurism keeps me on track toward achieving my personal and organizational goals. Becoming a transformational leader begins with the futurist outlook combined with a strong moral potency, which is the combination of three moral factors: moral ownership, moral courage, and moral efficacy. Moral potency, when combined with futurism, provides a leader with a strong moral and ethical foundation on which to base decisions, as well as the ability to envision the potential of a given organization. By acting in this way, a leader can start a chain reaction called the contagion effect, which is the phenomenon that occurs by promoting a transparent, ethical, and fair environment, starting from the C-level executives and â€Å"infecting† every employee underneath. The aforementioned strengths of mine, a strong competitive nature and a futuristic outlook provide me with an ethically-ambiguous foundation, meaning that both highly ethical and highly unethical leaders sport these qualities, and the actions that I make within the next few years will decide on which end of the spectrum I fall. In order for me to ensure that I do not start down the slippery slope of unethical decisions, I must be conscious of the fact that each decision I make has ethical implications, and I also must be weary of my weaknesses that could lead me down the wrong path. Acknowledging one’s weaknesses is critical to the process of defining your current self. As the saying goes, â€Å"nobody’s perfect,† and the only way to minimize the mistakes you make throughout your life is to accept the fact that you do have weaknesses, and to analyze what they are, why you have them, how you act on them, and how to correct them. My competitive drive has led me to have a strong desire to please authority figures, which is a major weakness of my personality, not in the sense that it is bad to desire recognition and achievement, but it frequently leads to Machiavellian, â€Å"ends justify the means† justifications of morally questionable actions. One of Badaracco’s ethical breakdowns, which he discusses in chapter five, the overvaluation of outcomes, directly relates to this personality trait. Two years ago I interned for a brokerage firm on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, and my boss was a task-oriented, results-driven leader, a common type in the financial sector. He demanded that the team of four interns provide a daily projection of trade volume based on an algorithm and spreadsheets dating back to the early 1990’s. After being reprimanded by our boss for presenting him with unfavorable figures, we began to slightly alter the bottom line to get his approval. In this situation, we made a major ethical mistake by overvaluing the results. With the knowledge I have gained from this class, I would have analyzed the decision to alter the numbers using the categorical imperative, and in this situation, especially in the financial sector, it would be a very bad thing if my actions became universal norms. Fortunately, the trade projections were strictly internal, and I found out later in the internship that my boss would assign this project to new interns as a way of â€Å"breaking them in† and showing them the harshness of the business world. This desire to please has affected my leadership skills mostly within the context of leading peers, because, when combined with my competitive nature, I realize that there are few things that I will not consider doing to get ahead, which will ostracize me from my peers and create a divide within the group, decreasing my ability to influence others around me. Another weakness of mine is my tendency to overuse legitimate power when it is given to me. Legitimate power, which is defined as power bestowed upon someone over others, can come as a promotion, as it did in my case, when I was voted captain of my varsity hockey team in high school. This promotion gave me nominal power over my teammates off of the rink, but it was enough to leverage and coerce them to follow my orders. Trevino and Nelson outline the psychology I used to justify this behavior in chapter five, in their discussion of informal organizational cultural systems. The norms usually override formal rules, according to Trevino and Nelson. â€Å"†¦Despite formal rules, regulations, codes, and credos, informal norms are frequently the most influential behavior guides and clues to the culture†. The rationalization that â€Å"it’s the way we do things around here† was understood by my teammates, because the captain before me was the same way. It is this lack of moral potency to realize the unethical behavior and act on my personal values that makes this a weakness of mine. In the heat of the moment, it is hard to stop yourself and think about ethical philosophy, but necessary to promote the organizational culture that is conducive and necessary to running a hockey team. This self-exploration has provided me with a sound basis to analyze myself and prepare to make the jump into the business world with a strong moral compass and the ability to create a working plan to become the exemplary leader that I wish to be. However, first I must decide and articulate exactly what kind of leader that is. Possible Self The second step in becoming an exemplary ethical leader is to identify your possible self, that is, the leader that you wish to become at some point in the future. This can be done in a multi-step process, first by identifying exemplary leaders that serve as role models or mentors to you, and then by analyzing their leadership qualities and determining which of those you wish to attain. It is undeniable that every ethical leader chooses to lead with character and integrity, two of the most important characteristics necessary to manage an organization, but just how do you define character? According to Professor Sean Hannah, character is defined by three aspects: moral discipline, moral attachment or attainment, and moral autonomy. The combination of these facets provides a solid basis for the quantification of leadership characteristics. Moral discipline outlines the ability to act in alignment with your personal values, while moral attachment or attainment refers to one’s ability to hold true to your values over time, and moral autonomy is the ability to formulate moral decisions based on your values and decision-making skills, without the influence of outside factors. Both character and integrity play instrumental roles in the development of ethical leaders, as well as in their ability to become role models for lower-level employees. My most recent role model for ethical leadership is Dean Reinemund, because he has been extremely successful as a leader in two vastly different industries, which shows that he has the skills necessary to lead, regardless of the situational context. During his guest lecture in our class, Dean Reinemund spoke about his â€Å"Four C’s of Leadership.† I believe that these four characteristics are immensely important to become a transformational leader with a vision that inspires employees to work at the highest level possible. The first â€Å"C† is character, which Mr. Reinemund describes as having your internal compass point to â€Å"true north†. Having the character to act in correlation with personal and organizational values in the face of adversity is an extremely admirable quality, and is something that I wish to have in my possible self. Mr. Reinemund’s third â€Å"C† is the one that resonated with me the most, particularly because it is the only aspect of his leadership philosophy that cannot be readily learned. Commitment, Reinemund says, is the passionate, internal drive to succeed, and it is something that is ingrained in your personality. Although you can motivate yourself through other, extrinsic means, the â€Å"warrior’s ambition† that Mr. Reinemund describes is a burning internal passion for the work that is being done. This is another facet of an exemplary leader that cannot be left out. Badaracco writes about Aristotle’s â€Å"Golden Mean† in terms of leadership by describing the balance between having a high concern for oneself and having a high concern for others. By attaining this equilibrium, leaders can act ethically and morally to provide the greatest good for the greatest number of people. This philosophy also relates to Badaracco’s four spheres of commitments that leaders have to navigate during each and every decision they make. Managing the four spheres is an integral part of being an exemplary leader and must be included in my definition of an exemplary leader. The last piece of leadership that I would like to emulate as an exemplary leader is the characteristics of a quiet leader. Modesty, self-restraint, patience, and careful, incremental moves can right, or even prevent, moral wrongdoings without blowing the issue out of proportion. The public displays of heroism, as coined by Badaracco, depicted in movies and television are usually extremely unnecessary and their emotionalism and lack of careful planning undercuts their credibility, while simultaneously decreasing the amount of empathy received from the listener. Being a quiet leader means doing the right thing, especially when nobody is looking, and that is why I admire such a quality and desire to be the quiet leader who allows his exemplary actions speak for him. Action Plan The third and final step to becoming an exemplary ethical leader is to formulate and execute an actionable leadership development plan, which outlines the steps necessary to transform the current self into the desired possible self. By identifying my strengths and weaknesses, and then identifying the ideal leader that I want to become, I can precisely calculate the discrepancy between the two, and what specific steps I need to take in order to become the exemplary leader I want to be. By using course concepts and relating them to my current self, I have come up with the following steps for my action plan: 1. Do not underestimate the weight of any one decision, no matter how seemingly insignificant it may be 2. Follow Badaracco’s steps to becoming a quiet leader 3. Apply Trevino & Nelson’s 8 steps to recognized ethical dilemmas 4. Read and reflect on the characteristics of an Authentic Leader every day 5. Establish a strong support group to help assist my decision making and provide comprehensive unbiased feedback These five steps, if followed correctly, will create the optimal environment to foster my development as an exemplary leader. My action plan is conducive to the type of leader that I want to be, because it focuses on further improving my strengths, and transforming my weaknesses into strengths by utilizing concepts and strategies learned in class. The first step is the most important one, because due to my competitive nature, I have a tendency to rush decisions in order to complete tasks more efficiently, but in the long run, especially in the professional world, I must be able to recognize the ethicality of each decision I make. By analyzing every decision I make from now on, whether it is my choice of shampoo or a multi-million dollar contract, I will be able to acknowledge the ethical repercussions of each alternative. My second step is to follow Badaracco’s steps to becoming a quiet leader, particularly the second rule, which says to â€Å"pick your battles†, and outlines the concept of political capital. Leadership is not defined by how many times you â€Å"blow the whistle†, but how much of an impact you had when you did decide to take a stand. Consequentially, I must make ethical decisions like Machiavelli’s fox rather than the lion. By building political capital and using it wisely, the respect that colleagues, superiors, and employees show you will increase, and therefore your ability to influence them will also increase, which will allow you to lead with confidence. Trevino & Nelson’s 8-Steps to ethical decision making are extremely important, because they provide a framework for which to analyze and come to a conclusion about any decision. The â€Å"action† piece of this step is simple: I have handwritten the steps on a small piece of paper and put it in my wallet, so that I can refer to it in any situation. By slowing down and analyzing each choice I make in terms of these 8 steps, I’ll be able to consistently make the best decision possible, which will instill confidence in my peers as well as show potential to my superiors. On the reverse side of my wallet-sized 8 steps, I have written the characteristics of an Authentic Leader, because I believe that simply being a quiet leader is not sufficient. Being a quiet leader is a great way to get things done, but in the long term may result with my leadership becoming â€Å"silent† leadership, wherein my peers and employees cannot easily see how I analyze ethical dilemmas and may start to infer that I rely on bottom-line statistics only. This is where the slippery slope begins, and my fourth step will counteract the possibility of being perceived as ethically neutral. My final step is to create a support group of people from different parts of my life, including peers such as friends and classmates, superiors (teachers and coaches), and subordinates such as the younger players on my hockey team. By establishing this group, I will be able to ask them to give me feedback on my projected personality. The first four steps of my action plan are important to my development as a leader, however they will be meaningless if what people perceive about me is different than what I want. Moreover, a support group will help me integrate my different lives, as Dean Reinemund spoke about in his lecture, by teaching me that in order to be perceived as an exemplary leader, I must have complete alignment between my espoused personal values and my in-use values in every aspect of my life. Solely having an action plan, however, will not give me the results I desire, which is why I must set both short and long term goals for myself in my journey to becoming an ethical leader. Short-term goals are imperative to maintaining my improvement in leadership skills, because without consistent feedback, it is impossible to gauge one’s progress. The support group I establish will provide me with that feedback. Specifically, I will create a point-based survey and ask each person in my support group to complete it. By doing this, I will have quantitative results at the end of each month to see which areas of my personality need improvement. By setting short-term goals, my competitive nature will enhance my desire to improve, until I reach my long-term goals. Perhaps the most challenging task of this assignment was to envision the evolution of my personality from a college student to a business leader, because I did not know exactly how to set long-term goals. After thinking it through, I believe that the most pertinent long-term goal that I can set is to reflect on my life as a leader, and have no decisions that I regret making. This seems vague, but it must be in order to work. By achieving short-term monthly goals, I will achieve my long-term goal as a result, which is the express purpose of short-term goals. If I can look back on my life as a leader when I retire, and I can honestly say that there is not a single decision that I made or failed to make that resulted in an unethical consequence, I will consider myself a success. Conclusion Throughout the course of this assignment, as well as the class as a whole, I have been exposed to completely new ways of analyzing situations and have been able to integrate those concepts and strategies into my daily life. By creating this action plan for the development of my character and leadership skills; I have begun the preparation necessary to successfully lead in the business world, which is an incredibly valuable head start on students in other business schools around the country. B. R. Ambedkar’s pessimistic quote regarding the ethics versus economics dynamic that I used earlier in the paper was a perfect way for me to gauge the effectiveness of my action plan. I believe that through the analysis of my current self, the reflection and projection of my possible self, and the creation of my leadership development plan, I have been able to disprove the mentality that â€Å"business ethics is an oxymoron† and begin to strengthen the mentality that â€Å"ethics is good business, and good business is ethical.† References 1. Sean Hannah, class lectures and PowerPoint presentations, 8/29/2012-12/4/2012 2. Hannah & Avolio, Moral Potency: Building the Capacity for Character-Based Leadership 3. Trevino & Nelson, Managing Business Ethics 4. Badaracco, Defining Moments 5. George, Sims, McLean, & Mayer, Discovering Your Authentic Leadership 6. Badaracco, We Don’t Need Another Hero 7. Reinemund, class lecture 10/4/2012 View as multi-pages